Mold Damage

Any building that has suffered from water damage or problems with excess moisture is at risk of mold growth. There are thousands of different types of mold found outdoors and indoors. All present potential risks and become problematic when they start actively growing. If you find that your home or business has begun to show signs of mold damage, it’s important to act as quickly as possible to have it treated and remediated to reduce long-term risks to your property and improve air quality.

When mold damage is discovered in your property, there are many questions that may spring to mind. For example:

  • Is mold dangerous?

  • What can breathing in mold do?

  • What kills black mold?

  • How much does mold removal cost?

Without the correct assessment and remediation, mold can become dangerous and affect the structural integrity and air quality of your property. As mold specialists, we’ve put together some useful guides on mold damage to help you understand and identify the risks before acting to remove mold.

Identifying Mold

Understanding exactly what mold is, how it can become a problem in your property, and spotting the early signs of a mold problem is the first step to preventing mold damage. There are thousands of types of mold that you may come across in your daily life and being able to identify the problematic types is key in avoiding danger and preventing larger problems.

Mold may seem like a minor inconvenience when it appears but leaving it untreated can cause problems to escalate. Taking the time to understand different forms of mold and how they manifest themselves in a property could save you a lot of time, money and potential health issues.


Mold Removal and Remediation

Once you’ve identified mold within your home or business, the next step is to ensure its effective removal from the property. Considering the potential property damage and health issues that mold can cause, it’s important for you to make sure this mold is removed from the property as quickly as possible.

Removing mold safely requires expertise. Despite some resources suggesting a simple spray and wipe, it is a detailed and controlled cleaning process. Here’s M&J Development’s guide to how to remediate mold.

How Does M&J Development Mold Removal Specialist Remediate Mold?

Professional mold remediation is often a necessity in the event when mold is encountered in a property, requiring specialist equipment and expertise. The remediation of mold is a complex process and involves much more than just a simple wipe clean of the affected surfaces. This, and the potential health hazards and risk of recurring issues, means that most mold damage scenarios are often best treated by mold remediation professionals.

If you call on a M&J Development mold remediation team to assist in your property, these are some of the steps that may be taken to treat the problem.

  • Fix Any Moisture Problems First
    If you suspect that your mold problem has been started by a leak or other water problem, ensure that you fix this first. Mold requires moisture to grow, if your home or business still has a water ingress problem, it’ll make it very difficult to remove the mold problem. If your mold issues are occurring in a naturally damp environment, such as a shower room, extra ventilation may be necessary.

  • Isolate Areas of Mold
    In order to avoid any cross-contamination, areas of mold must be isolated from other areas before demolition, cleaning or drying can begin. Any airflow across affected moldy surfaces can spread mold spores around the building and spread contamination.

  • Throw Out Absorbent Materials
    Certain items that have been affected by mold, particularly porous items, will need to be removed completely. These can either be sent for specialized cleaning (see below) or thrown away. For example, items such as carpet or furniture have fibers in which mold can remain even if you feel you’ve cleaned them thoroughly. This means they may need to be thrown out in order to stop the problem from reoccurring.​​​

  • Clean Away the Mold
    Once highly affected porous materials, such as gypsum board, have been removed, any remaining materials like plywood subfloors and Douglas fir framing can then be cleaned. All visible traces of mold will be removed before an antimicrobial or biocide spray is used to clean the surfaces during a wet wipe. You may have heard of "mold removal spray" products; however, these are not known to actually remove mold and only assist in cleaning after removal.

  • Thoroughly Dry
    A thorough drying process is required to complete mold remediation. This will be accomplished using air movers and dehumidifiers, as well as moisture meters to provide an accurate reading as to whether the materials are dry.

Mold removal isn’t a job that should be taken lightly, and it requires a great level of care. M&J Development’s mold remediation specialist teams always wear protective clothing, that can be laundered or discarded after use. They also use gloves, goggles and, at a minimum, an N-95 mask in order to avoid inhaling mold spores and encountering any health problems.