Dealing With Mold Presence in Your Brea Home

7/13/2018 (Permalink)

Call SERVPRO Yorba Linda/ Brea for black mold remediation.

Mold presence in your Brea home or business usually happens following some form of water damage, so in some ways it’s a ‘double-whammy’.  Not only is it gross and stinky, it may also be dangerous to your family or colleagues.  Knowing what to do in this situation is important.  Eliminating the moisture following the water damage is an essential step to fully address the challenge.   Follow these steps and you should be fine.   The more extensive the affected area, the more important it is for you to hire a qualified, professional mold remediation company.  In the Yorba Linda/ Brea area, there is no better service partner than SERVPRO of Yorba Linda/ Brea.

Since mold needs moisture to live and colonize a new area, the first step is to stop the intrusion of water.  Emergency actions may include turning off the water main, repairing pipes, temporarily closing holes in roofs or walls, pumping water out of buildings, unclogging drains, vacuuming water from materials in buildings, and actively dehumidifying buildings, rooms, or cavities. Appropriate worker protection may be necessary, depending on the source of the water, for example, flood water must be considered septic.

Also, since visible fungal growth can occur within a few days of wetting, to avoid fungal growth on susceptible materials, it is important to dry them quickly. Porous materials can absorb and retain a great deal of water.  Impacted carpeting, drapes and cloth upholstered furniture  all present significant challenges and salvaging these items may not be possible.  Anything made from non-porous materials, however, will not present difficulties after they are dried and cleaned. 

It will be necessary to build containment walls around any areas of the home that have been affected with mold.  This is an important step in order to prevent mold spores from spreading to other parts of the home or business.  These are built using 6mm plastic sheeting and duct tape.  Be certain to place sheeting around all supply and return vents in work areas.  Workers in these areas should be equipped with N95 respirators (avoid inhalation of black mold spores) and should wear special hooded suits, non-vented goggles and rubber gloves that extend to mid-forearm. 

Depending on the extent of the damage, it may be necessary to remove dry wall from the studs to a height of two-feet.  In commercial properties, it may also be necessary to remove insulation from between the metal studs and vacuum out the “C” channels to eliminate any pooled water. 

With all this completed, you’re ready to mist the entire contaminated area.  This will weigh down dust to prevent spreading of mold spores. 

Now it’s time to  bag all wet and moldy materials in plastic 6 mil bags.   Twist the bags closed and ‘goose neck’ (double-over) them.  Close them with duct tape.  Wipe down the outside of the trash bags using a damp cloth (detergent solution).  Its ok to dispose this trash through your weekly trash collection.

With all the trash removed, its time to introduce a HEPA vacuum into the contained area.  Follow this with a cleaning of all surfaces using a damp cloth or mop and detergent solution.

The next step is to thoroughly dry the contaminated area.  This can take up to a week, depending on the extent of damage.  Fans and dehumidifiers are commonly used.  In some occasions, heat may also be increased in the house or business to aid the drying process. 

As you can tell, mold remediation is a tricky business.  Unless you are experienced in it, we recommend hiring a professional, certified, trusted remediation firm to ensure its done properly.  In north Orange County, SERVPRO of Yorba Linda/ Brea is your best source.  The #1 SERVPRO franchise in California, we have been helping families and businesses stop mold in its tracks for over fifteen years.  You can learn more about us at our Yelp page, https://www.yelp.com/biz/SERVPRO-of-yorba-linda-brea-anaheim.  Need help immediately, don’t wait!  Call us at 714-701-0207.