Is It Safe to Stay at My Chicago Home After Mold Damage?

4/6/2023 (Permalink)

If you find mold damage in your Chicago home, call SERVPRO right away. Certified technicians can investigate the cause and help with mold removal.

The Right Controls Keep Chicago Homes Safe during Mold Remediation – Call SERVPRO

With the knowledge that mold can cause discomfort in a home, you may feel apprehensive when you notice signs of an infestation in your residence. One of the main queries is whether you are safe remaining in your Chicago home while it is contaminated or during the mold remediation processes. You are safest when the proper controls are established to protect you from dangerous exposure.

After mold damage, the main hazard in your Chicago home is contacting moldy materials. Contact can be through skin exposure or inhalation since spores and mold debris are minute and thus float freely through the air. One thing to note is that mold lies on surfaces unless disturbed. Therefore, if you do not access the affected rooms or attempt to clean them, it is hard for the contamination to affect you. However, since leaving these fungi to develop unabated is not ideal, calling a professional like SERVPRO to mitigate the problem is a better alternative.

Measures for safety and comfort during mold remediation include:

• Establishing containment
• Setting up negative air pressure
• Deodorization

The realization that a mold problem is developing comes when you notice signs like spots and discoloration of surfaces. A musty odor or general decline of indoor air quality can also alert you that things are not that good. Therefore, the first step in resolving mold issues is to evaluate how extensive the problem is and whether it is practical to continue occupying the house during restoration. Typically, it is when mold remediation is carried out following IICRC protocols.

Mold damage rarely affects an entire house unless there is a significant problem, such as an unresolved flooding incident. In regular cases, the mold appears within ceiling spaces, internal or external walls with pipes, and areas like kitchens or bathrooms where water is commonly used. Identifying the affected areas makes it easier to isolate them from the rest of the house for restoration. 

Limiting Mold from Spreading

There are two aspects of mold spreading, and both can influence your stay. The first aspect is the contamination of new areas, which would probably force you to avoid more sections of your home. The second aspect is the release of debris during cleaning and other mitigation processes. Our SERVPRO technicians use various engineering controls to limit such spreading. Setting up containment barriers to separate rooms or creating sections within a room is one common approach. Establishing negative air pressure is also essential, especially in areas where demolishing and discarding moldy materials is necessary.

Containment barriers require:

• A barrier material like 6-mil plastic sheets
• Supports such as spring-loaded metal rods or PVC pipes
• A seal such as Ziplock or tape

Negative air pressure is established with a device that directs airflow, ensuring it does not breach the containment. Our SERVPRO crews mostly use an Air Filtration Device, which is also helpful for capturing most of the mold debris disturbed during cleaning or demolition. We also use manometers to measure differences in gas pressures between adjacent containments verifying whether the negative air pressure is effective. 

With the right equipment and a skillful approach, a restoration team can address mold damage without forcing you to relocate from the contaminated property. A speedy conclusion enhances the convenience.

SERVPRO of Marquette Park / West Lawn / Ford City can work to manage mold damage at your property conveniently. You can reach us at (773) 337-3993. We're Faster To Any Size Disaster.