How to Treat Mold in Austin

8/24/2017 (Permalink)

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Mold in Austin: What to Do When You Discover Mold in Your Austin Home or Business

If your Austin home or business experiences unusual moisture in the air, or has experienced extensive water damage, then you can expect mold to make an appearance in the near future. Mold often appears in environments that consist of poorly ventilated spaces and high humidity. Flooding and ongoing leaks are also a major culprit of mold in Austin.

If you own a home or business in Austin, you may find that you’re dealing with serious mold issues, and you could have mold removal and mold remediation costs in the aftermath of flood a heavy storm, and/or after suffering from ongoing water damage.

While mold can be stopped, it’s virtually impossible to fully eliminate all mold spores inside a home or business, as mold is actually a naturally growing substance in the environment. However you can work to stop the spread of mold spores by controlling your Austin home or business’s moisture levels.

Austin Mold: A Growing Problem with Moisture and Humidity

Mold is microscopic, and can pretty much grow on anything, including paper, wood, drywall, food and carpets. If your home or business is properly vented, and if you use air conditioners and dehumidifiers, you can greatly reduce moisture buildup and improve ventilation to alleviate the presence of mold.

Different Types of Mold in Austin and Their Levels of Danger

Nobody likes mold, so if you’re a homeowner, or business owner in Austin, there are several kinds of indoor mold with strains that can cause great structural damage as well as health effects. Of course it’s best to remove these types (or any type of mold for that matter) when they first appear.

There are many strains of mold in existence, but these are the four types of mold that most commonly appear in Austin homes and businesses.

• One of the most common types of indoor mold is Cladosporium. As the spores are often found on outdoor plants, they are so microscopic that they can find their way indoors. Cladosporium has been known to be less harmful to humans than other types of mold (it tends to be pretty stinky), but if untreated, it can cause health effects. It can appear in a variety of colors, such as olive green, black and brown.
• While the antibiotic penicillin has helped millions fight bacterial infections, it derives from a form of mold called Penicillium. If you seen spoiled food in your refrigerator, then you’ve evidently encountered this type of mold, which grows indoors in low humidity and in places where there’s sufficient moisture.
• If you have health effects, then you might have been exposed to Alternaria: This type of fungi can grow on skin as well as in your mucous membranes and eyes. They also grow in colonies that are usually black, gray or grey.
• You will often find Aspergillus in high oxygen environments and on foods such as vegetables and bread. There are a variety of different strains of this particular mold. Some can cause health effects, while others are used in the fermentation of alcoholic drinks.
• Stachybotrys chartarum: This specific mold is most commonly associated with water damage Austin. This black mold needs high moisture in order for it grow. It’s often found in building materials, such as wet gypsum and wallpaper. Not only can Stachybotrys chartarum affect your health, it can also be detrimental to the safety of your pets. As dangerous as this mold is, it should only be removed by mold remediation professionals.

If you know you have mold, but are unsure of what type of mold you have, you may want to start by having a professional mold inspection Austin.

Stopping Mold Before It Starts in Your Austin Home or Business

As potentially harmful as mold can be, how do we prevent it? One way is to prevent the spread of humid air in your home or office, by using a dehumidifier and making sure that there is proper ventilation, especially when furniture is involved. Believe it or not, a couch leaning against a wall can actually prevent the flow of air, which in turn can cause mold to develop, especially if the air is humid.

If you have small problems with mold creeping in, it can be eliminated with regular cleaning of your home or office. Keep areas where there is moisture clean on a regular basis, like a shower or bathroom, and even the kitchen. The same goes for keeping your air ducts and vents clean, to avoid any moisture from settling in and creating problems: clean your vents frequently and change your AC filters once a month.

In addition to individual rooms in your home or business, your refrigerator is also not immune to the world of mold. If you have a well-stocked fridge, it’s inevitable that something will be overlooked and start to rot; this is especially true of fruit, which has a short shelf life, and if it’s ignored, it can dry out or begin to get moldy. Once any food in the fridge has passed it spoiling point, decomposition begins, and brings on mycotoxins. So, keep track of what's in your fridge, and if it starts to spoil, toss it out.

The problem with many older homes is that poor ventilation can bring about excessive mold if it’s not addressed. While most homes have central air conditioning, some older homes may not, and if the environment tends to be humid, without a dehumidifier or cross ventilation, there is a greater chance for humidity and mold to make an unwelcome appearance.

Most new and modern construction projects also use drywall, which can be extremely vulnerable to moisture. If not properly treated, the gypsum in drywall will eventually soften over time, and attract mold spores, which will be more difficult to clean over time.

In addition to internal mold issues, you should check the outside of your business or home for leaks in your roof, as well as making sure your gutters are properly cleaned out.

A leaky roof, if undetected for long periods of time, will eventually cause water to spread, and can lead to very costly repair and roof replacement. Cleaning out your gutters can also help prevent water from running down the side of your structure, which can affect the quality of your foundation.

Combustion appliances, such as furnaces, gas water heaters, fireplaces, space heaters, gas ranges, ovens, clothes dryers, and wood or coal-burning stoves should be inspected to make sure that they are properly vented.

Basic Mold Cleanup Procedures

Regardless of the cause, if you do experience any kind of water damage, you will need to clean and dry the areas quickly. Do not let the water damage continue, as a 24-48 hour window to clean and dry the areas in question is likely all you have before mold begins to grow and spread. If you have any standing water, be sure to have water extraction done in your Austin home or business if it is too much for you to remove on your own.

In most cases, minor mold spots can be removed with water and detergent, followed by letting it fully dry out. Carpeting, furniture and ceiling tiles, may not be as easy to remedy; in fact, you may have to dispose of them if the damage is too extreme. Eliminate any puddles of standing water that you come across; this not only can help spread mold, but it’s also a breeding ground for a variety of bugs and bacteria.

If mold removal becomes too much of a conquest for you to handle on your own, then you should contact a mold remediation specialist, like SERVPRO of East Central Austin, who can help in getting rid of the spread of mold, so that it’s no longer an issue.