If you’ve been on this planet long enough, chances are you ran into an interesting organism called mold. You might find it on some oranges you left on the counter too long or vegetables that you forgot in your pantry. This is generally not a big problem, you can solve it easily by throwing out the offending product.
But what if your house is moldy?
This is a whole different beast, and depending on the severity, you might need to hire a professional to do mold remediation on your property. First, you need to find out if the situation is going to be a real issue. Let’s go over the important facts you need to know for handling your mold problem, professionally or otherwise.
What is Mold?
This discolored and nasty-looking intruder is a type of fungi that grows organically. Mold emerges in threads that join together to form a larger organism (imagine the lawn in front of your house). These threads are called hyphae, and they constantly creep outwards to find new substances to snack on. Over time, they release spores into the air, which aids in reproduction, effectively spreading the mold out across the space it resides in.
Mold generally grows in damp places because it thrives in moist environments. Due to this, mold is found in shower rooms, humid basements, and other prime spots where water and flooding are a problem. Since mold can’t get food for itself, it digests the surfaces it grows on. In nature, you find mold decomposing leaves and wood. In a home, you still find it decomposing wood and other objects, which is where it becomes a problem.
Why Should You Be Concerned?
Okay, so mold might grow on some exposed wood in your basement, but that doesn’t mean the whole house is going to come down. What’s the big deal? We have to take a closer look to really see the issues.
On a microscopic level, air circulation removes moisture but also helps spread the spores around. When the environment lacks airflow, not only does the moisture accelerate the growth of the fungi but the spores don’t travel very far. This easily snowballs into a serious problem! Mold increases in size rapidly, and any air movement carries the super-light spores far and wide throughout your home.
Apart from the disgusting appearance of mold, it poses unseen dangers as well. This is the main reason you should deal with any mold issues right away. When these spores travel through the air, we unknowingly breathe them in. These spores are mycotoxin, which is an airborne toxin produced by mushrooms and molds. This brings unexpected health problems like coughing, headaches, and other illnesses. If you or someone in your household has asthma or other similar conditions, they are very susceptible to complications from breathing in the spores.
Clearly, this fungal situation can have destructive effects on you and your home. When should you make the call for expert help?
When is it Bad Enough to Hire a Professional?
You might not know you have a mold problem, to begin with. As soon as you know, it’s important to find out how dire the situation is. While there can be outbreaks of fungi in your house unbeknownst to you, there will come a time when you recognize the problem.
Often, the first sign people get is a moldy or mildew smell. It’s hard to pinpoint exactly what the smell is, but there is a stale and musty hint to it. If you suspect there might be mold around your home, it’s time to go on the search. Mold is common in dark, moist places where the air doesn’t move much. Some examples would be attics, basements, washrooms, and obviously the bathrooms. Carpet and the cracks between tiles are often culprits as well.
If there’s only a small spot, you can likely handle it yourself with store-bought treatments and some protection for your face and lungs. The real danger is from large contaminations, where you are unsure of how far it spread. This can balloon into a much larger problem if the mold has made its way into HVAC systems, your lungs, or small spaces that are difficult to deal with. Not eliminating the mold entirely will only slow it down, but naturally, it will continue to regrow. That’s why you need a professional mold removal service as soon as possible.
How is Mold Removed?
So the job is looking pretty daunting. Your time and efforts don’t seem quite enough, so what will it look like when a professional comes to remove your mold? This looks quite different depending on where the issue resides. For example, mold on drywall in one corner of the room may need to be cut out and replaced in that corner. Water-damaged materials need replacing, as well as anything seriously affected by the mold itself. Disinfecting the carpets and walls in the higher-risk areas is key to preventing future mold growth.
Effective treatments include air filtration to ensure that the air you breathe is safe for you and your family. It’s in your best interest to hire someone that completely eliminates the mold in your house so you can have peace of mind.
Does Compleat Do Professional Mold Removal and Remediation?
There are many companies that offer services for professional mold removal and remediation, but you should take the time to make sure you can trust the team that’s handling your problem. Compleat has extensive experience in dealing with mold breakouts in homes. Simply killing the mold isn’t enough, as dead mold still can continue to spread illness.
Comleat’s trained mold remediation crews have the knowledge, tools, and safety equipment to permanently eliminate the mold in your home. This includes drying and containing the area, and strong remediation – this includes HEPA vacuuming and physical mold removal of all affected materials. Antimicrobial agents are applied to the affected area, and other contents damaged by the mold are restored by our team. Visit the mold removal page to learn more, read reviews, and contact us about solving your mold removal problem.