Mold Damage

2/1/2019 (Permalink)

Mold Damage

Mold is not quite as common as the Georgia sunshine, but it does happen to many residents. There is a common myth that mold starts due to poor housekeeping or it only happens to hoarders. It is untrue because mold is everywhere.
Mold spores only become a threat when they have the right combination of moisture, temperature, and a food source. To stop the threat; an experienced restoration company knows that we need to break one side of that triangle of resources. The easiest method is to remove the source of moisture. SERVPRO of Chattooga, Dade, and West Walker Counties knows that the sooner we get started, the faster we can stop the mold damage and prevent further growth in a Summerville or Trion home.

To get quickly started, we have developed a list of questions for the homeowner that help us determine where the mold source might be along with other, useful information:

1. Is there visible mold in your home? Where is it?
2. Is there a strong, musty odor?
3. Have you had any problems with mold previously?
4. Is there current water damage or have you had water damage in the past? When did any previous damage happen?
Once we have this information, our inspectors can quickly find the source of the mold infestation, areas of excess moisture and how to stop both. 

What We Can Do

Technicians begin by removing any standing water. For puddles and other small areas, we use water extractor wands to get into crawlspaces and small areas. For areas we cannot physically get into, we place a chemical desiccant to draw moisture from the surrounding air or set up a dehumidifier to draw larger amounts of moisture. Some of these machines can draw out over 20 gallons of water per day.

Once the air is dry enough, the mold spores return to a dormant state. If the spores are only on a surface, we attempt to vacuum them up or use dry wiping to remove them. Vacuuming and dry wiping get the spores out of the home without adding moisture to the environment.

If the spores had time to grow into building material such as drywall, we prefer to remove the entire panel and dispose of it. Attempting to dig out the mold to prevent replacing panels is rarely ever cost-effective. It is a labor-intensive process that adds up quickly on a final bill.