Neither plant nor animal, mold is a member of the fungi kingdom. Microscopic mold spores can infest a home without being visible to the naked eye. Mold poses a health risk to people and pets living in an environment infested with it. Only proper remediation can effectively eliminate a mold infestation. Trust the professionals at Utah Flood Cleanup to expertly inspect your home for the presence of harmful molds, exterminate the infestation, and determine measures to prevent future mold growth.
Causes Of Mold
Although mold grows best in warm and humid conditions, the spores from mold survive in many environments, including cool, arid conditions. Spores from mold growing outdoors can travel into your home with children, pets, and on clothing. Bathrooms, crevices in the kitchen, dark corners in the laundry area, and damp basements, even carpeting, are ideal breeding ground for harmful mold colonies.
Mold needs three basic elements to thrive: warmth, moisture, and oxygen. Flooding is an obvious cause of mold, whether it be floods from a natural disaster, a broken pipe, or a flooded appliance (such as a dishwasher, washer, or toilet.) Review this checklist of the four frequent causes of mold:
- Pipes: Pipes can leak in the walls of your home. Wet insulation trapped in the walls, combined with heat are ideal breeding grounds for mold. Since its trapped in the walls out of eyesight, homeowners are often aware of the infestation. Routine inspections by a professional mold remediation company can detect and prevent mold from leaking pipes.
- Roofs: Even minor roof damage can become an entry point for water into the home’s attic, where mold can easily grow. Remember: mold does not need excessive water to grow; minimal condensation coupled with a warm area can cause a major infestation.
- Condensation: Condensation from appliances, pipes, and concrete can combine with oxygen and the right temperature to let mold grow. Detecting possible sources of mold growth can and eliminating the problem can prevent health problems.
- Ventilation: Poor ventilation can allow moisture to become trapped in the house. Bathrooms and kitchens are major sources of mold, as a result of poor ventilation. Utah Flood Cleanup will inspect the ventilation of your home to detect, treat, and prevent mold infestations as a result of poor ventilation.
Problems From Mold Infestation
Many homeowners are unaware of how quickly their houses can become infested with mold. The fact is that mold only needs forty-eight hours in a warm and damp environment to grow. Sadly, mold is resilient to changing environmental conditions. If the environment becomes cool and dry, an established mold colony will lay dormant, essentially hibernating until damp conditions return.
Stuffy noses, scratchy eyes, and wheezing are a few symptoms of exposure to mold that are often mistaken for seasonal allergies or the common cold. Exposure to mold can cause minor allergic reactions, including nasal congestion, eye irritation, obstructed air passages, and skin irritations. In children, the elderly, or those with an already compromised immune system, exposure to mold can result in more severe allergic reactions, such as: fever, difficulty breathing, lung infections, and hypersensitivity pneumonitis.
Detect, Treat and Prevent Layton Mold Infestations
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends controlling mold in homes by, “controlling humidity levels; Promptly fixing leaky roofs, windows, and pipes; thoroughly cleaning and drying after flooding; ventilating shower, laundry, and cooking areas.” In fact, the CDC recommends cleaning and drying your home within 48 hours of a flood.
Utah Flood Cleanup is always available to service the Layton, Utah region to prevent flood damage from becoming a mold problem. Whether it is an emergency or preventative maintenance on your home, Utah Flood Cleanup is available to provide you with quality mold remediation services. Contact us here, or call (801) 876-5225 for a free consultation.
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Additional Layton, Utah Damage Restoration Services
- Layton UT Water Damage Repair & Restoration
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- Layton UT Mold Removal & Remediation Services
- Layton UT Flood Damage Restoration & Repair Services
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- Layton UT Drain Backup & Drain Cleaning Services
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