How To Deal With Mold Until a Professional Can Remove It

2/2/2022 (Permalink)

SERVPRO can remediate any mold growth, like the one on this wall!

In just 24 hours, mold can develop within your commercial building in Bedford County, PA. You need to address this right away before black mold starts to grow, which is much more dangerous. You should leave mold cleanup to the professionals, but it may take a couple hours for someone to come out. In the meantime, there are steps you can take to prevent the mold from escalating further.

1. Shut Off the Building’s HVAC System

You may see mold on drywall and assume it is localized. However, that patch actually releases various spores into the atmosphere, and they can spread to various parts of the building through the air conditioning system. However, it is still good to air out the affected room, and you can open up windows to promote circulation. Additionally, you can also bring fans into the room to promote adequate airflow.

2. Keep People Out of the Room

Whether there is black mold in the basement or a bathroom, you want to put up caution signs informing people to stay out until a professional comes. It is dangerous to be in a room with a significant moisture problem, and you do not want to put your employees in harm’s way.

3. Do Not Apply Bleach to the Mold

You may think you will be helping the mold cleanup crew by applying bleach to the affected area beforehand. For starters, bleach is not as effective at removing mold as most people think. In fact, there are some circumstances where bleach will actually exacerbate the problem. Bleach is also toxic, and you need to be wary of breathing in any fumes.

The best thing you can do when there is black mold in your building is to stay out of its way until a professional crew comes around. Mold is considered an emergency, so you probably will not have to wait long.