Signs of Mold in Your Home

7/12/2021 (Permalink)

In as little as 48 hours, mold can become a problem in your home or business when there’s a water intrusion, like a roof leak or a leaking water line. If you have a mold problem in your home or business, your primary focus should be safety. Make sure you avoid affected areas and turn off the HVAC system and fans. Contact SERVPRO of Central St. Petersburg / Pinellas Park for mold remediation services. Remember, significant mold growth can occur in as little as 48 to 72 hours. You might notice a strong, musty odor; this may indicate mold hidden by drywall or under carpeting; mold isn’t always visible, but the odor can help identify it. Mold may present a greater risk to children, the elderly, and anyone with respiratory problems.

If you suspect mold growth in your home or business, call SERVPRO of Central St. Petersburg / Pinellas Park at (727) 521-2562.

10 Things You Should Know About Mold

7/8/2021 (Permalink)

1. Mold exposures may include health effects.
   
   
2. There is no practical way to eliminate all mold and mold spores in the indoor environment; the way to control indoor mold growth is to control moisture.
   
   
3. If mold is a problem in your home or school, you must clean up the mold and eliminate moisture sources.
   
   
4. Fix the source of the water problem or leak to prevent mold growth.
   
   
5. Reduce indoor humidity (to 30-60%) to decrease mold growth.
   
   
6. Clean and dry any damp or wet building materials and furnishings within 24-48 hours to prevent mold growth.
   
   
7. You should clean mold off hard surfaces with water and detergent and dry thoroughly. Absorbent materials such as ceiling tiles that are moldy may need to be replaced.
   
   
8. Prevent condensation: Reduce the potential for condensation on cold surfaces (i.e., windows, piping, exterior walls, roof, or floors) by adding insulation.
   
   
9. In areas where there is a perpetual moisture problem, do not install carpeting (i.e., by drinking fountains, classroom sinks, or on concrete floors with leaks or frequent condensation).
   
   
10. Molds can be found almost anywhere; they can grow virtually any substance, providing moisture is present. Some molds can grow on wood, paper, carpet, and foods.

9 Ways to Manage Mold

7/8/2021 (Permalink)

1. Identify problem areas in your home and correct them. Preventing mold from growing or spreading might be as simple as ripping up carpet in a damp basement, installing mold-resistant products, or repairing damaged gutters.
   
   
2. Dry wet areas immediately. Mold can't grow without moisture, so tackle wet areas right away. 
   
   
3. Prevent moisture with proper ventilation. Make sure an activity as simple as cooking dinner, taking a shower, or doing a load of laundry doesn't invite mold by providing proper ventilation in your bathroom, kitchen, laundry room, and any other high-moisture area. 
   
   
4. Equip your home with mold-resistant products. Building a new home or renovating an old one? Use mold-resistant products like mold-resistant drywall or mold-resistant Sheetrock and mold inhibitors for paints. 
   
   
5. Monitor humidity indoors. The EPA recommends keeping indoor humidity between 30 and 60 percent. You can measure humidity with a moisture meter purchased from your local hardware store. 
   
   
6. Direct water away from your home. If the ground around your home isn't sufficiently sloped away from the foundation, water may collect there and seep into your crawlspace or basement.
   
   
7. Clean or repair roof gutters. Have your roof gutters cleaned regularly and inspected for damage. Repair them as necessary, and keep an eye out for water stains after storms that may indicate a leak.
   
   
8. Improve airflow in your home. Without adequate airflow in your home, excess moisture may appear on your walls, windows, and floors. To increase circulation, open doors between rooms, move furniture away from walls, and open doors to closets that may be colder than the rooms they're in. Let fresh air in to reduce moisture and keep mold at bay.
   
   
9. Keep mold off household plants. They're beautiful and help keep your indoor air clean — and mold loves them. The moist soil in indoor plants is a perfect breeding ground for mold, which may then spread to other areas of your house.

Eliminating Mold Growth Causes

7/8/2021 (Permalink)

Call us today for a free estimate!

SERVPRO Remediates Mold Damage and Takes Steps to Prevent Future Mold Growth

A continuous state of elevated humidity is a primary cause of excessive microbial growth in Central St. Petersburg / Pinellas Park residences. It can quickly increase the amount of damage that follows. Other factors, such as the presence of absorbent materials in the home, can also play a role in how rapidly microbial growth occurs.

Whenever a residence in Central St. Petersburg / Pinellas Park sustains mold damage, one of the aspects examined inside the home includes water sources' presence. Leaky water lines, past flooding events, and saturated ground near the home can increase the amount of humidity the interior of the home experiences. SERVPRO technicians use moisture meters and other devices to locate the sources and areas where moisture accumulated. Once we locate these areas and sources, we can then resolve the situation that caused microbial growth to affect the home.

Mold remediation experts know that the existence of future invasive water can cause the microbial problem to return, rendering mold remediation efforts useless. Once we eliminate these sources, we can then begin removing mold-damaged materials, laundering and cleaning household items and furniture, and caring for the carpeting throughout the home. Walls that harbor mold, even if dormant, need cleaning and drying.

During our work, maintaining a set of controls to keep all mold contained safely affects our labor's overall outcome. This includes the use of plastic sheeting surrounding areas within the home, along with the use of our air scrubbers. Sending microbes outdoors helps keep them from entering other areas of your property.

However, ensuring that moisture sources no longer exist should not help keep old sources from returning in full force. Effectively starving microbes, their population growth stays under control. Once we complete our remediation work, diligent homeowners know to keep an eye out for leaking water lines, loose connections, and other sources of moisture. Microbes do not need a great deal of moisture to begin growing again and causing future problems.

SERVPRO of Central St. Petersburg / Pinellas Park is always ready to serve those in our community. Call our 24-hour service line at (727) 521-2562. Your family does not need to live with the effects of mold damage in your home.

Why Professional Mold Remediation Is Necessary

7/6/2021 (Permalink)

SERVPRO of Central St. Petersburg / Pinellas Park is the right restoration company for you!

Professional Remediation Vs. DIY for Your Central St. Petersburg / Pinellas Park Home

Many Florida homeowners would argue that the methods of repairing and restoring damage to their homes are as effective as the professionals could produce. While there might be instances this could be as effective or more money-saving, mold remediation is not one of these situations. There are some things that every homeowner should know about the differences between DIY mold removal and professional remediation work for their property.

One of the first concerns about mold damage that any Florida homeowner should have is the extent of the damage that they are currently facing. Even a small colony can spread quickly and pose a significant risk to both the property's structural integrity and those that get exposed to the colony. This safety concern is one of the defining factors that should deter homeowners from DIY removal. Without the appropriate personal protective equipment and training, removal efforts could cause acute health effects.

DIY approaches encourage homeowners to use a harsh detergent like bleach and scrub over present colonies to remove them, but this can prove problematic for multiple reasons. The first of these concerns is that bleach can react adversely with certain mold types and become more volatile. This is less effective because this approach only takes off surface mold and does not remove the entire hyphae like the equipment our SERVPRO Franchise professionals use can.

Another concern is the spread of the organism. Homeowners do not have the available equipment to contain a spreading mold colony as our SERVPRO Franchise professionals do. With air scrubbers, hydroxyl generators, and physical plastic sheeting barriers, we can effectively prevent the organism's spread to new areas of the home. At the same time, remediation and mold removal efforts get underway.