Your Ultimate Guide to Mold Growth and Removal

It is common knowledge that mold is many things at once. It is common and it is dangerous, it can grow anywhere and it can be nearly impossible to get rid of. While your best efforts and expenses will certainly try to tackle this issue, it will undoubtedly prove to be a formidable opponent at best. And while we know where and how mold happens, can it ever be fully removed?

Mold is known to grow in a high moisture environment, especially around leaks in roofs, windows and, especially where there has been flooding around building materials like drywall, tiles and paint. Unfortunately, many building materials provide perfect nutrients that encourage mold growth. Wet materials like paper and wood products create an ideal foundation and breeding ground for mold and a high percentage of leaks, large and small, will find their way to these types of materials almost as soon as the water enters the building. This is precisely why time is truly of the essence in identifying the problem and getting it fixed.

So once the issue has been professionally assessed and handled, you might find yourself wondering if this problem will come back again. And the answer is yes, but also no. Here’s what that means:

According to the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) “There is no practical way to eliminate all mold and mold spores in the indoor environment; the way to control indoor mold growth is to control moisture.”

So, the takeaway is that even when mold is cleaned and removed, it will come back if the moisture and humidity levels are not controlled. The true and only permanent removal of mold is prevention, and that is simply to control moisture levels, not just from a disaster like a flood but from everyday sources like a dripping shower or even leaking plumbing fixtures.

A leak should never be underestimated and/or ignored. The resulting damage can be an absolute nightmare for a homeowner. Mold growth can rapidly become a major problem in what seemingly feels like no time at all. Immediate attention and action is required at the first sign of a leak within your home. A well trained and qualified professional mold remediation company will be your most effective and thorough line of defense against mold growth.