Sources of Moisture You Might Overlook When Trying to Avoid Mold Damage in Tallahassee

8/26/2018 (Permalink)

Moisture in the atmosphere allows mold to spread throughout your home. Contact SERVPRO to quickly evaluate and remediate the damage.

Team SERVPRO Understands All the Possible Causes of a Mold Infestation in Your Home

In a warm and humid area like Tallahassee, it can be challenging to avoid mold spores from absorbing moisture and multiplying into significant colonies. Even if you are vigilant about wiping up spills and examining plumbing for small leaks that cause bigger problems, mold can grow in your home. We are always on the lookout for unique sources of moisture and ready to take remediation action if mold takes hold despite your best efforts to keep areas dry.

Allowing laundry to collect in a confined space or in large piles on the floor can contribute to mold damage in Tallahassee. Dishcloths and bath or beach towels can hold enough moisture to support mildew or mold growth if you postpone laundering for two or more days. If anyone in the family exercises or works up a sweat doing outdoor chores in the heat,  the residual moisture on their clothing can provide fuel for an opportunistic mold spore to begin growing and multiplying.

Air out damp clothing and linens and make sure they are dried thoroughly after washing. Cleaning the lint trap and vent is also an excellent way to make sure excess moisture does not collect and feed mold growth. SERVPRO technicians can assist in dryer vent cleaning as insurance against mold proliferating in the laundry room.

Your cooling system can be to blame for mold growth if condenser coils are dirty or a drain line plugs, creating a mini pool in which mold thrives. Most AC configurations work at least in part by reducing humidity through condensation of water vapor in the air. If your air conditioning unit needs cleaning or adjustment humidity can rise. Ironically, another way an air conditioner might encourage mold growth is when it is too large for the space you need cooled. The equipment shuts off too soon in these cases, cooling the room without dehumidifying the air to below 60 percent relative humidity. SERVPRO technicians can inspect HVAC ductwork for mold growth, and cleaning or sealing off of microbial activity can improve air quality by containing and removing the mold damage.

Condensation can also build up if kitchen and bathrooms are not equipped with exhaust fans or if the fans installed do not operate consistently. Steam from cooking, bathing, and showers provides enough moisture for mold growth any time of the year and exacerbates and accelerates the potential of microbial damage during the warmer months of the year. SERVPRO remediation crews can contain and remove mold following EPA protocols. Proper fan use in the future should minimize recurrence.

SERVPRO of North Leon County awaits your call for mold damage remediation assistance and help to locate the source of moisture feeding the infestation. Our phones at (850) 536-6599 pick up 24 hours a day.

Click here for more information on the city of Tallahassee.