Mold Damage Removal and Restoration

6/3/2021 (Permalink)

The process of managing mold damage is rarely simple and straightforward. There are multiple steps necessary to ensure mold is properly cleaned up and removed from surfaces in your home. The professionals at SERVPRO of South & West Spokane County can handle it and give you the confidence that it is done right.

Determining Where the Mold Is

The first step is for a mold damage assessment to be completed. Our IICRC certified mold damage restoration team will handle this for you. The goal is to detect mold using technology to pinpoint areas of concern.

Containment and Filtration

Mold containment is a multi-step process itself. The goal is to prevent mold from spreading. The use of negative air chambers to isolate the contaminated area will help. We also use air filtration methods to help capture even the microscopic mold spores from the air.

Removing the Mold

Restoration continues when we properly remove the mold and all materials damaged by the mold. We then provide specialized cleaning of the contents of the area and your belongings. After this, restoration work begins to put your home back together and restore it to its proper condition. That is a critical step in getting mold damage under control.

Invest in a Professional to Help You Get Rid of Mold

Mold damage in a home is a significant problem requiring fast, accurate attention. At SERVPRO of South & West Spokane County, our team will work closely with you to get rid of the problem for good. Call us for immediate help. Call 509-534-0566.

Dangerous Mold Can Grow in Unexpected Places

9/15/2020 (Permalink)

Dangerous mold can crop up in hidden spaces and be nearly undetectable. That's why you need the professionals from SERVPRO of South & West Spokane.

Anything attached to the outside of your home poses the possibility of providing a pathway for water to invade the home. Whatever material covers your home’s exterior must be in good repair and reinforced in areas where moisture regularly collects. Even a small breach gives microbial growth a chance to take a foothold. SERVPRO of South & West Spokane County is waiting to help you find and eliminate this serious problem.

For example, if you added a bank of window boxes beneath your living room window, in addition to making your home more attractive, the new addition, unknown to you, may actually be a source for mold damage to your Spokane home. 

The technicians SERVPRO of South & West Spokane County sends to deal with mold are IICRC certified and receive advanced training in EPA techniques to manage mold. 

Our technicians can find mold under the window overlooking those new garden boxes, hiding between the exterior cladding and the plaster wall facing the living room. The odor wafts through wall outlets, and the colony was revealed when our crew cut out a section of lathe and plaster. Containment was achieved with plastic draping, followed by removal of the mold and the wood lathe upon which it fed. After we bagged the moldy material, proper disposal followed according to local regulations.

Technicians from SERVPRO of South & West Spokane County discovered small cracks through the stucco that occurred during the installation of the window boxes. Every time the spray of the watering hose hit the stucco some moisture leaked into the dwelling. This small amount of water then activated mold spores and the infestation was inevitable. Sealing of the cracks and replacement of the plaster removed to expose the mold finalized the remediation and restoration process.

Waste no time when you smell a musty odor. Contact SERVPRO of South & West Spokane County at (509) 534-0566 and a mold remediation team will quickly respond.

Here's What You Need to Know About Mold

8/27/2020 (Permalink)

Mold can grow undetected, so it's important to have your home professionally inspected if you suspect the presence of mold.

Mold can occur in your home or business under a wide variety of circumstances. You do not necessarily have to have a flood or any water damage to have mold growth, but if you have had any water damage that has not been professionally handled, you are a prime candidate for mold growth. 

Mold growth can sometimes be hard to detect. That's one of the reasons why you should hire a professional mold remediation team with the proper mold detection equipment. They can find mold growth in hidden areas where you may not even suspect.

If you have or suspect you have mold in your home or office, it is critical that you hire a professional mold remediation team to help prevent any health effects. 

Here are some important things to know about mold.

1. Mold spores occur naturally almost everywhere, inside and outside. The spores are microscopic and float along in the air. That’s why it is so important to get the mold issue taken care of right away, even if you think you may not see a lot of mold or any its spores are floating in the air.
2. Mold spores can enter your home by attaching to your clothes or your pet's fur. They can also come through windows, doors, and AC or heating systems.
3. Mold spores love moisture and will grow into colonies if given the opportunity to live in the moisture. Finding the source of the moisture is very important because it must be done before any mold services can be done or the potential of regrowth is very high.
4. Finally, mold often has a strong, musty odor that can help you identify where the mold is coming from and the cause of it or its growth.

Mold Damage Tips: What to Do When You Find Mold

6/6/2020 (Permalink)

Mold remediation is serious business. If it happens to you, call the professionals at SERVPRO South & West Spokane County.

Mold damage happens quickly and often without warning. When it does occur, it is critical to take quick action to get rid of it. This often means removing damaged material, using proper cleaning methods, and replacing damaged surfaces. You should not do it alone. Instead, let a team of professionals help with the process instead.

What Should You Do First?

After contacting a professional specializing in mold damage, follow their instructions about what to do. Most of the time, you will need to stay out of any affected area. You also should keep your HVAC system off to help prevent the spread of mold through the entire home.

