Tag Archives: Mold Growth

What Mold Needs to Grow – Moisture, Oxygen, Food Source

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Mold Spores

Know the Conditions For Mold Growth so You Can Prevent It

As a type of fungus, mold spores need water, air, and some form of food in order to grow and spread. Suspect mold at your home or office? Know the conditions for mold growth, and you will be better prepared to choose a NYC mold remediation technique that wipes them out and prevents future mold growth.

Mold and Moisture

Water can be called the source of life. Unfortunately, that holds true for mold. Leaks and floods often cause mold infestations, but it only takes a tiny bit of water to feed a mold colony.

Red flags for the moisture needed for mold growth include:

  • Plumbing leaks
  • Moisture around sinks and bathrooms
  • Roof leaks
  • Condensation
  • Sprinkler or hose water entering the building

Oxygen Respiration of Mold

Like many organisms, molds also require oxygen. This makes it possible for a polymer sealant to effectively block future mold growth.

Food Sources for Mold

Mold colonies get their food from any organic matter — but we’re not talking about health foods.

Wood, wallpaper, fabric and upholstery, or even plants and soil can all feed mold. Your NYC mold remediation provider will check cabinets, walls, ceilings and other building materials made with organic substances to eradicate the entire colony.

Preventing the Conditions for Mold Growth

For years, the typical NYC mold remediation process involved ripping out walls and cabinets to remove the spores the way you would remove asbestos. Today, we have advanced mold treatment methods that block out moisture and protect your property without having to disturb the structure.

Contact us for a free inspection and quote and find out more about our scientifically advanced NYC mold remediation service.

Posted in Mold Identification, Mold Information, Mold Remediation, Mold Treatment

What the EPA Wants You to Know About Mold

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Mold colonies

Act Quickly To Clean Up And Control Mold As Soon As It’s Found

Your health and your home are both threatened by mold growth, and the Environmental Protection Agency stresses the importance of acting quickly to clean up and control mold as soon as it’s found.

The EPA mold guide lays out the basic facts about mold:

  • Mold is common. Nobody should be surprised by the presence of mold. The important thing is controlling its growth if it spreads on indoor surfaces.
  • Mold causes health problems. Respiratory issues including asthma attacks and allergic reactions are common health problems caused by toxic mold.
  • Moisture makes mold grow. Molds need humidity to thrive. If you want to prevent the problem from recurring after you’ve brought in a NJ mold removal service, you need to make sure that the process includes stopping the moisture at its source.

What the EPA Says about Mold Cleanup

The EPA recommends cleaning up very small patches of mold by scrubbing with detergent and water. Be careful, however, because you need to wear protective clothing and equipment to reduce the risk of toxic mold-related health problems.

If the mold has gotten inside of a wall or ceiling, or the mold has spread to an area larger than about 10 square feet, the EPA advises you to find a mold removal professional. Our MoldExterm system uses EPA-registered antimicrobials for our NJ mold removal services.

If you’ve found mold growing in your home or business, Stern Mold can help by actually killing and removing the mold — and also treating surfaces to prevent mold from coming back ever again. Contact us today to schedule a free inspection and quote for our NY and NJ mold service.

Posted in Mold & Your Health, Mold Information, Mold Remediation, Mold Treatment

Realtor.com – Mold’s Top Hiding Places

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You Can Be Meticulous About Housekeeping and Still Have Mold Thriving Inside Your Home.

You Can Be Meticulous About Housekeeping and Still Have Mold Thriving Inside Your Home.

Mold is one of the scariest words for any homeowner. You can be meticulous about housekeeping and still have mold thriving inside your home. Mold needs only three things to grow: Moisture, an organic food source like wood or paper, and the right temperature.

Mold can grow in temperatures as low as 32 degrees (Fahrenheit) and as high as 120 degrees. Temperatures below 32 degrees do not kill mold. It simply goes dormant until things warm up again. The optimal temperature for mold growth is between 70 degrees and 90 degrees.

