Dog Days of Summer... and Mold Growth!
It finally looks like the warmer weather is here to stay for the summer – WOO HOO!
Aside from pool parties and BBQs, here at All Pro Cleaning & Restoration, the warmer weather also means something else to us – mold growth!
First off, it’s important to know what health risks can stem from mold growth inside your home. Reactions can be different for everyone, depending on your immune system and pre-existing conditions. Undetected mold growth can lead to:
Nasal stuffiness
Throat, eye or skin irritation
Coughing or wheezing
General shortness of breath
Immune-compromised or mold-allergic people can also suffer from serious lung infections and disease
Detecting mold is harder than it seems. Just because you can’t always see it, mold can be lurking behind insulation and places you’d never think to look. Sometimes, you can detect mold by smelling it in certain areas of your house where it’s unusually damp or there is poor ventilation.
Once detected, it’s then time to assess. Starting in 2016, the Department of Labor passed a law that created a minimum set of work standards. Before any work is done to remove mold, there must be a scope of work made by a 3rd party environmental assessment. This law was put in place to protect the consumer after homeowners were taken advantage of dating back to Hurricane Sandy aftermath.
All Pro Cleaning & Restoration always maintained that standard, even before the law was put in place this year, and can always help to recommend a 3rd party environmental assessment. After the job is agreed upon, the removal process begins.
“The jobs really vary. Sometimes we see less than 10 square feet of mold, and when it gets bigger than that, it can get complicated,” All Pro Cleaning & Restoration owner, Tom Avezzano, said. “If you let water sit long enough, mold can literally take over an entire floor of a house.”
Tom also wanted to remind all homeowners that there can be several factors that can lead to mold growth when the weather gets warmer including: leaks over winter, unusually high humidity, poor ventilation, wet building materials.
Just something to keep in mind as we start to fire up the grills and uncover those pools this summer. Be sure to keep your eyes (and nose) sharp to detect possible mold growth in your home!
