Commercial Mold Damage Experts Discuss Air Quality

8/26/2021 (Permalink)

If a slow water leak ever develops at your thrift store, microbial growth can take place. A fungus grows inside any building that is exposed to excessive moisture in places that were not designed to handle getting wet. When water leaks from a pipe or appliance slowly it can go unnoticed for a long time.
 
Fungi need elevated moisture levels, an organic food source such as wood, and temperatures between 68 and 86 degrees Fahrenheit to form. When working on a commercial mold damage projects, controlling your store's indoor environment helps control microbial growth. Once a fungus develops it produces microscopic spores that can circulate to other sectors of the building, creating more problems.
 
Most structures have microbes in places like attics and air ducts. If the relative humidity inside is higher than 60%, these inactive microbes can start to grow structures called hyphae. If spores inside air ducts have the ideal conditions, they can grow hyphae that spread across surfaces and lets off more microbes throughout the ventilation system.
 
The spores can spread all over your shop or large commercial building finding other moist areas to create more issues. Since mold can cause health effects with some people, if it grows inside the ventilation system, air quality becomes a serious concern. Any time a mold is found at a property, our SERVPRO technicians take measures to prevent microbes from spreading throughout the structure jeopardizing the quality of air your employees and customers breathe.
 
When microbes get activated inside air ducts, there are a few ways the problem can be mitigated. If the affected portion of the ducting can be accessed, then the contamination gets removed by scrubbing or using a vacuum with a HEPA filter. If the contaminated portion is not easy to get to or cannot be found, then antimicrobial chemicals get sprayed into the ducts with a sprayer or ULV fogging machine.
 
If the ventilation system is contaminated, it can spread pungent odors through your thrift shop. Clothes are porous materials that can store malodor particles. If products and contents inside your shop produce mildew-like odors, then we can deodorize them with ULV foggers or ozone systems.
 
We know that keeping your store smelling clean is essential for your business. We take special care when working to restore your company's assets. If you need help after damage occurs at your business, call SERVPRO of Texarkana at (903) 832-4400 any day of the week.