Mold often resides in humid, damp, moisture-rich environments in any property. If you have any visible mold growth in your commercial property or office, contact the professionals at ServiceMaster Today as soon as possible. Most likely a larger growth looms on the other side of that surface and other areas of your property may be subjected to mold growth.
Mold Can Do More Damage Than You Think
What many property and business managers may not realize is that mold can cause a significant amount of damage to a business. For instance, mold can be detrimental to the health of your employees, as it causes illnesses, allergic reactions, breathing difficulties and a variety of other problems. Meaning, employees will become ill at a higher rate, resulting in a loss of productivity and efficiency in business operations.
Mold Can Affect Structural Integrity Of Buildings
Mold can also hinder the structural integrity of any facility or building. The sole purpose of mold is to breakdown and decompose organic material, meaning the wood, drywall, and any other building material that may contain cellulose is at risk. Given enough time, structures made of these items will become brittle and weak, resulting in a safety hazard and an endangerment to you employees lives.
Mold Remediation Process
Identify the source: Depending on the situation, the initial mold inspection may be performed by an industrial hygienist.
Identify the extent of the mold growth: It is important to identify the extent of the mold growth and water damage. Often this involves the use of moisture meters, thermal imaging and other specialized equipment. Air quality sampling can also be employed to identify the extent of the contamination.
Containment: During the mold removal and remediation process the mold spores will often become disturbed and aerosolized. This can lead to cross contamination and create a situation much worse than the original problem. We use specialized techniques to contain the area. This involves the use of HEPA filtration, plastic sheeting and negative air machines.
Removal: After containment is in place, the mold-damaged materials are removed. Often this includes the removal of porous materials such as sheetrock, upholstered furniture, carpeting, insulation and cabinets.
Decontamination: Non-porous or semi-porous materials such as wood framing, metal, plastic and concrete can be cleaned in place. HEPA vacuuming, wire brushing, sanding and other cleaning techniques are utilized to remove all remaining mold spores from the contaminated area. Often, an antimicrobial solution is applied to the remaining materials as well.
Clearance Testing: Upon completion of the mold remediation and removal project a final clearance inspection is performed. ServiceMaster works with a third party inspection company (certified industrial hygienist) to verify that no mold is present through air sampling, surface sampling and other various tests.
At any sign of mold growth, contact ServiceMaster Today to provide mold remediation services to prevent any of these items from ever occurring and to keep your working environment safe and healthy.
