Preventing Mold with Quick Mold Mitigation

8/16/2017 (Permalink)

Preventing Mold with Quick Water Mitigation

Water Management and Mold

A man’s home is his castle, and while every care is taken to ensure that there will be no unlawful entry from the outside, equal attention should also be paid to the structural integrity of the home. You can have the best furniture and fittings, the latest consumer electronics that dazzle and bewitch, but poor water management is going to bring everything to ruin. Each homeowner should take the necessary precautions and steps to minimize the amount of moisture while redirecting water in order to reduce the risks of mold developing.Mold tends to become an issue due to water intrusion, and this has developed into a major thorn in the construction industry’s side. U.S. housing’s top indoor air quality problem is mold, which is why proper water damage mitigation ought to be taken before it runs into bigger and more serious issues such as compromised structural integrity,cosmetic problems and long-term durability issues. It would be highly advisable to obtain the advice and secure the services of one of many water restoration companies in order to begin the mold remediation process as soon as possible. 

Mold Growth in Homes

Poor water management of a home will encourage mold growth. As mold spores are invisible to the naked eye, they tend to make their way through the home, and are always present in indoor and outdoor air. While modern homes are built in such a manner where the concentration levels are insufficient to cause issues for the home’s inhabitants, it tends to make a nuisance when it starts to grow.Mold colonies require a food source, the right temperature (above 32 degrees Fahrenheit), and plenty of moisture. These conditions are all part of a home’s make up,where plenty of organic materials abound within a temperature range that does encourage mold growth. The key to stop the spread of mold is to keep moisture levels under control, and this is where water management of a building is very important. By doing your bit to prevent water intrusion, you will be able to minimize or eliminate the possibility of mold and mildew making their presence known. 

Wood-based Products

If you love all things wood, then it is all the more important to have proper water management for your home to prevent the growth of mold. Wood-based products, while adding a sense of warmth into the home’s aesthetics, require plenty of attention as wood is one material that can absorb plenty of water, resulting in a higher overall moisture content in the surrounding area. It also requires far more effort and energy to dry wood than for it to get wet. With many wood-based furniture having concealed frames that has extremely limited, if any, exposure to air, it is all the more difficult to dry out. 

What is Water Management?

The thought of water management might not be on anyone’s mind when purchasing apiece of property. However, it is imperative that you get a reputable water restoration company take a look just in case there is a need for water damage mitigation works to be done. The whole idea of water management is to ensure all water will be directed away from the home. This is achieved through having a positive drainage system. It is always better that water is drained out and away from the home as fast as possible.Nothing should be left to chance, which means there should not be any part of the home that is sloped in the direction of the home’s interior.Always try to think of where the water is headed to as it moves down the exterior of the home – it should be on the outward path. Doing so makes sure that sensitive parts of the home do not remain exposed or come into contact with the water. One of the ways of doing so would be to make sure that the exterior surface of the home has water-resistant qualities, but that is just scratching the surface. It is important to bear the three basic drainage strategies in mind, that is, the drainage plane, shingling and flashing. 

Drainage Plane 

The drainage plane plays an important role, as it forms a barrier against any water. It ensures that the sensitive parts of the home will not end up wet and damp – which will surely lead to mold growth. Keeping this vulnerable segment of the home free from water will require materials such as felt building paper, house wrap, thin structural sheathing, and rigid foam sheathing. All of these are more than capable of offering protection at crucial joints and corners. It is advisable to keep these materials layered in a shingle fashion as and when possible. 

Shingling 

The roof is the primary form of protection against rain, and as rainwater subjects itself to the laws of physics and gravity, it will take the path of least resistance down the exterior finish and the drainage plane. Along the way, it will come into contact with the likes of the finish roofing and wall cladding, window flanges, as well as flashing. These materials will then need to be layered in a strategic manner so that water on the outermost layers will remain a distance away from the sheathing and framing. This kind of layering method is known as shingling. Hence, all drainage planes ought to have the shingle strategy applied. 

Who to call...

The list of grievances does not stop there at all if one does not go through proper water damage removal processes that are offered by water restoration companies, since it might lead to other headaches like a pest infestation. If you would like to make sure that your home is a place where happy memories are made and living in it is a joy, why not call SERVPRO of Baldwin and Monroe and have us do a once over in your home? We have the necessary expertise and wealth of experience to be able to let you know what needs to be fixed.