What You Should Never Do

When you find mold damage, act quickly to manage it. Avoid disturbing the mold in any way. Do not blow any air across the surface of the mold or any area you suspect could be growing mold. It is also important not to spray anything on the mold, including disinfectants or bleach.

When you call a professional to handle mold damage, you get better results. You can count on the mold being removed properly and safely to ensure no risk to you or your family.

Get Immediate Help from an Experienced Team

Mold damage is worrisome. Do not let it remain in your home without proper treatment. Our team at SERVPRO of South & West Spokane County can provide immediate help. Call us today for a consultation.

What Is the Mold Damage Restoration Process?

6/4/2020 (Permalink)

Mold damage can be hidden. Sometimes it takes a professional to locate the mold and perform remediation.

The process of managing mold damage is not always simple and straightforward. There are multiple steps necessary to ensure mold is properly cleaned up and removed from surfaces and your home in general. We do it for you and give you the confidence that it is done right.

Determining Where the Mold Is

The first step is for a mold damage assessment to be completed. Our professional mold damage restoration team will handle this for you. The goal is to detect mold using technology to pinpoint areas of concern.

Containment and Filtration

Mold containment is a multi-step process itself. The goal is to prevent it from spreading. The use of negative air chambers to isolate the contaminated area will help. We also use air filtration methods to help capture even the microscopic mold spores from the air.

Removing the Mold

Restoration continues when we properly remove the mold and all materials damaged by the mold. We then provide proper cleaning of the contents of the area and your belongings. After this, any restoration work begins to put your home back together and restore it to its proper condition. That is a critical step in getting mold damage under control.

Invest in a Professional to Help You Get Rid of Mold

Mold damage in a home is a significant problem requiring fast, accurate attention. At SERVPRO of South & West Spokane County, our team will work closely with you to get rid of the problem for good. Call us for immediate help.

Mold Damage Tips

9/9/2019 (Permalink)

In as little as 48 hours mold can become a problem in your home or business when there’s a water intrusion, like a roof leak or leaking water line, or sewage backup. Mold can cause health effects and can also cause significant damage to your home or property. SERVPRO has the correct training, protective gear, and specialized equipment necessary to handle your mold problem.

            Please consider these following facts if you have a mold problem in your home or business:

• Significant mold growth can occur in 48-72 hours.
• Mold may present a greater risk to children, the elderly, and anyone with respiratory problems.
• A strong, musty odor may indicate hidden mold behind drywall or under carpeting.

What To Do:

• Stay out of affected areas.
• Turn off the HVAC system and fans.
• Contact SERVPRO of Spokane for mold remediation services.

What NOT To Do:

• Don’t touch or disturb the mold.
• Don’t blow air across any surfaces with visible or suspected mold growth.
• Don’t attempt to dry the area yourself.
• Don’t spray bleach or other disinfectants on the mold.

Important Facts about Mold

8/28/2019 (Permalink)

1. Mold spores occur naturally almost everywhere, inside and outside. The spores are microscopic and float along in the air. That’s why it is so important to get the mold issue taken care of right away, even if you think you may not see a lot of mold or any its spores are floating in the air.
2. Mold spores can enter your home by attaching to your clothes or your pets fur. They can also come through windows, doors, and AC or heating systems.
3. Mold spores love moisture and will grow into colonies if given the opportunity to live in the moisture. Finding the source of the moisture is very important because it must be done before any mold services can be done or the potential of regrowth is very high.
4. Finally mold often has a strong, musty odor which can help you identify where the mold is coming from and the cause of it or its growth.

So You Sent The Restoration Company Home Early...

7/5/2018 (Permalink)

Look closely.. the wallpaper looks as though it is in good shape. As it peeled away from the wall it revealed the scope of the mold problem.

A home owner or business owner wants to get back to normal as soon as possible. Working to make that happen is our goal. That being said water damage or fire damage is never a pretty thing. The right expectations need to be understood. Beyond that what needs to be understood is the reason for the time frame and process.

Let me explain. All too often especially with water damage issues we are asked to cease and desist. Pack up our stuff and leave before the work is done. There are even times that we recommend opening a wall, or pulling up the floor. Home owners and business owners will refuse to let us to do this sort of work. Why would they do that you ask. There are a number of reasons but the main one is that they do not want the inconvenience of more intrusion into their home. This is always a bad idea.

Restoration companies have extensive training and certifications that most do not. They also have years of experience working with insurance companies and property adjusters. This leads to a great understanding of the scope of work that is needed to properly mitigate your building. This ensures what they call secondary damage is not an option.

First let us get into what secondary damage actually is. Secondary damage is something that would not have happened even if the first occurred. Let me explain. If you do have a pipe break, you call and get the plumber out and stop the water. Moisture damage is what happens when you do not mitigate the water that intruded into your home fast enough.

