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Denver, Colorado
Why Mold Grows
How It Is Dangerous
[Jason] We get a lot of people who are concerned that they may have mold growth
in the home
They don't really have any reason other than maybe a smell
or they see a small spot on a wall or something like that and certainly want to be
making sure that you are taking care of your home properly.
Again, whenever there is someone contacts us we try to ask several questions over
the phone; if water has been associated,
what does it look like, how long has the problem been persisting,
is this something that just happened?
We can usually guide people who are on their way. A lot of times, we do
get situations where we don't feel
our help is even needed whatsoever.
There are of course many situations where we come out and do
an inspection and find out that there is a quiet extensive
mold growth or water damage in their home. [Mark] Mold spores are everywhere
basically they're everywhere in the household and workplace environment.
They are very common.
However mold spores and mold have a proper conditions they begin to multiply rapidly.
The floods that we've had in Colorado, common leaks in tubs,
bathroom shower leaks, bathroom sink leaks, leaking of roof,
basement water leaks, provide water that feeds the mold;
in fact flooding is common. We don't need a ton of rain in the
Colorado Rockies to cause a flood. Poor soil drainage around the home
or windows can cause problems. And, of course water pipe leaks in valves
continually leak.
[Jason] The first thing you wanna look for is any source of water
for mold to be growing.
Virtually any time in Colorado is associated with some sort or water damage.
if people have noticed a grout their bathroom that's starting to crack
water can infiltrate through that grout line and get into the
dry wall and into the studs behind it. So anytime you
have any kinda water loss whatsoever it's a very important
to take note of it so that it can be cleaned up a appropriately
before microbial growth has a chance to get started or before a
mold growth has a chance to get started.
So, water is often in these situations the culprit whether it be a leaky roof a leaky pipe,
someone over filling the bathtub; so, again always be
concerned about the the source of the water and and how it got there and
how long it's been there.
Anytime that waters inside a wall for more than three days
its high likelihood that mold can start to grow within that time period we want
to make sure we get a dry and clean as soon as possible.
[Mark] There's some simple things you can do to prevent mold from occurring from water damage.
For starters when water spills are overflows in a place like a bathroom
soak it up and allow the area dry out.
Next, periodically inspect under you sinks and cabinets.
Make sure that you have no plumbing leaks
and fix plumbing leaks quickly. Replace tub tile caulk on tubs and showers.
Also, make sure that the bath tile grout is in good repair.
Bathroom water leaks are perfect breeding area for mold.
Check your basement after rainfall
to verify the windows are not leaking or seeping water.
Also, check the sump pump to make sure it's operational
and the well as not getting full or the basement drain is not blocked.
A burst water pipes is common in Colorado.
If possible dry the area completely as quickly as possible. Make sure that your
property is draining well.
Never do anything to landscaping that would allow water to start draining or pooling
near your home. Verify that the rain downspouts are draining away from
your foundation and purchase a downspout extension
to drain water away from your home if needed.
When you see any other signs of damage or discoloration of the walls have it inspected.
Early detection and drying out of the where the water is
or has accumulated is key to preventing mold. And, lastly and most importantly if you
see any dark discoloration on
any area in your home or business that doesn't look right call a professional to have it tested
[Jason] Yeah, this is a the kinda situation when you discover this
anytime someone is opening up a wall and they see something that they suspect
to be mold growth its
definitely not something that you want to tackle. There are a variety molds out there
that can be quite dangerous to the human body
so you always want to make sure that you have a professional come and take a look at the problem
and assess what it is that's happening. We often encounter people who think they
have mold and sometimes actually don't
and we also have a lot of people who will begin a project
and half way through it they start to get concerned and they start to do some
research to educate themselves
and then they discover that they've been working in a pretty, you know,
terrible environment for some time and of course you know don't want to expose yourself
to that and so it's something that the
average person should call a good remediation company to make sure they come in and make
sure that there's not a problem that could affect a
yourself for your family.
http://www.mrmoldy.com