Removing Phoenix Mold Damage

10/18/2017 (Permalink)

If you spot or smell mold, it has already grown significantly and you should contact SERVPRO to professionally and thoroughly remediate the damage.

Inspection and Remediation of Mold Damage in Your Home

With our year-round high temperatures, many homeowners and residents believe mold is not a problem in Phoenix. The reality is that mold can survive and grow at higher temperatures as long as it has a source of moisture and food.

Since altering the temperature is a difficult process, stopping mold damage in a Phoenix home requires removal of either the moisture or food sources. By the time we are called in, residents have either seen mold behind a washing machine or under a sink. In some cases, they smell that telltale musty odor only mold produces. In both cases, that means the mold has already grown significantly. SERVPRO response teams use a combination of visual inspections, the latest technology and years of experience in demolition and restoration to return a home to its pre-infestation condition.

First, we have to determine just how far the mold has grown. Technicians use an air content meter to find the highest concentration of mold in an infested room and then follow it to the source. We visually confirm the origin point, sometimes needing to go behind a wall or into an attic to find the source of moisture that allowed the first spores to expand and grow.

We remove the moisture source to stop further growth. In our typically dry area, the source is usually a pipe or connection that has come loose or rusted out if the plumbing is older and not a pool of rainwater. SERVPRO technicians are licensed and perform most of the same tasks as a plumbing service without the need to call in a second agency. After we stopped the water, we spray the affected area with an anti-fungal agent to kill any active spores that have not returned to an inert state from a lack of moisture.

Now for the food source. Drywall and other building material is a particular favorite of mold. If the growth is light, we spray an anti-fungal and then wipe off the mold spores. If the mold has grown into the material, we remove and replace it. Cutting into drywall is difficult, and the increased labor usually costs more than just buying and installing new panels.

If you can see any signs of mold, or if you can detect that signature, musty odor, contact SERVPRO of Litchfield / West Phoenix today at (623) 594-6033. From an initial inspection to a final walk-through, we are here to help you return your home to its original, clean state.

Visit https://www.phoenix.gov/ for more information about Phoenix, Arizona.