The Damaging Effects of Mold on Your Property
Setting aside any potential health risks associated with indoor mold growth, the ability mold has to cause significant damage to your property is indisputable. But the effects of mold on construction materials can be reduced, and even prevented completely, by controlling the cause of every mold issue – moisture.
The Cause of Indoor Mold Growth:
Moisture is always the cause of indoor mold growth. Control moisture and you control mold growth. The source of moisture is typically one of three origins.
1. A direct water intrusion event such as a roof leak, plumbing leak, poorly sealed leaking windows, drain back-ups, water run-off from showers and bathtubs, etc.
2. Indirect water intrusion from “rising dampness”, such as moisture wicking up from the ground or damp concrete slabs into walls, carpet, cabinets, furniture, etc.
3. Intermittent water intrusion from condensation caused by humidifiers, vaporizers, high steam, inadequate ventilation, faulty windows and high humidity.
The Effect of Indoor Mold Growth:
The obvious effect of mold growth inside buildings is the damage it causes to construction materials and personal property. The nature of mold is to decompose matter. Mold can grow on most wet building materials. Once it is discovered, it must be addressed quickly and properly. Detecting and addressing mold growth early can significantly reduce the cost to remediate and repair damage caused by mold. However, left unaddressed, mold will eventually destroy everything it grows on. Delayed or improper treatment of mold issues can multiply repair costs exponentially.
If you suspect you have mold growing inside your property, take prompt action and have a professional mold inspection performed.
When building materials such as wood siding, brick, concrete block and stucco are exposed to moisture sources from outdoors, over time that moisture can penetrate exterior walls and enter the wall cavity, creating perfect conditions for mold growth in between exterior and interior walls.
Eventually the moisture and mold can penetrate all the way through to the interior side of wall surfaces. By that time, extensive damage to the structure has already taken place.
BE PRO-ACTIVE
The key to limiting mold damage is to be pro-active. If you suspect you have a mold problem, don’t ignore it, address it immediately. Common mistakes people make is to assume that only visible mold is a problem or that mold can only grow in damp or humid climates.
Many times people attempt to wash moldy areas with bleach or cover mold up with new paint, wallpaper, carpet or tile. None of which solves the problem. Unless all mold-contaminated materials are removed or properly remediated and the source of the moisture problem is identified and eliminated, mold will keep comings back. The only way to correct indoor mold problems is to eliminate the cause, remove all mold growth and control moisture.