Water And Mold Go Hand-In-Hand

Ok so we all have at one time or another woke up in the morning and in our grogginess taken a sip of water, only to be gagged and spit it back out. “Oh man” you thought, “that was not the water I poured for myself last night!” That was 2 or 3 days ago. Right? What you were tasting was the beginning phases of mold.

Water is a perfect source to catch all the things in the air that you cannot see.

Which is why our noses have hair, and why our HVAC system has filters. Think of every time you change or see a used air filter. All the dust, hair, pollen, dander, micro toxins, skin, smoke, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, and other particulates, constantly filtering and filtering nonstop through our homes, cars, malls, schools, businesses, restaurants, subways, planes, and our lungs, yes, that’s right our lungs. Our immune systems are very good at fighting mold. Italy is full of mold. But for generations and generations, the Italians bodies have been building up tremendous defense systems.

As that water in your cup begins to evaporate, the filtering intensifies and the particulates in your cup start to find each other and become a solid, that sooner or later will be visible. Within 72-96 hours it will likely introduce a spore. Yes, a mold spore.

Mold spores need three things to grow

1. Moisture
2. A food source (drywall, insulation, wood)
3. Time

And a fourth factor could be the right temperature.

Mold grows much faster at room temperature than it does at near-freezing temperatures. Mold also grows much faster in an uninterrupted environment, meaning the air and the temperature in that environment stays stagnant. Almost all our structures have a perfect breeding ground for mold. Do you know what that is? Walls, the inside of our walls likely has the drywall, the insulation, the 2×4 wood planks, and a stagnant warm uninterrupted environment. Hence why we in the restoration industry are in such a hurry to start drying down your home or business. We want to start drying the structure with our drying equipment and interrupt that mold breeding process. So, we start by dehumidifying the air, and then we move the air to help the moisture find the dehumidifiers, at the same time creating a vortex that will help naturally dry the structure. It is a scientific fact that wet seeks dry or “wet air seeks dry air”! We want to disturb the environment in that wall so it cannot introduce mold spores.

Our technicians always want to know what the source of the flood is, and how long ago could the flood have started. This information lets them use their IICRC certified training and skills to properly dry your home. More often than not, part of drying your home includes the removal of the affected materials that will likely grow mold, even if our equipment is running. It will take our equipment about 24-48 hours to start to interrupt the spore growing process inside your wall. So, if you left for the weekend, and came home in Sunday night to find a fully flooded level of your home? We have to assume it’s been wet within a few hours of you leaving your home. Mold now has a 48-hour head start on us. Also, it has been uninterrupted for the most part since you were not there opening doors and windows, or adjusting your HVAC. All factors that interrupt stagnant air. So, we must remove the materials that are either already ruined (such as laminate flooring) or has the likely potential to grow mold.

Conclusion

Mold can form within 72-96 hours from standing water. Keep moisture away from mold’s food sources, like drywall, insulation, and wood, to prevent mold from spreading. In Flagstaff and northern Arizona, mold can grow just as fast as wetter places in the southwest. If you noticing mold in areas around your home, make sure you call a mold restoration contractor like Mammoth Restoration to remediate and remove mold at its source.

Mammoth Restoration is the most trusted name in emergency restoration services celebrating 15 successful years of business in Flagstaff and northern Arizona. Whether you are in need of water damage restoration, flood damage, water damage repair and cleanup, pack-out services, mold remediation services, carpet cleaning, biohazard cleanup, fire damage restoration, restoration and reconstruction, or trauma cleanup, give us a call at (928) 714-0003.