Mold...the ugly truth for basements on Martha's Vineyard

11/14/2015 (Permalink)

The Ugly Truth About Mold

The best that can be said about mold is that it helped in the discovery of penicillin. Other than that it is a rather unsightly fungus that can do serious damage to a home or building until a mold remediation team is called in.

Sure, we have all seen some small colonies of black mold creeping along the walls, especially in bathrooms. Let’s face it…where there’s water there’s mold. But there are times when we are blissfully unaware that water has made its way into our home… providing the perfect breeding ground for a cluster of spores to grow, spread, and travel, slowly decaying the structure behind the walls, the ceilings, or floors.

Last year’s series of never-ending snowstorms caused the formation of ice dams and these dams often caused water to back up into homes and buildings…in some cases the owners didn't think the water had seeped in was that bad.

Damp and moist conditions are the perfect conditions for growing mold, which can grow virtually anywhere— in basements, behind walls in framing, in carpet pads, and in the carpet itself. Moisture inside a home will definitely lead to mold and the only way to rid the building of the fungus is to call in a mold remediation team.

There is a difference between mold removal and mold remediation. The most important thing to understand is that mold is everywhere and it is impossible to completely get rid of it. My team at SERVPRO of Upper Cape Cod and the Islands understands mold and therefore is experienced with the mold remediation process. This process begins with an assessment of the damage, which is followed by containing the damage, limiting air movement in the space and a thorough cleaning. The last step in the process is restoration, which can involve minor repairs to major reconstruction to make it like it never even happened.

Mold is more than just unsightly…there is an odor to it and exposure to high levels of household mold may cause health effects. Though you might be tempted to spray bleach on the affected areas, I wouldn’t recommend doing so, since that can actually increase the damage. Even if you are successful at covering up the unsightly stain, the spores continue to grow, and the mold continues to travel.

Here are some valuable tips for dealing with a mold problem.

• Don’t touch or disturb the mold.
• Don’t blow air across any surfaces with visible or suspected mold growth.
• Don’t spray bleach or other disinfectants on the mold.
• Stay out of affected areas.