Mold Infestation
In most cases, people just discover that they have mold in their house when the situation has already developed and festered for quite some time. It is, however, important to understand how mold infestation begins and develops. Knowing this can help direct more attention towards prevention. As you can imagine, it’s cheaper, safer, and more eco-friendly to prevent mold from developing in the first place.
How does a mold infestation start & develop?
A single mold plant contains lots of small light mold spores and there are quite a number of these mold spores in the air all around us. These mold spores circulate within your indoor air until they find an environment that supports their growth. The ideal environment for mold is areas with high humidity and dampness. Examples of such areas include bathrooms, kitchens, water heater rooms, etc. And this applies to residential, commercial, and industrial properties as well, not just in homes.
When a mold spore lands on such an environment, it begins to grow. The surface in question here could be a ceiling panel, floor, wall, inner wall, crawlspace, fixture, or even a piece of furniture. Mold can even grow on clothing and carpets. If the infestation is not identified the growth continues and spores from the new colony spread to cover all the areas affected by the dampness and humidity. This continues indefinitely unless the infestation is remediated or the moisture problem abated. However, note that even if the moisture issue is dealt with, the mold has to be removed and the affected areas cleaned or replaced.
How to identify a mold infestation
When it grows on the surface, mold is easy to identify. It has a cloudy/spongy look and feel and contains lots of fungal spores. There are lots of mold species and they vary in color from black to white, grey, cream, yellow, and shades of blue. In many cases, you will know mold when you see it. If you’re not sure if it’s mold, simply call a mold inspection company to come and ascertain that for you.
The tricky part with mold identification is where the infestation does not occur on the surface. In such cases, the mold can develop without you ever knowing. The only way to know if the suspected area is elevated with mold spores when there is no visual sign, is by conducting indoor air quality testing- air testing
Indoor air quality (IAQ) and mold testing companies such as us can easily identify and trace sub-surface mold because we have the requite training, experience, and specialized equipment to do so. Some of the techniques we apply include infrared thermal inspection and swab test/surface samples.
What to do after identifying a mold infestation
- Avoid the area
- Seal off the area
- Trace source of moisture
- Seek mold inspection and/mold remediation
What do I do after remediating a mold infestation?
Once mold remediation has been done, seek for a post-remediation inspection and testing to confirm the job has been completed correctly.