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Don't Let Mold Stop Your Progress
Home renovations and remodels are an excellent opportunity to enhance your environment and add value to your home. It is likely that you are excited about your project and want to get the work done quickly. When mold is discovered, your improvement plans can be temporarily derailed.
If you are having your home improvement project completed by a professional contractor, it is likely that their crew will not continue working on your home until the mold has been removed. While you may be tempted to deal with a mold problem on your own, you may want to resist that temptation. Without proper handling and treatment, mold spores can spread and further contaminate your home. Mold removal is best left to an experienced remediation specialist.
ATP will work on your behalf to file an insurance claim with your carrier if a water loss and or mold is found during the remodeling project.
Discovering Mold During Home Improvement is Not Unusual
Finding mold during a renovation or remodeling project is not uncommon, particularly in older homes. You may not be aware that you have a mold problem until you begin tearing down a wall, pulling up carpeting, removing tiles, or replacing kitchen or bathroom fixtures. You are not alone. It is estimated that 20-60 percent of homes have some degree of mold contamination. Now that the mold in your home has been discovered, it can be safely eliminated.
Mold spores are everywhere, invisible to the naked eye. All mold needs to thrive is a food source and a dark, warm environment. Just a few of the places mold can grow include:
Behind drywall
In heating and air conditioning vents
Around window sills and doors
On your foundation or in your attic
Under carpeting, carpet padding, and tile
On wooden surfaces
On or under painted surfaces
Behind wallpaper
In insulation
Around pipes and ducting (from leaks or condensation)
Near furnaces and water heaters
Understanding How Mold Infects Your Home
Mold infestations are often caused by water infiltration or prolonged humidity levels. Mold is often the result of poor drainage, undiscovered leaks, and foundation issues. If the problems causing water infiltration are not resolved, you will not be able to eradicate the mold. It will grow back and spread.
While you may have anticipated the possibility of discovering mold if your home is more than 20 years old, there is a disturbing trend of finding mold in newer homes as well because of the way they are constructed. In an effort to make newer homes more affordable, some contractors use cheaper building materials that trap moisture. To make modern homes more energy efficient, cross ventilation is often eliminated, and homes are sealed with vapor barriers. These conditions create a perfect environment for mold to thrive.
Mold spores feed on anything containing cellulose, including wood, paper, carpeting, and fabric. When mold spores settle onto a moist surface, they feed and multiply, releasing spores, volatile organic compounds, and sometimes toxic gases into your environment.
Mold in Your Home is a Serious Concern
While some types of mold are more toxic than others, every type of mold is a cause for concern. Mold lives by consuming the surfaces it grows on. While the occasional bit of mold temporarily growing on a smooth surface in your shower is no cause for immediate alarm, when mold infects the cellulose in your ceiling tiles, wallboards, and woodwork, there is the potential for some serious damage, not just to your property, but to the health of your family.
Some forms of mold, particularly black mold, are known to be quite harmful, releasing toxins into the air that can cause lung damage. Fortunately, the most serious health complications are not all that common, but can be of great consequence to infants, the elderly, or family members living with a compromised immune system.
The mold growing in your environment can result in the following symptoms for those who are susceptible to infections or allergic to mold:
Chronic sinusitis
Itchy, watery eyes
Throat irritation
Respiratory infections
Difficulty breathing or allergic asthma
Fungal Infections
Even "Dead" Mold is a Potentially Serious Threat
You may have learned that you can eliminate mold by drying the surfaces where mold grows. This is not entirely true. When you eliminate moisture, mold can no longer multiply or absorb nutrients, but it's important to know that removing moisture will not kill mold. The mold spores simply become dormant until they find a new source of food and moisture.
The mold discovered during your improvement project may not be confined to the area of mold growth you have encountered. Mold spores find their way into the air you breathe, circulate throughout your home, and remain dormant until they come into contact with food and water once again.
Resist the Temptation to Remove Mold on Your Own
While you may find information suggesting that is it possible to remove mold on your own, a do-it-yourself approach to mold removal is most often risky and ineffective. Most DIY methods simply do not work, doing more harm than good. Some types of mold are quite toxic, even in small amounts. Just a few of the reasons to leave mold removal to professionals include:
Some types of mold are quite toxic, even in small quantities
Inadequate protective wear- a paint suit or dust mask will not protect you from mold
Mold exposure - can increase your risk of developing an allergic reaction
Improper handling of contaminated surfaces will release more mold spores into your home
Ineffective household products - bleach, vinegar, and DIY mold removal products typically kill surface mold. The mold beneath the surface often grows back resistant to treatment
Safe Mold Removal Requires the Services of a Professional
When mold is discovered, it is essential to have the infestation removed by a qualified mold removal specialist. If not removed properly, mold spores are released into the air; linger in HVAC systems, and spread contaminants throughout your home.
ATP Environmental will provide you with our expertise to help you better understand the Florida laws and regulations regarding mold testing and mold removal. Once the property has been inspected by an independent mold assessor, we can then provide you with a competitive estimate based on the inspectors testing and protocol. ATP will provide the following:
Protect the property from further damage
Educate the homeonwer's on our services and products
Clean the mold quickly and safely
Reduce the risk of spreading the mold
Safely remove mold-infested materials from your home
Clean and disinfect porous and non porous material with TM-100
Utilize HEPA (high-efficiency particulate air) filtration to control dust, particulates and mold spores during the remediation
Apply TM-100 (Fog) to the affected rooms
When the discovery of mold interrupts your home improvement project, don't delay. You need a mold remediation company that responds quickly and works with your insurance company. For organic, non-toxic, mold removal contact ATP Environmental Solution Specialists. Our TM-100 non-toxic products is safe for humans, pet-friendly, and will eliminate the potentially toxic mold from your home so you can get back on track with your remodeling or renovation plans.