All You Need to Know About Mold & Removal Services
Posted in Mold Removal, on July 29, 2015
Why Does Mold Grow Indoors?
Mold removal in Toronto is commonly needed because the invasive fungus is part of the natural environment and it is impossible to remove all spores from the air. Mold can actually be a good thing in the right environment. Outdoors, it is used for breaking down dead organic matter such as leaves or fallen trees. However, if elevated mold spores are present indoors, then there could be a problem. Mold reproduces by spores, which are invisible to the naked eye. They float around the air and when given the right wet surface, the spores latch on and produce what we can see, mold. If there is no openly wet surfaces, then the spores should not be a problem. If you experience a water damage or a flooded basement in your home, it needs to be dried within 24-48 hours to prevent mold growth. Install fans and dehumidifiers and remove any wet material affected. Disconnect any power or electronics that are nearby that could have been affected by the damage. When experiencing a water damage it is always best to hire an experienced company that can get the situation dry and clean as quickly as possible!
What are the Effects of Mold Exposure?
Mold effects everyone differently, some may have a severe reaction, where others are not even affected by it. The day to day mold that we are exposed to is fine for us to breathe in. The issue lies when we are exposed to high levels of mold spores. Mold spores can produce allergens, which cause allergic reactions and irritants. In extreme cases, mold can cause severe health issues.
Mold Inspection & Detection: Identifying Mold
Mold is not always visible to the naked eye. The thing about mold spores float around the air and do not become visible until they have the right environment to grow. A common way to know if you have mold, besides expert mold inspections and testing, is a ‘musty’ or ‘earthy’ smell. This does not always mean you have mold, but it should be checked out to be 100% safe. If there is no visible mold, then an Air Quality Test needs to be done to identify if it is in the air. A sample is taken outside to understand what is in the environment, and additional samples are taken from inside in the areas of concern. If the inside samples are higher than the outside, then we know we have an issue. Air Quality testing needs to be performed by a certified company who has the proper equipment and knowledge/understanding of mold.
