Did you know that an estimated 70% of homes have mold? That number is staggering, and you might not even realize you have this problem.
When it comes to your family, safety means everything to you. You want to make sure there is nothing dangerous in your home that could harm your family. Mold is one such danger that can creep into your home while you’re completely unaware.
This is especially true if you’ve experienced flooding or heavy rain recently. If you’re wondering how fast does mold grow and other questions related to mold in your home, keep reading. In this article, you will learn that important fact and what to do when you discover it.
Mold and Its Causes
While you might understand that mold is bad, you might be unaware of what exactly it is and what causes mold. Mold is a fungal growth that spreads through moist or damp material. It travels and grows through spores released into the air.
When there is mold growing in your basement or ducts, spores will travel throughout your house and can cause serious damage to your respiratory system. This is especially true for those who already have allergies or breathing issues.
Since it thrives in a damp environment, you will often find mold after water damage. If you have experienced any home flooding, you will need to check for mold growth. When water is not properly removed after an event like this, mold will begin to grow.
However, it does not need to be something as big as a flood for mold to start growing in your home. Leaking pipes, cracks in your foundation, or even poor ventilation can cause mold to grow. Spores can lay dormant for long periods until there’s water for mold to grow.
How Fast Does Mold Grow?
If your home has experienced a disaster like a flood, you will want to check immediately for mold. If you’re wondering how fast does mold grow, it can take anywhere from 24 to 48 hours. That means if its been more than a day since water has gotten into your home, you need to act fast to take care of the issue.
Damage From Mold
While mold occurs both outside and inside, it is more concerning outside. It can wreak havoc on your home and cause long-lasting damage. It doesn’t only sit on the surface.
Mold will eat away at your home, causing rot and decay. Mold will do this to essentially any material in your home, including wallpaper, floorboard, wood, drywall, and carpet.
When left unchecked, damage from mold can make your home uninhabitable. It has been known to cause entire walls to fall and floors and ceilings to collapse.
It is also possible to have a mold problem that you can’t see. Mold will grow almost anywhere there’s moisture in your home, so there is the possibility it’s even in your walls without your knowledge. One indication of this is a moldy smell in the air.
This is a strong indication of a mold problem, and you should request mold removal specialists as soon as possible. When it comes to protecting your family, taking care of a mold issue is a priority. The implications for your family and your home can be dire if mold is dismissed.
What to Do if You Have Mold
If you have mold in your home, you have a couple of options for how to take care of the problem. Depending on the size of the mold colony, you can take care of it yourself or reach out to a contractor. FEMA recommends anything over 25 square feet be handled by a professional.
If the mold colony is small and you want to handle it yourself, make sure you follow a few key safety guidelines and have the following items:
- A respiratory mask
- Gloves (either latex or rubber)
- Trash bags
- Scrub brush
- Non-ammonia detergent
- Chlorine/Bleach (10% solution)
Another key item you will need is a dehumidifier. This is important for getting moisture out of your home to keep the mold from spreading any more. Avoid running fans or your HVAC system until either the mold is eradicated or your HVAC system is professionally cleaned.
With an unclean HVAC system, you risk spreading the mold throughout the house. It might be best to wait until the mold is eradicated from your home before running your system.
When you clean the mold, any item that is damp for more than 24 hours, such as furniture, carpet, or toys, will most likely need to be thrown away. For hard surfaces, you will want to apply your solution and let it sit for at least 10 minutes. Using your scrubber, clean off the mold afterward.
While it might be handy to take care of a mold problem yourself, you should still consider having a licensed technician come out and remove it. At Water Out Now, our team of specialists knows how to spot mold and properly treat it.
Your Mold Solution Experts
Your home should be safe for you and your family. The last thing you need is to deal with mold growing throughout your house. Dismissing the problem can lead to serious health concerns for your entire family.
In this article, you’ve learned more about what mold is, how it grows, and answered the question, “How fast does mold grow?”. Beyond that, you even learned a few tips for cleaning up small areas of mold you might encounter.
Hiring a technician through Water Out Now guarantees your mold problem gets taken care of the right way the first time. So contact us today to set up an appointment for your mold removal needs.