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We are approaching the hottest and most humid months of the year and if not prepared, home and business owners run the risk of mold or microbial growth within their homes or buildings.  Unknown or untreated mold or microbial growth can potentially create an unhealthy living situation as well as depreciate the value of your property if left unaddressed. If you believe there is mold within your property, please contact basement technologies sister company Work Dog Property Solutions for an immediate assessment. Below is some helpful information to consider for the upcoming months.  

Identifying Mold

Even though toxic black mold is a headline grabber, mold comes in more than one color and is often not visible. It can be on the inside of walls, collects in water-damaged basements and crawl spaces, and grows and thrives inside poorly cleaned humidifiers, dehumidifiers, and air conditioning units.

Mold and Your Health

The health concerns of mold consist of a wide range and cause respiratory and many other issues. While young children, infants, the elderly, and the immune-compromised are at the greatest risk, mold can affect anyone, causing everything from an allergic reaction to mycotoxicosis and many more serious diseases. According to the Mayo Clinic, the cause of nearly all 37 million sinus infections is from mold. Mold has been linked to both causing asthma and advancing asthma. Fortunately, mold can be removed if you know where it is located, which is why mold inspections are an important part of property maintenance.

Extensive Mold Damage

Health problems that go along with mold growth are not as common as many people believe, but that does not mean the mold is harmless. Left unchecked or unattended, extensive mold damage can require professional removal. Imagine a bathroom with poor ventilation. Mold builds slowly on the ceiling and walls; residents then scrub them clean every few weeks. But with poor cleaning habits, this mold will take over and will begin to eat away at the drywall. The same thing happens with mold trapped the interior of your walls, until bad odors and discoloration require that you rip out your entire wall.

Mold Inspections

A mold inspection is a simple and important task that should be taken seriously and performed with regularity and/or when the situation demands. If you find water damage and realize that people in your home are having respiratory and health problems, or if you realize that you have never had an inspection, it is a good idea to get one done and as quickly as possible.

Air Mold Test

If mold damage is not due to the everyday beat down on an older home, you might need documented test results to reclaim costs from homeowner’s insurance, your real estate seller, landlord, plumber, or new home builder. A certified mold inspector is trained to search “every inch of your home” and can offer mold laboratory analysis of collected samples and a professional toxic mold inspection with full documentation. These more extensive measures are a great idea if you are buying or selling a home, living in an older home, if you suspect a problem, or if you have not tested it in a few years.

Basic Precautions against Mold

The most obvious way to avoid issues is to keep a clean, safe home. Standing water causes many problems, and the most common one is mold. Similarly, dehumidifiers and humidifiers should be scrubbed down at least once a month with antibiotic soap. Leaking or dripping showers, pipes and faucets should be fixed as soon as you see there is an issue, and shower curtains and floor mats should be used and cleaned regularly. Additionally, if your home is heated or cooled by forced air, your vents or registers should be cleaned every 12 to 18 months.  

Mold sneaks up on you. It grows where you do not see it and the problems do not occur until it is a significant problem. It causes health concerns that present themselves as asthma, colds, and other problems that might seem common or unavoidable, but are completely preventable. For this reason, for peace of mind, for your health, regular inspections are important and necessary. Recognizing and cleaning up the smallest of problems will change the way you live in your home and leave a healthier lifestyle.

 

Basement Technologies' sister company Work Dog Property Solutions uses licensed remediation technicians and the best materials on the market to properly remediate properties throughout Massachusetts and Rhode Island. We offer an industry leading 3-year warranty on our services and, in addition to our remediation services, our sister company offers solutions to ensure your mold issues should not happen again. 

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