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Mold Growth and Building Materials

Experiments have shown that mold grows on the building materials in 4-10 days approximately. There are a lot of factors that determine the speed of mold growth on the building materials. Here we would discuss some of the key factors affecting the mold growth on building materials.

Type of the mold

The rate of growth of all molds is not same. Some molds grow at a high speed and other grow slowly. The best example is of ulocladium and stachybotrys. If there are same conditions of growth for both of them, ulocladium will grow fast as compared to the stachybotrys.

Temperature

The optimal temperature for the mold growth in indoors is 25 °C. Molds grow faster at this temperature but mold growth can also occur on the temperature below 25 °C. A type of mold like cladosporium and penicillium can grow on wood even at low temperature of -5 °C. But at low temperatures the growth is very slow and spore germination occurs at 0 °C at least.

Water and Moist Activity

Mold grows in damp and moist conditions. So the water activity can become a major cause of the mold growth. Growth rate is optimal at 0.96-0.98 (for indoor molds). If the level of water activity can be reduced then the mold growth can also be reduced. Exceptions to this are eurotium, wallemia, penicillium and aspergillus. All these types of mold have capacity to grow at the lower levels of water activity. A slightly higher water activity is required for spore germination (as compared to that required for the growth of molds).

Spore’s Age

Younger spores require lesser time for germination and the old spores need more time for this.

Load of the Spore

If there are settled spores in the buildings then mold can grow fast.

Building Materials and their composition

The building materials that are composed of the plant materials are at high risk of fast growing molds. The best example is wallpaper on which the cellulolytic molds (like stachybotrys or chaetomium) can grow fast.

pH of building material

Rate of mold growth is strongly affected by the pH of the building material.

Nutrients for Mold

If the building material has excess nutrients for the molds then their growth can be very quick to avoid this call professionals like los angeles mold remediation.

Antimicrobial compounds

Building materials that have antimicrobial compounds are safe from quick mold growth because these compounds help to slow down the mold growth.

Leaky Roofs and Water Damage

Water damage is not good for the homes and buildings. A major source of water is the leaky roofs. Whenever there are heavy rains, your roofs might start leaking and further water damage can be caused.  There are some steps to be carried out as soon as the leaky roofs are revealed. These steps are explained below,

Interior damage

Interior damage must be controlled as soon as possible. Save your items from the water damage.  Displace your furniture and other precious belongings so that water leakage cannot damage them. The items that cannot be displaced must be covered with a plastic sheet.  The dripping water must be collected in a bowl.

Water Removal

Now you have to remove the water that has soaked the furniture and carpets. The carpets must be dried by pulling that carpet away from the padding. In this way the chances of water damage to the carpet are reduced hence the mold growth does not occur. The air circulation in the leakage affected room is very necessary to let the things dry and avoid mold growth.

Insurance Agent

If the damage is severe then you must call your insurance agent. He better knows about the amount of damage and how to recover this water damage with the help of los angeles damage restoration services.

Inspection of the Roof

Now inspection of the roof should be the next step. Check where the water is pooling and damaging the roof. The gutters and the down spouts must be free of debris so that water can move freely. The inspection of the roof materials is also very important. Water leaking roofs must be inspected carefully because the leakage might travel and the exact location from where the water is coming.

Cleaning the gutters and down sprouts

The clogged down sprouts must be cleaned and the blockages must also be removed from them. Use a long brush to push away the debris from the pipes. The debris is responsible for the blockage and pooling of the water that causes roof leakage.

Hidden Damage to the Roof

Sometimes the roofs are damaged by water but the damage is unseen or hidden. You may not notice it at very first sight but this is equally damaging as compared to seen one. There are some symptoms that can alert you to inspect for a hidden water leakage.

Checking for the Pests

Ants love waters and whenever you observe any sudden invasion of ants in the roof then you should be cautious about the water damage presence.

The fire damage restoration process is not so difficult and lengthy but it requires great skills and experience to recover the salvageable things after the los angeles fire damage. The restoration process must be carried out as early as possible because fire can be extinguished but the smoke can permeate into the things and worsen the situation. The water used for the extinguishing can also be damaging and can invite mold growth.

• Hiring an expert from a restoration company

At first the home owners can be very shocked to see their house and precious belongings on fire but do not worry. Most of the items are salvageable after the los angeles fire damage. That is why it is advised to call the experts as soon as possible. Delay in the carrying out the process can worsen the situation. The home appliances as well as walls and floors of the house might turn yellow immediately if the process of restoration is delayed. The soot is acidic in nature and it will leave stains in bathrooms and ceilings of the home. After some days if an expert is not hired, the walls will discolor and the metallic items would be rusted due to acidic residue. So hiring an expert as early as possible is the best solution otherwise the cost of restoration will rise. The furniture and other items might get permanently damaged and cannot be salvaged. So they have to be discarded and you will suffer money loss. Experts know how to salvage the items that are not badly damaged. They have proper equipments and are properly trained. They have proper licenses and the health certifications.

• Cleaning the soot and smoke damage

The experts would clean the smoke and soot from the valuable items because soot can permeate into the things and damage can become severe. They use dust masks and special personal care equipments that saves them from the soot and its damaging effects. Doors and windows must be opened for proper ventilation. These experts clean your floors, ceilings and upholstered furniture with special vacuums for soot removal. They have pressure washers that will help you in cleaning the exterior and walls of your home. The expert will clean up the residue and the smoke immediately because he have all the equipments, disinfectants and deodorizing fog. He will also encapsulate the odor and avoid the further recontamination.

Signs of Mold Presence in Homes

Mold growth can be dangerous for the inhabitants as well as the furniture and other items (except tiles and cement). Mold growth in homes can sometimes be hidden or visible; the hidden mold growth is more dangerous than the visible one. But there are some indicators through which the inhabitants can check whether there is any mold growth in the home or not.

Allergenic Symptoms

Mold is a fungus which is allergenic. People suffering from asthma and other respiratory problems easily affected by the mold growth and if there problem becomes severe then are chances that the mold is growing anywhere in the house. People having no allergies are also affected by allergenic molds. Common symptoms are sneezing, irritating ayes and nasal congestion or runny rose).

Unwanted Odor

An unwanted and pungent smell is another important indicator for a mold growth. If you are smelling an odor that is unwanted then there are chances that mold is hidden growing somewhere in your home. So immediately inspect the home and the things that are moist and where mold can easily grow.

Visible Mold Growth

Sometimes the inhabitants ignore even the visible growth of mold because they consider it only dirt. This is a dangerous situation. Whenever you see the small amount of mold you should not ignore it or otherwise the problem will become serious one. This is because even small amount of mold shows that your home is a better option for further growth and if a colony grows in future then it will become a bigger problem and serious damage. Sometimes the color of mold becomes the problem and inhabitants are not able to recognize the mold growth. Some molds are white and thread like while others are like clusters of black spots. Even it could appear in pink, orange, black or green. These unusual colors are main hurdle in recognition of the mold growth. So call Professionals as los angeles mold remediation.

Toxic Mold Growth

Most of the times mold is only allergenic but sometimes it can be toxic and hazardous for human health. Toxic mold can cause serious health problems like cancer, memory loss or severe headaches and neurological disorders. The most toxic mold is stachybotrys chartarum. They have byproducts like mycotoxins that can cause serious mental problems. If the symptoms are severe then you should immediately inspect your home so that you could stop the toxic mold growth and clean it up to avoid serious health problems. Toxic as well as allergenic mold, both are not good for health so prevention should be the first step and if mold growth occurs then its cure and clean up should be very first priority.