Better Insulated, Energy Efficient -- And Moldy?

6/27/2017 (Permalink)

Is Mold Damage Causing Issues In Your Home?

Over the past three or four decades, new homes and remodeled areas in existing homes feature tighter windows and doors. This functions to keep warmth or coolness inside during outdoor temperature extremes. There is some concern that this air tightness may exacerbate microbial growth. SERVPRO helps homeowners sort out fact from fiction where mold growth in a newer or refurbished home is concerned.

You spent time and money remodeling a sunroom into an additional living area on your main floor. The last thing you expected was mold damage in your newly remodeled Oklahoma City house. An unpleasant smell is the warning that something serious is happening in the affected room. Contacting a restoration agency familiar with microbial growth is crucial. We are mold remediation experts, able to help you contain and remove active colonies as well as determining where the mold is finding its water supply.

The sun room shows dark streaks on the ceiling and above the new windows in addition to the musky smell. SERVPRO technicians inspect the area and identify mold growth. We contain the space, closing and hanging a plastic barrier inside the interior door as we check out how extensive the mold colony appears. Our team wears protective clothing and equipment as work progresses. A decision to remove part of the drywall along with the mold ensures all remnants leave your home for disposal. If we were unable to isolate the room from the rest of the house, air scrubbers, producing negative air pressure to keep the moldy material from spreading throughout the house, would do the job, filtering and trapping tiny particles of mold.

Although you and your family lived in this house for several years, this is the first time mold grew in the sun room. The difference is the more tightly fitting windows, trapping in moisture. Because the new windows reduced air flow significantly, we may suggest a system to vent the air, perhaps with an exhaust fan. Before the remodeling, the room had no heating or cooling system. Expanding the house’s HVAC system into the area is another option. The SERVPRO supervisory team works with you and other contractors to correct the ventilation issue.

Locally Owned Company with National Resources

Let SERVPRO of South Oklahoma City help you solve the puzzle of unexpected mold growth. Call us at (405) 677-4000 to connect with our mold remediation team.

For more information about Oklahoma City, click here: https://www.okc.gov