Mold in a Commercial Environment

7/27/2018 (Permalink)

SERVPRO is a nations leader in mold cleanup and mitigation.

Mold is natural and can be found just about anywhere and can grow on virtually anything. As long as moisture and oxygen are present, mold can propagate and become a problem. Mold can grow on paper, wood, carpet, food and even on the insulation inside of walls. With the presence of excessive moisture in buildings or on building materials, mold growth is likely to happen. Mold can spread and quickly become an issue if a moisture problem remains undiscovered or unaddressed.

How Do Mold Spores Enter Your Building?

Mold spores move and spread naturally through open doors and windows. We can carry them into a building on our clothes, shoes and hands. The spores cycle between indoors and outdoors naturally and continuously without us even knowing it. When mold spores land on a damp spot indoors, they begin to grow and digest whatever they are on in order to survive.

Outdoors,

Mold plays an important role in nature by breaking down organic matter like old trees, fallen leaves, and even deceased animals. We can thank mold for the life saving antibiotic penicillin and some foods like cheese. Who doesn’t love a good ole grilled cheese sandwich now and then?

Indoors, 

Mold growth should certainly be avoided. Problems will arise when mold begins to spread and eat away materials and affecting the structural integrity of a wood framed building. Mold growth can weaken floors and walls as it feeds on the moist organic materials it’s made of. If you suspect there’s mold damage problem to your property, you should call SERVPRO of Indianapolis West for mold remediation.

Mold Growth can Be Hazardous to Your Health.

Potential health concerns to employees and other workers are an important reason to remediate and clean up any existing indoor mold growth. Uncontrolled mold has the potential to cause negative health effects and produce allergic reactions and even asthma attacks.

What to do If You Have Mold in Your Building.

Mold can spread quickly throughout a commercial environment if left untreated. Our expert mold remediation specialist will respond quickly when you call us. Our first step will be to contain the mold infestation and help prevent it from spreading to other parts of the building. Next, we will start the mitigation process, working safely and efficiently to manage the situation.

Why is There Mold in My Building?

It is very important to prevent or correct moisture problems in buildings because mold needs water to prosper. High levels of moisture can be caused many different things, uncontrolled humidity levels, poor ventilation, water leaks from the roof or plumbing and even delayed maintenance or insufficient maintenance to prior water damages.

Some moisture problems in commercial buildings have been traced back to certain construction practices during the 1970s through 2000. Some of these practices have resulted with buildings that are tightly sealed but lack adequate ventilation.

If you suspect a mold problem may exist, look around your environment and ask these questions:

1. Are building materials or contents visibly wet?
2. Have building materials or contents been wet for longer that 24 hours?
3. Is there an existing moisture problem in this building?
4. Has there been a water damage recently? If so, was it professional managed and in a timely fashion?
5. Is anyone reporting moldy or mildew like smells?
6. Is anyone reporting health concerns that they believe may be related to mold?
7. Has the building been recently remodeled or the maintenance plan been altered?

If you answer YES to any of these questions you may have a mold problem that needs addressed. Don’t try to clean it up or manage the problem alone, every hour spent on cleanup is an hour lost in revenue and productivity. Call in the professionals of SERVPRO of Indianapolis West and we will respond quickly to manage the situation.