Mold growth is facilitated by the presence of excess of moisture in the indoor environment. Whether that moisture came from a recent flood, or simply water damage that originated from a broken pipe people should take immediate steps to eliminate the water and any subsequent mold damage from their homes. Excessive moisture may be caused by various sources. Such sources should be detected and corrected in order to stop the growth of microbes and mold inside homes. Mold can grow on any surface which is exposed to a sufficient amount of moisture as well as sufficient supply of food. Mold needs to feed on something organic – something that was once living – like wood or paper. This principle should be properly understood by a restoration professional. After understanding this principle a competent emergency water damage or mold removal company should take effective steps to dry various structures successfully.
Molds are capable of establishing a strong hold on the houses of people; hence, various guidelines or standards have been developed to address the issue of excessive mold growth. The various guidelines or standards which are accepted by industries are ‘The EPA guide’, ‘A brief guide to mold, moisture and your home’, ‘Guidelines on assessment and remediation of fungi in indoor environments’ and the IICRC S520. A professional restoration specialist possesses a lot of experience as well as understanding about all these guidelines or standards.
The use of the internet has increased tremendously over the last few years. Almost every household all over the world has an internet connection. Various personal investigations are performed by making use of internet. Many people have lots of misconceptions about molds due to a lot of misinformation found on the internet. Many people believe that the application of various products would annihilate the population of molds and will never allow them to recur – once such product would be bleach. The task of mold removal is far more complex than what people think. An average homeowner is unaware of the complexities involved in the elimination of molds. People believe that when a single product is applied to mold damage, they disappear immediately. Homeowners think that bleach is capable of killing molds. It is true that bleach can kill mold on hard non-porous surfaces (like shower tiles), but totally ineffective on sheetrock and can cause more than damage than good, additionally it can’t stop the recurrence of mold. Various biocides can be used effectively to kill mold, but various restrictions are imposed on the use of such biocides, and it still doesn’t prevent mold damage from coming back.
It has been stated by the various standards of mold remediation that biocides should not be used in refurbishment of homes which have been damaged by mold. A restoration professional is aware of all the techniques such as removal of contaminated materials in a controlled and effective manner which can be used to facilitate the speed of drying and perform mold removal effectively.
It is believed that ozone or ultraviolet rays can be used for annihilation of molds. However, this statement is simply a myth. According to the EPA, the quantity of ozone is not sufficient to eliminate or suppress the growth of microbes in indoor environments. Sufficient quantities of ozone may have adverse effects on human beings.