If your home recently suffered any water damage, you’ll want to have the number of a mold restoration company on hand. Mold grows in as little as 24 hours after water exposure. This quick development of mold can quickly transform your home. To give yourself your best chance of saving your home and everything in it, call a mold restoration company as soon as possible.
Here’s what you need to know about the effect mold has on a home.
Why Mold is Hazardous to Your Home
What makes mold so hazardous to your home is that it can survive on almost any type of surface. This includes but isn’t limited to:
- Paint
- Wallpaper
- Glass
- Metal
- Porcelain
- Ceramic
- Tile
- Wood
- Fabric
Since water damage can also affect these surfaces and materials, mold is likely to grow on them, too. Depending on the type of material, mold can lead to rot, rust, and become so severe that it’s impossible to treat, forcing you to toss the item in the trash.
This is why treating mold as soon as you catch it gives you the best chance of saving your furniture.
What Does Mold Restoration Include?
If you recently spotted mold growing on your walls, floor tiles, or carpet, you will need to schedule a mold restoration appointment as soon as possible. However, what should you expect at this appointment?
The first thing that happens at a mold restoration appointment is an examination. This examination includes determining what type of mold is growing and what the severity is. Though there are tens of thousands of species of mold, only a handful are commonly found in Portland homes.
These common species of mold include:
- Trichoderma
- Acremonium
- Chaetominum
- Cladosporium
- Aspergillus
- Alternaria
Depending on the type of mold, certain treatment methods may be required. For example, nontoxic fungi are usually used to treat Aspergillus. Trichoderma, on the other hand, typically responds well to hydrogen peroxide.
Determining the type of mold and how bad it is can help your mold restoration team treat mold at the source, instead of at the surface level like normal household cleaners.
Once the determination is made, the restoration process will begin. This includes everything from cleaning the mold to using a dehumidifier to grab excess moisture and stop it from spreading further. We’ll also make repairs and replacements if something was damaged by mold, like your floorboards.
Mold restoration also includes removing and bagging severely damaged items from the premises. Though we will do everything we can to save your items, if they can’t be saved, we’ll discard them.
Unfortunately, you will face some pretty steep fines in Portland if you improperly dispose of hazardous materials, which mold is. This is another benefit of hiring a mold restoration company. We know the guidelines for treating and disposing of mold.
How Long Does Mold Restoration Take?
The answer to “How long does mold remediation take” is that it depends. If the mold is small and contained, it may only take a few days. However, if it’s in multiple areas of your house, it could take a few weeks.
Our team will have a better idea of how to answer this once we inspect the mold.
Where Can Mold Grow?
We already covered the materials and surfaces where mold can grow, but there are some areas of the house where it might be more prevalent.
For mold to survive, it needs moisture, humidity, and a food source. As such, mold will be most common in areas where moisture and humidity are present. This includes your kitchen, bathroom, laundry room, and basement. However, it can also include your home’s crawl space, closets, and attic.
Though these are the most common spots in the house where mold occurs, they aren’t the only rooms at risk. Mold can grow anywhere. Lookout for these signs of mold growth:
- Foul, musky odors
- Wet or rotted wood
- Spongey floor tiles
- Groups of black and green spots
These are the most common physical signs, but you should also take notice of the following symptoms:
- Coughing
- Wheezing
- Headaches
- Watery eyes
- Sneezing
- Skin rashes
- Gastrointestinal issues
- Insomnia
If your symptoms flare up when standing in one room of your house but not another, then you’re likely dealing with a mold allergy. By taking notice of these symptoms, you’re more likely to catch mold at the onset.
Did You Find Mold Inside Your Portland Home? If So, Contact PNW Restoration for Quality Mold Restoration Today!
Treating mold is a job best left to the professionals. At PNW Restoration, we have all the proper tools and skills necessary to treat mold at the source. We have years of experience providing quality mold restoration services to the residents of Portland, Aloha, West Linn, and beyond.
Contact us today at 971-247-3381 to book your mold restoration appointment.
