Mold awareness is an ever increasing topic for a lot of residential and commercial properties. Due to its potentially toxic nature, a quick removal is the best course of action, however, before acting it’s smart to know where it may be hiding.
Where should you check for mold – your laundry room, basement or around the windows?
The most obvious places to look for mold are those with a lot of moisture. This is where mold likes to grow – in cold, damp places which don’t receive much sunlight. Sunlight dries fungal cultures out so you won’t find it somewhere with direct sunlight.
What is the first place you should look for mold?
The basement is place with highest likelihood to be hosting mold and mildew. Depending on the property, a basement may be deeply into the ground or on top of it. This proximity to soil and load bearing walls with contact to it is a prominent spot for moisture accumulation.
Looking for wet spots, damp corners, behind the dried or gas tank, is the first place you should look. Mold initially localizes its growth so it will be gathered in one location i.e. the corners and different nooks and crannies.
Considering that most dehumidifiers have been tested in a basement-like setting, with similar temperatures, shows that their use is mostly applicable for such locations.
Bathroom and shower as second most likely spot to find mold on your property
The second likeliest place for it to grow is in your bathroom due to the wet nature of the room. This goes for factories which deal with a lot of wet or water based manufacturing, like food production or wineries, for example.
If residential buildings are involved, bathrooms with showers or leaky plumbing have the highest risk of developing fungal growths. Grouting is the perfect place for it, as it is rarely disturbed there while receiving plenty of moisture to grow.
Showers disperse quite a lot of moisture, even though anti-fungal sealing caulk is used in most showers, if it’s not replaced it will start developing mildew. Easiest solution to this is the regular cleaning and eventual replacing of shower lining with fresh caulk.
Window sills are perfect for growing fungi
Depending on the age of your windows and how well they have been installed, these places are often teaming with fungal cultures and mildew.
Even if it’s a brand new window, condensation on it due to temperature differences between the inside and outside of window may occur if the ventilation of the property is no properly maintained.
Sometimes leaking due to strong showers and winds may take their toll on the masonry surrounding the window. The window may also be improperly installed leading to an inward sloping water tray, this is perfect for introducing moisture and fungi into your home.
Laundry rooms with backed up dryer vents
Checking for properly cleaned dryer vents not only helps you avoid dryer fires, but also increases the efficiency of your appliances. If there is an obstruction into the airflow of a vent, the appliance won’t be able to properly expel wet, hot air to the outside.
This hot air stream will go back into the room, as dryer hoses are attached to the vent with a set screw clamp. This does not provide an air-tight seal around the connection which leads to hot, damp air coming back into the room.
This is exactly what fungi and mildew want and need to grow big and scary, this is why we at GCD Restoration have a specialized Dryer Vent Cleaning Service. We provide regular inspections as prevention of home fires and fungal growths.
Kitchens, inside walls with plumbing, airing cupboards
These three seem to be an obvious place as all have the potential of having excessive moisture due to their use. Airing cupboards, though not as prominent anymore, are still something used in some San Francisco residential properties.
They are used for storing and drying clothes, most often in conjunction with a laundry room where clothes are stored. The damp nature of these clothes is a perfect place for mold growths, it is enclosed, with restricted airflow and with a damp nature.
Kitchens are also a likely place, especially beneath the sink where water seepages due to plumbing malfunction or back-ups are most common. Check for mold on the backing of cupboards as these places are softest and provide the least amount of resistance for fungi to attach and consume its celluloses.
What is the best course of action when you do find mold?
Most likely, the kind of mold you have is regular old mildew, it grows on fruit and trees and is basically harmless. However, you should not take any chances, because it’s cousins carry a lot of toxic mass which can be very harmful.
The wisest course of action is to give GCD Restoration a call immediately so we can do an inspection and get lab results as soon as possible. Call us at (650) 835-4447 for an immediate response to all of your San Francisco mold-based needs and worries.
