For significant mold growth to occur, there must be a source of water (which could be invisible humidity), a source of food, and a substrate capable of sustaining growth. Common building materials, such as plywood, drywall, furring strips, carpets, and carpet padding are food for molds. In carpet, invisible dust is the food source. After a single incident of water damage occurs in a building, molds grow inside walls and then become dormant until a subsequent incident of high humidity; this illustrates how mold can appear to be a sudden problem, long after a previous flood or water incident that did not produce a mold-related problem. The right conditions re-activate mold. Studies also show that mycotoxin levels are perceptibly higher in buildings that have once had a water incident.
Cleaning and removing mold growth from a property requires specialized equipment. Due to the immediate health risks that mold can create by entering the lungs it is imperative that workers utilize breathing masks for protection. Different types of mold can be more hazardous to deal with and require specialized cleaning . Small areas of growth in a home or business can be cleaned with a strong detergent based cleaner. Simply utilizing bleach will not ensure that the mold spores have been properly cleaned and removed as the bleach will simply discolor the mold spores, but not remove them from the affected structure.
Small or undetected water leaks are often the largest contributor to mold growth. One of the best ways to prevent mold growth is to trust your sense of smell as mold and mildew will leave a musty odor. Routine visual inspection of plumbing and foundations is also a good step towards preventing mold growth. To effectively clean and remove mold growth, the moisture source must be identified and repaired. We uses special equipment such as infrared cameras and moisture meters to assist with this process.