Some key examples of what is considered secondary damage is when your wood floors start to buckle. This is not from the water intrusion it is from the wood sitting in the water that is underneath . The wood warps. This warping forces the finish to crack and the floors are not salvage able.

Ok, so you don’t have wood floors. Vinyl is not much better, look at that edging popping up. That is damage from the water getting under the floor and damaging the glue.

Cracks in sheet rock and sagging ceiling are a result of moisture continuing to collect if they did not have an outlet to release the water.

Mold colonization. This is probably the most problematic. The challenge here is many times it will be somewhere you cannot see until it is a real problem. Similar to an iceberg you only see a fraction what is there. Lurking behind a wall under a floor or even where you see nothing at all such as in a duct system.

Let us get back to the reason for this post. We have clients that ask us to leave early and no explanation in the world is going to change their minds. Business owners are looking at the short term issue they have to be closed. Closing means so money is coming in and many do not have the proper insurance to cover loss of business. Additionally they tend to have very high deductibles or inadequate coverage.  Coupled with lack of income there are a lot of bad decision made. They only want the visible water dried out. They will not allow demolition to occur for it will delay the process of reopening. Another problem is that they do not want to pay for anything more than absolutely necessary.

Home owners often as us to leave early but not always for the same reasons as a business owner. The equipment that is used in the drying process is industrial. It is not like the fan you put on your night stand to lull you to sleep. These are high powered fans used to circulate the air and create a tornado like event that forces strong air movement. They are positioned in such a fashion that they are pointed at wet objects , such as a wall.  This positioning is tied directly to where the dehumidifiers are located as well. This will force the air to push the moisture out of the wet materials into the air and the dehumidifier will capture the wet air and release it as drier air. This requires the area to be warm. We ask people to turn up their heat and the equipment itself gives off quite a bit. All too often the home owner will say the fans are too loud. They are too big and in the way. I have a party planned for this weekend. It is just too hot inside I cannot stand it anymore.

All of these decisions are bad ideas. We have 3 different kinds of waivers that are required. One that states you know we do not advise removal of equipment. One that advises you are declining the scope of work we are recommending. There is also a limitation on standard compliance form when we are not allowed to perform the necessary scope of the work. We have to make sure when the mold appears down the road we are not held liable and the parties in question were explained the scope of possibilities for this refusal.

We try to work with the residents of the property to the best of our ability. At the end of the day they are the ones affected and we will honor their wishes. You must know the potential ramifications for your actions and know that down the road be it 1 week, month, one year or even several years later. Mold can be a very serious problem. Kicking off a professional can be expensive. Now we agree not everyone may be doing the work up to par and that is your right to change whom it is that is doing the work. Have a plan in place to get it completed in a timely fashion. Do not kick them off totally without a solid replacement plan.

The cost associated with Mold Remediation far exceeds what a few days of inconvenience could ever be. So before you kick a remediation company off the job, think about what is going on and have a plan.

Window Boxes Are Beautiful But Can Cause Mold To Your Spokane Home

7/22/2017 (Permalink)

Mold spores are always present and generally result in little harm to humans or their homes and possessions.

Window Boxes Cause Mold

Anything attached to the outside of your home poses the possibility of providing a pathway for water to invade your dwelling. Whatever material covers your home’s structure must be in good repair and reinforced in areas where moisture regularly collects. Even a small breach gives microbial growth a chance, and SERVPRO is waiting to help you find and eliminate this serious problem.

You recently added a bank of window boxes beneath your living room window. In addition to making your entryway more welcoming, the new gardening area, unknown to you, contributes to mold damage to your Spokane home. We investigate a musty smell reported behind a couch and work on remediating the mold causing it.

The technicians SERVPRO sends to abate mold receive advanced training in EPA techniques to manage mold. You never hear our promise to eliminate mold entirely because that is not possible. Mold spores are always present and generally result in little harm to humans or their homes and possessions. Only when activated by water do the spores multiply, attaching and receiving nourishment from carbon-based surfaces and residues. Wood, wallpaper, gypsum board, and insulation all provide mold with the perfect environment for proliferation if moisture is present.

Our workers find mold under the window overlooking those new garden boxes, hiding between the exterior cladding and the plaster wall facing the living room. The odor wafts through wall outlets, and the colony revealed when our crew cuts out a section of lathe and plaster. Containment, achieved with plastic draping, is followed by removal of the mold and the wooden lathe upon which it fed. After we bag the moldy material, proper disposal follows local regulations.

Disinfection of the area completes all but the most important part of the remediation process. SERVPRO workers discover small cracks through the stucco occurred during the installation of the window boxes. Every time the spray of the watering hose hit the stucco some moisture leaked into your dwelling. This small amount of water activated mold spores and the infestation was inevitable. Sealing of the cracks and replacement of the plaster removed to expose the mold finalizes the remediation and restoration process.

Waste no time when you smell a musty odor. Contact SERVPRO of South & West Spokane County at (509) 534-0566 and a mold remediation team responds within hours.

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