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Mold toxicity & your health
Mold damage safety tips
Mold remediation services
Mold contamination & your health
First, be aware that when it comes to mold damage, the health of everyone around the moldy area can be affected, especially children and the elderly. Also, people with certain allergies or medical issues, such as asthma, can be much more vulnerable to problems with mold toxicity.
Common symptoms associated with exposure to mold are shown in the table below. (Source: School of Public Health)
Indoor mold exposure leads mostly to upper respiratory tract symptoms. |
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The scientific research on the specific risks of mold toxicity has been increasingly active in recent decades (although there is some uncertainty as to exactly how damaging mold is to human health). Here are a few links:
- The EPA provides extensive resources on mold in homes and buildings.
- The CDC provides a brief summary of research published on mold-related illness in 2004 and another in 2009.
- More research detailing specific risks of mold exposure are cited from 2007, 2010, and 2011 in this toxicologist’s report on mold.
Mold damage safety tips
- Mold-contaminated materials are hazardous materials. While wearing a small protective mask is helpful in relation to keeping mold out of your nose and lungs, you do not want it on your skin or in your eyes either. Unless you have a hazmat suit like the one above (and you also know exactly how to assess mold growth and resolve mold issues), then simply let the experts at Canyon State Restoration handle your mold remediation needs for you. Call us now (24/7) at 480-734-5874.
- Next, especially if you start to experience coughing, eye irritation, brain fog, light-headedness or other symptoms commonly associated with toxic mold, then exit that area of your home and close any open doors connecting to that area.
- If you disturb mold (in to the air), it will spread. So, when removing moldy cabinets or ripping out carpet with a moldy pad underneath, great precaution needs to be taken to avoid contaminating much more of the house through air-borne mold spores. We will completely seal off a room before disturbing moldy materials. In contrast, several restoration companies in Phoenix with less focus on safety have contaminated large areas of a home with mold because of negligence. (We know this because we were later sent in by an insurance company to do the mold remediation job right.)
Still have questions about mold? Then just call Canyon State Restoration now at 480-734-5874
Remediation of Mold Damage: steps
- Find the source
Determining the source of the mold is always the first step. While it seems easy to just wipe the mold off the wall, the reality with mold damage is that the mold will keep spreading if the source is not dealt with properly. Usually the source of the mold is from a leaky pipe or some excess moisture hidden somewhere.
- Assess the total damage
Mold damage can be sneaky. If you can see a spot of it inside a cabinet, there could be a huge amount of mold growth between the cabinets and the wall. While it can look like the mold is just on the surface, sometimes it can be far greater. A lot like an iceburg, what you see could be the very tip of it. What we do is keep following the mold to the source and, once we are done with all of our tests for the presence of mold, then we will get to work.
- Remove & replace
Next, we seal off the mold-contaminated part of the home (blocking all vents and anything that would spread mold spores). Then, we begin removing the mold, cleaning the areas and restoring the surfaces. If there are moldy materials (cabinets, drywall, etc), then we detach them, seal them, and carefully dispose of them. The length of this stage of the process greatly depends on the extent of the water damage and mold damage. In some cases, we will need to rebuild an entire kitchen or replace hundreds of square feet of carpet.
Call us now for a free assessment and quote: 480-734-5874
