The last thing that most people expect to find in their home is mold, and many people wonder about mold remediation. One year I had a terrible cough that my doctor told me was allergy related. Allergy medicines weren’t doing much for it, so I wondered what the cause was. A couple of months later after a very wet spring, I noticed a bulge in the linoleum in the kitchen pantry. I was curious so I pulled up a small section of the floor and found that there was mold there. Needless to say, I called my insurance company to see if there was a specific company I needed to call to help with mold remediation.
It was a crazy experience, with a disaster relief company coming to determine the cause, and wondering what would need to be done. We ended up having to rip out quite a bit of the floor that was rotting because of the mold, as well as the exterior wall behind the pantry. The culprit was a poorly flashed roof, so the insurance only covered the interior damage, but that was pricey enough that I was glad I had homeowner’s insurance that covered at least a part of the cost.
Once it was all cleaned up through mold remediation, and the pantry and floor replaced, repainted and re-floored, no one would ever be able to tell it had ever happened. However, I felt I had better learn a little more about how mold grows and what it can do. First of all, I found that mold grows very well in high humidity and can even grow in temperatures as cold as 40 degrees. Mold can grow behind such things as wallpaper and under linoleum and tile. All mold needs is a food source, such as wood, and humidity. As the mold eats into the wood, it begins to rot, which can go on for a long time, in my case for years.
After it had all been cleaned up, my cough went away. I think I was allergic to the mold! Mold can cause allergies, breathing difficulties such as asthma, and can even cause rashes. Some molds can even contribute to cancer or damage to the nervous system. As you can see, it is important to watch for signs of a mold problem and have it taken care of as soon as possible through mold remediation. Damage caused by mold can be fairly expensive, as the mold must be removed, and if wood is rotting, walls or other structures will need to be replaced.
