Mold can be a silent intruder in many homes, especially during the changing seasons in the Wood River Valley area. A flash flood, a leaky pipe, or a backed-up fixture can allow moisture to seep into your home’s walls, carpeting, or subfloors, creating an ideal environment for mold to grow.
However, mold growth does not always result from water damage and can often go unnoticed for long periods. Recognizing when mold becomes a problem is crucial to maintaining a healthy living environment for you and your family.
What is Mold?
Every mold problem starts with water and oxygen, meaning mold can be found almost anywhere, including soil, plants, and any decaying matter. According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Molds are Fungi that play an important role in nature, breaking down dead organic matter like fallen leaves, dead trees, and other debris.
While there are many types of mold, they all require moisture to grow. Excessive moisture in structures can cause mold growth, especially on materials like wood, paper, carpet, foods, and insulation.
Mold can start growing on a damp surface within just a day or two. However, if allowed to continue growing, the spores themselves may not be visible for another three weeks . When visible, mold appears as slightly fuzzy, discolored, or slimy patches that will continue to spread and increase in size, accompanied by a musty odor that causes respiratory symptoms.
When Does Mold Become a Problem?
Mold is a problem almost immediately, and if left unaddressed, it will continue to grow and wreak havoc. Not only can this mold continue to damage structural materials over time, but it can make your home’s air quality dangerous.
Homes, commercial buildings, and offices can develop mold through long-term moisture buildup from poor ventilation and small leaks. Mold can also grow in damp areas like bathrooms, basements, and even HVAC systems. Regularly inspecting these potentially risky areas for signs of mold growth goes a long way in preventing long-term issues.
Mold can grow undetected for weeks, months, or even years. As soon as mold is detected, it’s important to address both the mold and its cause without putting yourself or your family at risk.
Mold Health Risks
Mold can aggravate existing respiratory conditions and health problems while causing adverse health effects even with short periods of exposure. Specific segments of the population, such as children, the elderly, and immunocompromised individuals, are particularly at risk of developing serious health issues, including:
- Sneezing, runny nose, congestion, and/or sinus inflammation
- Coughing and sore throat
- Aggravation of asthma and respiratory conditions
If you, your family, or the building’s occupants are suffering from these conditions, toxigenic mold may be the culprit.
The Importance of Professional Mold Remediation
While you may be tempted to handle a mold problem on your own, the EPA suggests leaving anything larger than 3 feet by 3 feet patches to professionals. While DIY methods can provide temporary relief, they often fail to address the root cause of mold growth.
At Valley Restoration, our IICRC-trained and certified technicians can conduct an air quality and mold detection test, identify the origin point of mold, and begin the remediation process.
Mold needs to be removed in a particular way, with specialized equipment, to ensure occupant safety and prevent further spread throughout the contaminated area. Additionally, larger outbreaks often indicate more serious water damage issues in your home that must be addressed.
Mold Remediation from Valley Restoration
Our process for mold removal starts with a thorough visual inspection. Once we have located the mold, we can immediately begin using industry-standard treatments to target both the mold growing on your home’s surfaces and any spores released into the air. Our technicians can get to the root of mold development by:
- Visually inspecting your home for exterior cracks and gaps
- Utilizing moisture meters to detect moisture in your home
- Inspecting plumbing and fixtures for signs of leaks
- Following mold growth to the point of origin
- Containing the affected areas to prevent further mold spread.
- Safely removing mold from all affected surfaces without contaminating air quality or contaminating other areas of the structure.
- Preventing future mold growth through moisture control measures and repairing any damaged areas (roof leaks, flood risk areas, etc.).
Valley Restoration mold remediation services include odor treatments, replacing affected carpets, foam, or sub-flooring, cleaning your air ducts to help remove spores, and cleaning and sealing tiles.
How to Prevent Mold Growth
Sometimes, disaster strikes, and severe water damage from a flash flood or appliance leak can lead to mold outbreaks. But there are smaller steps you can take in your home to ensure your risk for mold stays low, including:
- Keep your home dry; don’t allow water to build up anywhere, including shower walls or wet clothes in the washing machine.
- Use mold-killing cleaning products on shower curtains and bathroom tiles regularly.
- Be mindful of indoor plants and the mold that can grow in soil.
- Use exhaust fans in the kitchen and bathroom to limit moisture in the air.
- Act quickly and fix any leaks when you notice them.
- Keep basements and garage areas well-ventilated, and consider utilizing dehumidifiers in hot or humid seasons.
Full-Service Disaster Restoration for Over 50 Years
Home disasters can be scary and overwhelming, but you don’t need to face the unknown alone. At Valley Restoration, our certified IICRC technicians are committed to providing you with the finest property restoration service possible using the most recent technology and state-of-the-art equipment. We have the knowledge, experience, and expertise to restore your home or business, bring you peace of mind, and leave your property in better condition before any loss or damage that occurred.
Since 1968, we’ve helped families and business owners in the Wood River Valley area take the proper steps to restore their properties and rebuild their lives in the face of disaster. Are you seeking a reliable, full-service disaster recovery service in the Ketchum, Sun Valley, Hailey, and Bellevue, Idaho areas? Contact Valley Restoration today!