Mold Remediation Manchester
Mold Remediation Manchester – Do You Need It?
Manchester might not be one of the biggest towns in Maryland, but it’s got a lot of history, a rich German heritage, and is now plays host a lot of happy families. It’s also blessed with some fantastic weather in the summer, although that humidity that settles in during the summer months can also bring with it a problem that can grow over time if left unchecked. The problem is mold, but there are Manchester mold remediation experts that are more than happy to consult with you if you think you have this problem.
How Do You Know You Have A Mold Problem?
One of the first things you should do is be mindful of the air in your home. Mold will give off a distinctive smell, and it prefers to grow in dark, humid places. So even if you can’t necessarily see the mold right away, you’ll be able to smell it, especially in basement and attic areas. You’ll have an easier time finding mold if you understand how it works.
Mold reproduces by sending spores into the air, so the smell you detect is actually the spores drifting through your home and looking for more ideal locations to settle down in and grow a colony.
Moisture is critical for most mold, and they don’t do well in sunlight, so that’s one reason why you don’t commonly find mold growing in more common areas of the home such as the living room. This is also why bathrooms—especially those with bathtubs or shower stalls—can eventually show signs of mold growth like mildew on the tile. Fortunately, most bathroom molds can easily be treated by homeowners thanks to the non-porous quality of bathroom tile. The mold can’t get into the tile and spread all over it, it’s trapped on the surface, where household products can easily get to them.
It’s the other kinds of molds that present more of a problem. While mold growing on your bread is easy enough to deal with, mold in your carpet or basement can be much trickier. It doesn’t take much for mold to grow, and even a leaky basement with a pool of water that remains uncleaned for more than two days can be enough to start a colony. The same goes for carpet, which can take a very long time to dry off if left on its own. A wet carpet, unattended, is an invitation to mold to start growing, and once it does, it doesn’t need the rest of the carpet to be moist for the growth to continue. If this takes place under the carpet, your only indicator that you might have a problem is the smell.
You should do a thorough check of potential problem areas in your home, especially if you have an attic, basement or crawlspace where water can get in on a regular basis. These are all prime spots for mold to gain a foothold and start colonizing the rest of your home.
What Happens If I Have A Mold Problem?
Depending on the extent of a colony in your home, it may be time to contact a Manchester mold remediation expert. In most cases mold is only a health risk in the long term, though the symptoms can range anywhere from allergic reactions to, at worst, fungal pneumonia, depending on the type of mold involved and the degree of infestation.
The first thing that a Manchester mold remediation team will do is assess the situation in your home. They will examine the mold, identify it, and more importantly, track down the cause of the mold growing in the first place. If it’s a matter of the air being too humid, a dehumidifier may be installed after treatment to prevent further infestation. If it’s a consistently leaky basement, some waterproofing might be required. All of that will come after the treatment however.
Once the team has identified the mold and its cause, the next step is the air. Air purity is an important factor in health and safety, and the team will decide on the best course of action for filtering the air in the building. This may not require much, or it may be an extensive process that requires bringing in their own machinery, but the goal is reducing the density of spores in the air to minimize the risks to health and, more importantly, re-infestation.
When the air has been cleaned, your mold remediation Manchester team will take what is called a Biocide, and apply it to the areas with mold. For the sake of thoroughness and safety, usually the entire room or space will be treated, not just the area, where the mold is most visible. This particular part of the process is also usually when it’s best to remove residents and pets from the home. After the biocide treatment, the team may then apply a special chemical whitewash designed to prevent mold from taking hold again.
After the procedure is finally finished, this is when the team will look at addressing whatever structural problems may have led to the mold proliferating. This may be the stage where they suggest basement waterproofing, or other solutions, and ignoring their advice may lead you to having another mold infestation at a later date.
If you’ve investigated your home and think you might have a problem with mold, don’t hesitate to get a consultation from the experts. Any mold remediation service in Manchester will be happy to consult with you and find out what your next step should be to solve the problem.