The Biology of Mold

2/13/2019 (Permalink)

When water collected underneath this sink, it was not dried properly and resulted in mold growth.

Mold is a fungus and classed as a saprophyte, which means that most types find nutrients by decomposing organic matter. There are over 100,000 types of mold that exist within nature.

Why Use Containment?

Starting as a tiny spore, mold begins in a cluster that contains thousands and thousands of spores. When something disrupts the spore mass, thousands of mold spores are set free, until they settle. Therefore it is important to have mold containment. During the process of cleaning and removing moldy materials, SERVPRO of East Sacramento/West Arden-Arcade sets up plastic barriers to avoid spreading these tiny spores to clean areas of the structure.

What Can Make Fungi and Molds Harmful?

Mycotoxins are secondary metabolites produced by microfungi that can cause health effects. Mycotoxins can be found attached to mold spores and fragments of mold.

At first, you cannot see mold spores. Disturbances of mold can cause spores to mass aerosolize, releasing thousands of spores into the air and you cannot see which materials are affected by these settled spores.

How Can I Prevent Mold Growth?

A fast response to water damage is of the utmost importance when trying to prevent mold growth. Any and all structures that have been damaged by water have the potential to grow mold. In order to prevent mold growth, you should keep good ventilation of your home, keep a dry environment, and the use of fungicides and biocides.

SERVPRO of East Sacramento/West Arden-Arcade specializes in mold remediation. 

If you've seen the signs of mold growth in your home, call us at 916-285-7257!