It is possible for mold to return after remediation, but only if you fail to find the source of moisture creating the mold problem. It is imperative that the source of water is fixed, whether that is a leaky window or a cracked pipe. Once that issue is fixed, mold remediation will keep mold from returning to that location.
Realizing mold has contaminated a small or significant part of your home can be frustrating and worrisome. After all, mold is not a do-it-yourself fix. Instead, homeowners who want to rid their houses of mold and prevent further growth must partner with mold remediation company. Hiring mold professionals gives peace of mind, but mold can still return under certain circumstances.
How and Why Does Mold Come Back After Remediation?
Mold thrives in moisture-rich conditions. Consequently, even if a home has had all the mold removed, the mold may slowly start to develop again if the moisture problem has not been addressed.
Consider a window that consistently leaks during bad weather. Over time, the rainwater collects and pools in the window sill, eventually soaking into the drywall around the window frame and casing. The homeowners start to smell mildew around the window and notice small black marks appearing. Plus, they feel cold-like symptoms and tend to wheeze when they are in the room with suspected mold.
In this situation, the homeowners will probably hire a mold remediation team to come into the house. Yet even after replacing the drywall and removing all traces of mold, the mold could still come back unless they solve the main issue, the leaking window. In fact, they could have other undetected leaks in the same area, which would cause the problem to rear its head again.
It’s imperative for home and business owners to not only conduct mold remediation but also fix the underlying moisture concern. Otherwise, mold will simply come back, even though the mold removal team did its best to eradicate the mold the first time around.
How to Prevent Mold From Returning — or Growing
When working with a professional remediation company like ServiceMaster of Lincoln Park, you should always try to consider your mold issue from a holistic standpoint. In other words, look at the bigger picture. Removing the mold is a given, but so is removing the environment that mold loves.
Here are a few things you can do to prevent the dangers of returning mold and the development of new mold growth:
- Uncover the source of the mold problem: This can take some investigation and analysis but is completely worth it. When you find and address the underlying issue, you will have less of a chance of needing mold removal in the same place.
- Fix known places of moisture: Does your crawl space constantly feel and smell damp? Is one of your bathrooms lacking a properly running exhaust fan? Make a plan to take away the dampness in these locations before mold starts to feed and develop. Some places to start include areas around the roof and gutters, as well as appliances such as dishwashers, refrigerators with ice makers, and water heaters.
- Reduce the average humidity in your home or office building: Mold requires high humidity levels to feed and grow. Set your humidity level at 50% or below but ensure that you have enough humidity to make rooms comfortable.
Taking a few preventive measures can put an end to predictable sources of mold growth. And if you are surprised by mold in another area of your home, feel free to contact ServiceMaster of Lincoln Park mold remediation service.
