Request FREE Consultation

Mold Remediation St Louis

When mold is growing in or on your home or commercial building, it can cause numerous issues. When it’s found on the exterior walls of a building, it’s usually due to the paint becoming chipped or cracked, allowing moisture to build up and mold to grow. Inside mold growth can be found virtually anywhere there is unremediated moisture.




Ken E.

What Is Mold?

Mold Remediation

Mold is a type of fungus that grows on plants, wood, fabric, food and any other organic material. Basically, mold is a natural recycler of dead organic matter. It is a natural occurrence of nature but when it grows in or on surfaces, it can cause health and structural issues.

There are several different types of mold. Some are more serious than others. All types of mold fall into three general categories: 

  1. Allergenic mold is the least harmful type of mold, but can still trigger allergic reactions in individuals with respiratory problems.
  2. Pathogenic mold can cause problems, not only for those with asthma or mold allergies, but for healthy people too. For example, this type of mold can cause hypersensitivity pneumonitis, an acute response resembling bacterial pneumonia
  3. Toxigenic mold is the most harmful type of mold and can cause serious health issues. It produces mycotoxins, a toxic chemical that, when inhaled, ingested, or touched, coils result in severe reactions. Some problems include both temporary (eye irritation or cough) and permanent (e.g. immunosuppression, neurological disorders, or cancer).

How Mold Grows

Mold cannot be completely eradicated, as it exists as part of nature and is vital to our ecosystem. The fungus emits spores that aren’t visible to the naked eye. These spores float through the air and cling to other objects. People can bring them indoors on their shoes or clothing. 

The mold spores themselves are not harmful and don’t cause mold to grow. However, if they find moisture, the mold fungus will begin to grow and continue to emit spores throughout the area and multiply if the moisture is not cleaned immediately. It only takes as little as 48 hours for mold to start growing on unattended moist or damp surfaces. 

Health Risks from Mold Exposure

If mold is growing indoors in your home or work building, it can cause a slew of health issues. Depending on the type of mold (black toxic mold is the worst), people who are exposed to it can suffer from a variety of ailments. These include respiratory problems, headaches, skin irritation, and infections. 

The severity of the issues is dependent on other existing health conditions of the exposed individuals. For example, exposure to mold for someone who already has asthma or other respiratory conditions will suffer more aggravated symptoms. People with autoimmune diseases may experience more or worsening effects than an otherwise healthy individual. Smaller children with undeveloped lungs can be affected for the rest of their lives.

The bottom line is that untreated mold growth, especially indoors, will negatively impact the health and well-being of those who live or work in the environment. It’s important to get all mold removed and the area remediated to restore the building to a healthy environment.

Other Damages Caused by Mold 

Mold can affect various types of furnishings in your home or workplace, as well as the building structure itself. Some materials are more susceptible to mold than others and removal and restoration will vary depending on the material. Some materials cannot be cleaned and will need to be replaced; for example, it’s impossible to remove mold from drywall.

Surfaces where mold will likely grow include wood, concrete, drywall, and paper. It can grow deep into carpeting, furniture, and drapes. Because mold cannot grow without moisture present, it is hard to tell sometimes whether the damage was caused by mold or water. So, even if you get rid of mold and there is still a source of moisture, the mold will grow back. Even worse, the water will continue to erode the structure.

Preventing Mold Growth

Preventing mold from growing in the first place is your best recourse. The primary way to do that is to ensure timely cleanup of any water or moisture because mold cannot grow without a water source.

If you’ve experienced flooding, leaky pipes or plumbing fixtures, a leaky basement, or any other issue that causes standing water or moisture to accumulate, it needs to be promptly remediated. If your building has already suffered extensive water damage, it may be difficult to get it dried up yourself without professional assistance. 

The Mold Remediation Process

Getting rid of mold involves more than just removing the mold you see. Usually, when you can see mold growing, you have a bigger problem. It can grow hidden behind walls, in attics, inside ceiling tiles, deep inside carpets, etc. In addition, without the proper PPE, contact with mold can result in serious health risks.

An experienced mold remediation specialist will have the equipment to detect mold growing even when it can’t be seen. They wear protective gear to ensure they aren’t exposed to its toxins. They will also have the capability to restore any affected possessions and furnishings, if at all possible.
