Stopping Winter Mold Damage In Bow
1/10/2018 (Permalink)
Winter Mold Damage
With winter here, residents of Bow are concerned with ice and snow damage, perhaps even flooding from a poorly insulated pipe. A possible mold infestation barely registers to them. They are right to be concerned about the weather, but mold is still a year-round problem.
Spores grow and mold damage in Bow homes can happen with the temperature as low as 68 degrees. Since most people heat their homes to around 72 degrees or higher, SERVPRO understands that mold can grow anywhere inside a home through the winter months despite the outside temperatures.
Leaky pipes or a faulty appliance still spill water under cabinets and behind interior walls in the winter. Water heaters are used more often, so a break in a line or a rusted bottom collapsing is more likely at this time. It only takes a small percentage of this moisture to give spores the opportunity to expand and begin growing in utility closets, laundry rooms, and under bathroom sinks.
Year-round, food is food. A mold colony grows by feeding on drywall and other building materials like wood framing, ceiling tiles, and cellulose insulation. Unless the temperature falls well under 68 degrees, mold growth does not even slow down.
Since homeowners are unlikely to abandon their home so we can turn off the heating system, the best way for SERVPRO remediation specialists to stop mold growth is still to find the source of moisture and remove it. We start by following the mold back to its point of origin using an air content meter to find the highest concentration of spores in the air, and then visually follow the mold to the thickest growth. That is usually where we also find the damaged pipe or another leak source.
Even in the winter, there can be a leak in the roof. As the temperature warms during the day, it causes ice and snow to melt. That sends water down behind walls or into the home between the drywall panels making up the ceiling. The outside moisture also compresses the insulation, making it less effective and another food source for the mold when the temperature warms in the spring.
Stopping and removing mold from your home does not end with the first freeze. If you smell that telltale musty odor or see the mold itself, call SERVPRO of Concord at (603) 225-2825 today. We are here to help.
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