Your home can quickly become contaminated with mold after a water intrusion event, like a roof or plumbing leak. Mold can spread throughout the property in as little as 2 days and can produce allergens and irritants that can cause health issues. If your home has been in a flood event, it is imperative that you call a mold remediation expert as soon as it is safe to inhabit your home.
If you suspect that your home has a mold problem, EIES professionals can inspect and assess your property. If mold is found, they have the training, equipment, and expertise to handle the situation.
Where Does Mold Grow?
Mold can multiply on most surfaces in your home especially where it is damp, and the air is stagnant. Temperatures above 60 degrees are ideal for mold to grow. However, mold spores can also grow in cold temperatures and can be found on food in refrigerators.
Mold is primarily found in the following areas in your home:
• Attics, basements and crawlspaces
• Wallpaper and drywall
• Ductwork and ceiling tiles
• Carpet, drapes and furniture
• Books and magazines
Mold growth not only has the potential to damage the psychical structure of your home, if you are selling your home, mold can dramatically lower the value of your home or your ability to sell it. Real estate agents have suggested that the presence of mold can drop the value of a home up to 10 percent and many buyers aren’t likely to buy a home that may be mold infested.
So, call the experts at EIES today. Our professionals will set your mind at ease that your mold problems will be handled successfully and professionally. We serve the following areas in Louisiana Shreveport, Baton Rouge, Lafayette, Lake Charles, Monroe and Alexandria.
Mold & Small Particle Remediation
Everyone knows what mold is and are somewhat familiar with the allergy-related health effects mold can cause. However, what you may not realize is that some molds produce toxic compounds known as mycotoxins that are toxic to sensitive individuals. To prevent harmful health effects to inhabitants, EIS can remove these toxins by performing Small Particle Remediation of your home or business.
Mold is a type of fungi that multiples by growing spores. These small microscopic spores are light enough to spread by air. If they land on the right surfaces with the right conditions present, they will continue to grow unabated. Mold spores will continually float throughout a structure and the air ducts. Unless a Small Particle Remediation process is completed, mold can remain in a structure for months, even years.
The risks of exposure to certain types of mold can vary from person to person. For some individuals, breathing in mold spores can cause asthma attacks. An allergic reaction to mold can be immediate or delayed and can include hay fever-type symptoms, and irritation of the eyes, skin, nose, and throat. For those more sensitive to mold, inhaling microbial particles can have further adverse health effects, including Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome (CIRS).
In a small percentage of people, their genetic makeup does recognize the mold or mycotoxin as a harmful intruder. Their immune system doesn’t react to fight off the intruder. Therefore, the mycotoxin remains in the body and continues to reproduce long after the mold exposure is over. Medical treatment is required to treat the disease, which has symptoms such as chronic fatigue, aches and pain, and weakness.
If you suspect mold growth, it’s imperative you have your structure tested. If mold is found, professional mold remediation will be recommended, and often it is highly recommended to have a Small Particle Remediation performed to remove all mold spores from the air and surfaces.
It’s important to understand that traditional air sampling cannot detect small mold fragments as they are no longer recognizable as spores.
During traditional remediation methods, mold spores are merely pulverized into many small fragments. Small Particle Remediation is the only way to rid your space of these small particles containing the mold toxins. Biocide fogging merely kills the mold. It does not kill the toxins produced from mold. Even air scrubbers cannot capture these small particles and fragments that stay in constant motion floating around in the air. Small Particle Remediation that includes, HEPA vacuuming, knockdown fogging and wipe down is the only way to remove small mold particles and fragments and toxins that can remain even after mold die off.
See Small Particle Remediation for further information.