Mold is a problem for people in households throughout the country. Most people don’t realize that merely one square inch of mold can contain more than6 5 million mold spores. Why is this bad? Mold has the potential to cause a number of health problems if left untreated, including breathing problems and allergic reactions. Mold can be especially dangerous for young children, pregnant women, and people with immunodeficiency diseases. Therefore, homeowners should be prepared to take the necessary steps to prevent mold from occurring or spreading.
In the event that mold is found inside a home, then the owner should take immediate steps to prevent the problem from worsening. Homeowners can attempt to tackle small patches of mold on their own. However, for larger areas of mold that have become widespread throughout the home, a professional should be called to handle the situation. Companies such as PuroClean Property Paramedics have the proper tools and techniques to tackle a mold problem before it truly gets out of control.
For starters, PuroClean will send a team out to the affected home to evaluate the situation. Employees will never officially use the word “mold” until the area in question is physically tested. Instead, they will come equipped with test kits so that they can take samples from the affected areas and send them to a lab for evaluation. In fact, in many cases, they are able to detect mold that isn’t even visible. Only once they get the results do they confirm that the area in question is, indeed, infected with mold. As part of the remediation process, the team will even go so far as to try to identify what type of mold they are dealing with. This way, they can give the homeowner an understanding as to what type of hazards are involved in its presence, and devise a course of action for future prevention.
Once the mold problem is confirmed as such, the remediation team will tape off the moldy areas within the home and put up plastic to avoid contaminating other areas. They will then set up a HEPA air scrubber so that the bad, moldy air can be filtered and then blown outside of the house. After the initial setup is complete, the mold remediation team can then treat the mold in order to clean the area and prevent the mold from spreading. This is done by either wire-brushing the affected areas or spraying them with a hydrogen peroxide-based serum. In some cases, the team can also use a dry ice blast to combat larger areas of mold. Once the moldy areas are treated, they are then HEPA vacuumed to ensure that no unwanted particles are filtered into the air. Finally, the affected area is properly sealed to ensure that the mold situation is accordingly contained.
Of course, the best way to combat mold is to prevent it from developing in the first place. However, if it’s too late for that, then call for some help before the problem gets worse. Remember, ignoring mold won’t make it go away; it will only make it grow with a vengeance.
The information in the article is not intended to substitute for the medical expertise and advice of your healthcare provider. We encourage you to discuss any decisions about treatment or care with an appropriate healthcare provider.