Top hiding places for mold

As a reporter for NBC’s “Today” show found out when he asked a mold remediation expert to inspect his home, mold can lurk in an otherwise clean-looking kitchen or bathroom. Places that you don’t normally go looking are ideal for mold colonies. Behind your refrigerator, dishwasher or washing machine, a small leak can feed mold growth.

The same is true for leaky pipes under your sinks or in the crawl spaces. Long before you notice any water stains on your ceiling, a small roof leak can contribute to mold growth in your attic. Even if you don’t see the mold, its spores can cause respiratory problems for occupants with certain conditions. Also, there are studies that suggest mold contributes to asthma in some children.

Don’t jeopardize the health of your family. Contact the mold experts at Stern Mold. Our highly trained and professional technicians will carefully assess your mold problem and recommend the best mold remediation process to kill and prevent it from growing back again. The MoldExterm process is quick, inexpensive and eco-friendly.

Posted in Mold & Your Health, Mold Remediation, Mold Treatment, MoldExterm, News

How Fast Does Mold Grow? Is This Old Mold?

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Mold Growth

Mold Growth

Have you recently discovered a mold colony in your building or home? Determining the cause is an important factor in successful treatment. Failing to address the original situation will likely result in continued recurrences. Here are some of the mold identification clues experts use to determine the age of an infestation, which can indicate probable cause.

How quickly can mold grow?

Mycologists, who are biologists specializing in the study of fungi, have found that mold growth can occur over a period as short as two to three days. However, simply examining the mold itself gives no indication of the time frame. Observations of the surrounding area and surfaces provide more reliable evidence for an estimate.

Recent or single-event growth

Water is the principal ingredient required for mold growth, so any incident that creates dampness in a building or home results in prime conditions for an colony to develop. If mold turns up after a burst pipe or a roof leak, it’s generally assumed that it’s a one-time localized occurrence.

Long-standing or multi-event growth

Buildings that are more than 20 years old often have a history of leaks, flooding and other events that create an overall environment conducive to the growth of mold. They also tend to contain drywall, fiberglass insulation and other “mold-friendly” materials that make it easy for mold to spread from one area to another. Rot on wood, carpeting or other surfaces is another reliable sign of long-standing mold.

Don’t take on the task of mold identification by yourself. Contact us today to schedule a free mold inspection by our skilled professional technicians.

Posted in Mold & Your Health, Mold Identification, News

Mold Incidents in New Jersey and NYC Rise as the Weather Warms

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Heat Helps Increase Mold Growth

Heat Helps Increase Mold Growth

While rising temperatures are certainly welcome in the NJ and NYC area after a long, snowy winter, they can pose a problem. As the air gets warmer, all the snow in the region melts, leading to a higher risk of mold growth. Since mold can cause serious health problems, it’s important to make sure you get prompt NJ or NYC mold treatment if you notice any signs of growth in your home or business, such as musty odors or visible patches.

What’s Causing Mold Growth?

With temperatures slowly heating up and snow melting, this creates an ideal environment for mold to grow. The main parts of buildings affected by this problem are attics, ceilings and basements.

Ice dams, which form on roof eaves, prevent melting snow from flowing away from building interiors. Instead, it backs up under the eaves and enters the attic, where it causes damp conditions that allow mold to grow.

Storm drains that melting snow would normally flow into have been covered by large piles of snow. This can cause melting snow to enter basements and lead to flooding, which increases the risk of mold growth.

What Should Property Owners Do?

Residential and commercial property owners in NJ and NYC should be on the lookout for signs of water damage in their attic, ceilings or basement, such as leaks or flooding, and have those problems taken care of right away to reduce the risk of mold growth.

If you have a mold problem in your home or business, contact Stern Mold today. We’ll provide reliable NJ or NYC mold treatment to help protect your family members or employees.

Posted in Mold & Your Health, News
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