Mold grows best in environments with high humidity and moisture. In South Florida, this means surfaces in and around nearly everything are at risk for mold growth: especially inside.
It’s easy to think of mold only becoming a problem after water damage from a flood or hurricane, but leaky pipes, faucets, or roof damage can lead to mold too. Mold grows well and rapidly on porous surfaces, including drywall. Thankfully, mold restoration services can help rid your home of this toxic substance.
How Do I Know If My Drywall Has Mold?
If you’ve sustained significant water damage, it’s likely mold is inside walls and on drywall too. In severe cases, mold on drywall is easy to see on the surface. Look for signs of damage, such as discoloration on walls or ceilings; these could indicate where moisture has been trapped inside over time, so check them carefully.
In other cases, mold may not be visible on the outside yet. Other signs to check for mold growth are a damp, musty smell.
Why Can’t Mold Just Be Cleaned Off?
Mold spores are everywhere — in the air, on surfaces in your home. They’re very small and difficult to remove. And, again, mold grows best across porous surfaces. The drywall has a very porous surface. If it didn’t, the paint wouldn’t absorb into the drywall; we all know cleaning paint from drywall is impossible.
Because of this, mold cannot be cleaned off. So, even if you’ve cleaned up your home after it was flooded by water damage or had an overflowing toilet, some mold may still be living inside the walls of your house and continue its life cycle behind closed doors.
Instead, the drywall must be removed and replaced. If it isn’t replaced during mold restoration, the mold will continue to grow. The drywall itself can become structurally unsound. Over time, it can damage other parts of a business or home, like the roof, insulation, ceiling, and flooring.
What Happens During Mold Restoration?
Time is really of the essence when it comes to mold restoration. Mold spores can begin to grow as quickly as 24-48 hours. Therefore it’s important to contact a professional team as soon as possible.
Mold restoration is a process that requires the removal of mold, disinfection, and mitigation of any related moisture problems. First, our team of professionals will conduct an inspection. There are many different types of mold and proper treatment requires identifying which type of mold may be growing. In addition to identifying the mold, we’ll also check all surfaces using specialized tools to ensure mold colonies aren’t left behind.
After the inspection comes the containment of affected areas. Dehumidification helps dry out mold-infested areas and stop growth from moving any farther.
The last steps are clean-up and sanitization. During this part of mold restoration, all surfaces that can be cleaned and sanitized and areas that need to be removed (like drywall) are disposed of. Exposed surfaces are covered with plastic, and drywall is sprayed with water to prevent mold spores from becoming airborne and potentially spreading to other areas.
Got Mold? Call Restoration Maintenance
We specialize in restoration services! Our comprehensive services include fire, clean-up, and repair after smoke damage, water damage, and mold restoration in Broward, Miami-Dade, and West Palm Beach counties.
Our team of professionals is committed to providing quality service, no matter the day or time, through our emergency line. We accept all types of insurance and offer a free quote. Call us at 954-807-4721.
