CPR Nashville Blog

Mold FAQs from Homeowners

No one likes mold! Most people know that it can be bad for your health and bad for your home, but not everyone knows how mold grows, why it can be detrimental to your health, or how to get rid of it.

If you’re dealing with mold issues — or think you might have a mold problem — give Choice Property Restoration a call. We’re here to help!

If you live in the Nashville area and think you have a mold problem, we hope you’ll count on the professionals at Choice Property Restoration to handle mold remediation for you, as this is one of our specialties. We would like to provide you with some of the questions we hear most frequently from our customers and our answers to those questions:

Why is mold dangerous?

Not all mold is bad for your health; in fact, mold can be found in some places without much concern. Furthermore, not all people are sensitive to mold. However, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), some types of mold can not only contribute to hay-fever like allergies, eye or skin irritation, and wheezing, but there’s actually a toxic black mold called Stachybotrys that may be especially harmful.

I see mold on my walls, floors, or in my basement. Where does it come from?

Mold is usually the result of excess humidity or water damage. Water and moisture can get into your house in any number of ways, but we most frequently see water damage come from burst pipes, sewage malfunction, dam breaches, an overflowing washing machine, or flooding from excessive rainfall—something Nashville residents know about all too well.

How do I know if my house has mold or where it’s located?

There are certain places in a damp home where mold will naturally grow. Floors and carpets, basements and crawlspaces are prime targets. Basically, the lower an area is, the more likely it is to grow mold; this is why we often hear Nashville homeowners complain of mold on their carpet, tile or grout, and laminate and wood flooring. Walls, however, can also be feeding grounds for bacteria and mold, especially if the leak has originated from the roof.

Though mold is sometimes visible to the naked eye—or apparent to the nose, thanks to its strong musty smell—it just as often is completely hidden from a homeowner’s view, though he or she may see signs of it. If our team determines that the origin of a leak is especially mysterious, we will actually use thermal imaging to locate the source, as our thermal imaging cameras can find mold even behind your walls. We may also use digital hygrometers to test the humidity in your air.

Only a professional will be able to truly determine if you have a mold problem and suggest the best way for you to solve it. Call Choice Property Restoration, located in Nashville, Tennessee, at 615-866-7989 to solve your mold problem.

Finding Leaks: The Right Tools Matter

Don’t wait until water comes pouring in. Early leak detection can spare you from bigger problems. Call us now and we’ll do the rest!

No matter how well your home or business’ structure is built, it’s always going to be susceptible in some form or another to water damage. Water tends to be tricky like that — there’s a lot you can do to halt it, but moisture has a knack for zeroing in on even the smallest weak spots and then spreading damage quickly.

That’s why it’s key, when water intrudes into your space, to quickly find the real source or sources of a leak and shore them up. Going on a hunch, when it comes to water detection, is a surefire way to end up with future headaches. At Choice Property Restoration, we specialize in leak detection, using state of the art tools that can accurately detect even the most well-hidden leaks efficiently and quickly.

The longer moisture is able to stay in your structure, the more widespread damage occurs — from ugly stains to weakened building materials and mold growth. And if you only find and fix the secondary damage, but don’t deal with the main source, you’re headed toward more damage, more headaches and more repair and restoration work. We use the tools and take the steps to do the job right.

Some Of The High-tech Leak Detection Tools Choice Property Restoration Uses

Choice Property Restoration’s experienced technicians make use of a variety of industry-leading tools to ensure that we figure out your leak quickly and completely.

Moisture Meters

We use several different types of electronic moisture meters to find water problems that aren’t readily visible. Pinless or non-invasive moisture meters use high-frequency radio waves to detect moisture in materials like drywall, wood or concrete without having to damage those materials. We also use penetrating moisture probes to detect water that may be trapped deep in highly absorbent building materials like insulation.

Hydrosensors

These help us monitor how far intruding water has spread into a space, which can tell us whether moisture is hiding under your flooring, for instance, so we can keep you from developing odors and mold and mildew.

Thermal Imaging Cameras

Thermal imaging cameras almost work like X-ray glasses for CPR technicians — we use these to scan areas with potential moisture issues, and even if that moisture is deeply hidden, it’ll show up on our cameras with a cooler temperature reading than dry building materials. Once we know where the problem is, we can start the process of repairing and restoring.

Those are just a few of the specialized tools our highly trained technicians use. Ultimately, if water is hiding in your structure, we’ll find it, and help you return your home and business to a dry and completely restored state. If you have a moisture problem – or are worried that you might – just call Choice Property Restoration. We’d be happy to help!

Mold Follows Moisture

Dealing With Mold

Mold is an issue that a lot of homeowners in the Nashville area deal with, especially those whose homes were affected by the flood in 2010. Flood damage creates the perfect environment for mold to grow and reproduce. Choice Property Restoration has the equipment and experience necessary to resolve and restore your home, including damage from mold.

Anytime moisture makes its way into your home, mold is sure to follow. Mold can cause health problems.

Mold is a fungus that needs moisture and warmth in order to grow. It grows all year, and will usually affect areas in your home that are humid or moist, such as basements, kitchens, bathrooms, walls containing leaky pipes, and areas that have flooded. Mold can start to grow within 24-48 hours of water exposure, reproduce airborne mold spores, and spread quickly. It does not go away without treatment.

Molds can grow on many surfaces in the home, like ceiling tiles, drywall, wallpaper, and insulation. It also thrives in non-synthetic carpets (like wool), fabrics, and upholstery. Visible mold growth usually appears in many colors as surface discoloration, stains, or as a fuzzy growth.

There are many kinds of water damage that result in mold growth:

• Flooding
• Sewage back-up
• Leaks from plumbing or roof
• High humidity created by household appliances (dryer vents, humidifiers, etc.)
• Overflowing sink or tub

Mold poses health risks, such as sneezing, runny nose, itchy eyes, skin rash, and respiratory issues. Since we spend a lot of time in our homes (which means a lot of exposure) this can increase risks of worsening symptoms like headaches, body aches and pains, and even memory loss.

If you have symptoms of mold exposure, you increase the risk of furthering the damage by working in areas with mold or disturbing areas with mold growth. Unless you’re dealing with a moldy shower or other small space that can be easily cleaned and disinfected, it’s best to seek professional help. We can identify the problem, solve it, and restore your home to its pre-mold condition. Give us a call at 615-866-7989 for a ready response from our experts.