No one is ever prepared to deal with a mold problem yet it is a common occurrence after water damage. The water often comes from a hurricane, burst pipe, broken appliance, or a leaking roof. The water damage may come from a slow leak over a period of time that is hidden from sight. But what’s growing behind cabinets, flooring and drywall and circulating through your HVAC duct system is a time bomb for a mold infestation that often results in illness and substantial damage to your property and personal possessions.
Mold generates spores that travel through doors and windows and through HVAC systems. But it takes the right conditions for mold to grow. Where there is a warm, moist, humid environment with poor ventilation, mold grows rapidly. Within 48-72 hours after a flood or other improperly contained water damage event, a substantial mold problem can start and spread throughout your home.
Most people worry only about black mold – a toxic mold found in flood-damaged buildings from extreme weather conditions, sewage system backups and long-standing stagnant water from clean water sources. Although not all mold is toxic, any type of mold can produce health problems and damage property when it becomes an infestation. One square inch of mold can hold 10 million spores. Minor visible mold on the outside of drywall may be several times greater on the inside of a wall cavity where it grows much more rapidly.
If you find mold growing on ceilings, walls, baseboards or furnishings or notice a musty odor, it is likely that you have a mold problem that should be evaluated by professionals.
For the safety of your family, removing people and pets from the area of concern is your first recommended action. Avoid handling or disturbing the mold or attempting to clean it up with disinfectants or bleach. Contain the mold by turning off heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems. This will prevent dispersing mold spores through HVAC systems into other locations.
Mold remediation is a multi-step process performed by certified professionals. The process includes:
- identifying and eliminating the mold source
- preventing the spread of mold spores
- decontaminating affected building structures and personal property
- removing the mold and
- restoring the property to its pre-loss condition.
In areas where mold has penetrated porous or absorbent surfaces such as carpets, drywall, cabinets, counter-tops, wallpaper and ceiling tiles; affected materials are removed and discarded.
If you are in the Southwest Florida area, keep in mind that Armstrong Water Mold Cleanup & Restorations is a specialty full service Florida water damage general contractor you can depend on for your water damage, mold remediation and total restoration of your property. We are a specialist in residential mold repairs.
We are one of only a few companies trusted and recommended by leading homeowners insurance companies because we follow IICRC standards that assure safe and appropriate practices without overcharging for unnecessary and costly demolition and restoration.
Armstrong helps people with water and mold damage to get through one of their most difficult challenges with a minimum expense and disruption to their life. We truly take the burden off you and put it on us. We offer one-stop total peace of mind service – the most complete, comprehensive 24/7 customer service in the area today.
We are reachable 24/7 to inspect and solve water damage and mold problems. The mold inspection and estimate are free. Call 239-541-4200 or contact us at ArmstrongWaterMoldCleanup.com
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