Do you have mold in your home? The answer is probably yes. Mold is all around us. Some species of mold are good and others are bad. The biggest problem with mold is people don’t know too much about it. It’s one of those things that we know is there but we do nothing about it until it begins to cause problems. We are briefly going to go over what mold is and what you can do to prevent mold from causing problems in your home and, of course, what to do once you have a mold issue in your home.

Mold… What Is It?

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Mold belongs to the group of plants known as fungi. There are about 1,000 different types of mold in the United States and more than 100,000 known species worldwide. Not every species of mold is harmful though. Without mold, we would not have foods such as cheese and medicines such as penicillin. Needless to say, we need mold! However, problems arise when mold begins to cause damage to the integrity of a structure and/or effects the health of those living and working in moldy conditions. If you really want to educate yourself on Mold and Fungi click here for more information than you probably ever wanted on mold

Many species of mold are not harmful to humans. Those who have an adverse reaction include those with lung disorders, such as asthma; individuals with allergies and those with weakened immune systems. Mold is not an issue you should take lightly though. It’s just not worth the risk to say, “oh, it’s just mold, i’ll get around to it when I get a chance.” Often times, the mold will have grown and caused more damage than it would have upon tackling the issue initially. What can you do to prevent mold from causing problems in your home or business though?

Mold Prevention

Mold control all begins with moisture control. When a water leak or spill occurs indoors, you need to act promptly. A prompt response (usually within 24-48 hours) and thorough clean up, drying and/or removal of water-damaged materials will prevent or limit mold growth.

Mold Prevention Tips

– Prevent moisture by increasing surface temperature or reducing the humidity levels in the air. To increase surface temperature, insulate or increase air circulation.
– Repair leaks in the building structure as soon as possible.
– Look for wet spots and take care of them as soon as possible.
– Perform regularly scheduled building/HVAC inspections and maintenance, including filter changes.
– Keep humidity levels below 60%
– Venting moisture-generating appliances, kitchens and bathrooms to the outside where possible.
– Provide drainage around buildings and sloping the ground away from building foundations.

Do You Have Mold? If So, What To Do

So you think you have a mold issue. You may be able to visually see mold growing in your building or you may even begin to smell it. At this point, you probably want to contact a professional that deals with mold testing and mold remediation. You will want to look for a company who has a Certified Mold Inspector from an accredited institution such as the IICRC (Institute Of Inspection Cleaning & Restoration Certification). Many companies offer visual inspections but not all will be able to do much after. It’s much easier to find a company that can do everything in one shot. When they get to your home/business, the first thing they will want to do is a visual inspection. Often times, the species can be identified upon a visual inspection. Depending on the species and whether or not people are getting sick from it; they will want to do an air quality test. This test will help them assess how severe the mold issue is and if it is safe or not to continue living in the area until the mold is eliminated. It all depends on the type of mold and how severe the issue has become. It’s much easier to let the professionals assess and eliminate any mold problem you may have.

ASJ is a full emergency service company located in South Central Pennsylvania. We specialize in Fire, Water, Smoke and Mold emergency services. ASJ offers 24/7 emergency response teams that can be at your location within an hour in most cases. We have in house Certified Mold Specialist that can do everything from the inspection to the remediation process. We even have a construction division that can come into play if the mold job is bad enough to need demolition or painting. If you would like to learn more about our company and the services we provide, check out our website.

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