Mold Mishap? Don't Panic, Call SERVPRO of Camarillo!

6/14/2024 (Permalink)

Don't Panic, But Do Take Action:

Finding mold can be unsettling, but it's important to stay calm. The first step is to identify the source of moisture that's causing the mold to grow. This could be a leaky pipe, roof problem, or condensation issue. Addressing the moisture source is crucial to prevent further mold growth.

What NOT to Do:

• Grab the Bleach! Contrary to popular belief, bleach isn't an effective solution for mold remediation. It may kill surface mold, but it won't eliminate spores or address the root cause of the problem.
• DIY Disaster: Extensive mold growth can be dangerous, especially for those with respiratory sensitivities. Attempting a large-scale DIY cleanup can disturb spores and spread the problem.

What To Do:

• Contain the Area: Isolate the moldy area by closing doors and vents. This can prevent spores from traveling to other parts of your home or business.
• Call SERVPRO of Camarillo: Our team of IICRC-certified professionals are highly trained in mold remediation. We have the expertise and equipment to safely and effectively remove mold and prevent its return.

SERVPRO of Camarillo: Your Mold Removal Experts

Here at SERVPRO of Camarillo, we understand the disruption mold can cause. Our team will work quickly and efficiently to assess the situation, develop a customized remediation plan, and restore your property to its pre-mold condition. We use advanced techniques and EPA-approved products to ensure a safe and healthy environment.

Don't let mold take over your Camarillo haven. Contact SERVPRO of Camarillo today for a fast and professional solution!

Top Tips for Effective Mold Prevention: Safeguarding Your Home with SERVPRO of Camarillo

8/1/2023 (Permalink)

Call SERVPRO of Camarillo at the first sign of mold in your home!

One of the most common household problems that homeowners face is mold growth. Mold not only damages property but also poses potential health risks. But fret not! Our team of experts is here to guide you through some proactive steps to prevent mold from becoming a problem in your home.

1. **Control Moisture Levels:**

Mold thrives in damp and humid conditions, making moisture control the most critical factor in mold prevention. Regularly inspect areas prone to moisture accumulation, such as bathrooms, basements, and kitchens. Repair any leaks in plumbing or roofing promptly. Invest in a dehumidifier to maintain indoor humidity levels below 50%. Our professionals at SERVPRO of Camarillo can help you assess your home's moisture levels and provide solutions to maintain an optimal environment.

2. **Improve Ventilation:**

Proper ventilation plays a crucial role in preventing mold growth. Ensure that your home is well-ventilated, especially in areas like the kitchen and bathroom. Installing exhaust fans can help remove excess moisture and prevent condensation. Additionally, consider keeping windows open whenever possible to allow fresh air circulation. Our team can assist in evaluating your ventilation needs and offer expert recommendations.

3. **Clean and Dry Water Spills Promptly:**

Act swiftly when spills or water accidents occur in your home. Whether it's a spilled drink or a small plumbing issue, drying the affected area within 24 to 48 hours significantly reduces the risk of mold growth. Use absorbent materials and towels to soak up excess water and consider using fans to speed up the drying process.

4. **Properly Maintain Your HVAC System:**

Your heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system can play a role in mold prevention. Regularly inspect and clean air ducts, filters, and coils to ensure optimal airflow and prevent moisture buildup. A well-maintained HVAC system helps create an environment less favorable to mold growth.

5. **Use Mold-Resistant Products:**

When renovating or building new areas in your home, consider using mold-resistant materials. These include mold-resistant drywall, paint, and insulation. Investing in such products can help create a more mold-resistant environment and protect your home from potential mold issues.

6. **Keep Your Home Clean:**

Regular cleaning is essential to mold prevention. Pay special attention to areas like bathrooms, kitchens, and basements where moisture and humidity are more prevalent. Use mold-killing products when cleaning, and don't forget to clean hidden and hard-to-reach areas like behind appliances and under sinks.

Conclusion:

Preventing mold growth is a proactive step in safeguarding your home and the health of your family. By controlling moisture levels, improving ventilation, promptly cleaning spills, maintaining your HVAC system, using mold-resistant products, and keeping your home clean, you can significantly reduce the risk of mold becoming a problem. However, if mold issues do arise, don't hesitate to reach out to SERVPRO of Camarillo. Our experienced team is equipped with the knowledge and tools to handle mold remediation professionally and efficiently, restoring your home to a safe and comfortable space once again. Remember, prevention is always better than a cure!

Three Reasons Why SERVPRO is Needed to Remediate Mold in Your Camarillo Home

12/18/2018 (Permalink)

Did you know that experts recommend that mold infested areas greater than 10 feet be professionally remediated for mold damage?

The Basics of Mold Remediation in a Home in Camarillo

When you discover that your home contains areas covered in mold, you might feel at first that you can control the invasion from countless microorganisms yourself. However, industry standards recommend that areas larger than ten square feet almost always require professional remediation.  

SERVPRO is Faster To Any Size Disaster and always ready to send out IICRC-certified mold remediation specialists to Camarillo when you call us. There are a few basic methods used during almost all of the mold remediation work we conduct. Reading about these procedures might explain why many experts who study microorganisms find value in professional mold remediation.  

Detecting Water in all the Wrong Places

Finding water that nourishes mold and other microbes is a crucial aspect of mold remediation. Our infrared cameras detect temperature fluctuations, helping us locate all of the sources that allowed mold to grow out of control. Once discovered, we close these sources off, making it impossible for microbes to get their next drink.  

Mold Spores, Particles, and Dust

We use Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to ensure that we do not inhale any mold spores and particles from scraped or blasted mold. This equipment consists of goggles, as well, to protect our eyes from anything that might become a tiny projectile. Other types of PPE include gloves, boots, and full suits, all designed to protect us from temporary hazards while remediating mold.  

Containment chambers enclose the area we work in and keep mold from spreading within your house. An essential component of these chambers includes the use of air scrubbers or air movers attached to flexible tubing that directs fast-moving air outside while drawing relatively clean air into the chamber. We use air scrubbers outside of the chamber, as well, to trap any mold spores already released by mold colonies before beginning our work.  

Cleanup and Prevention

We want to make sure that we do not leave any traces of remediated mold behind once we leave your home, and clean the area with vacuums that use HEPA filters. To prevent future situations, we treat specific areas in your home that might have an increased risk of developing mold damage again. We use liquid antimicrobials that dry quickly to a nontoxic and unnoticeable film that not only prevent future growth but trap and kill any remaining microbes in the area.  

SERVPRO of Camarillo would like to partner with you by providing mold remediation to your home's interior and making things just “Like it never even happened.” We always treat our customers' homes like we would want our residences handled. You can reach us for this and other mitigation needs by calling (805) 484-5009, 24/7, 365 days a year.

Click here to read about the Camarillo White horses.

Mold Damage Remediation in Camarillo

8/31/2018 (Permalink)

SERVPRO Remediates and Cleans up Camarillo Properties Making Them a No-Mold Zone

Camarillo Property Owners Receive Great Mold Remediation from SERVPRO

When water damage lingers too long, or is undetected, any home in Camarillo can suffer mold growth. Managing moisture sources such as high humidity and occasional spills can prevent potential mold outbreaks. Remediating water damage from plumbing and appliance breaks within 24 to 48 hours also minimizes the chance of mold, as long as the failing pipes, hoses, connections, or other problems are fixed. Current mold infestations need professional attention, and we can help.

A common place for mold damage to arise in your Camarillo home is under a sink beneath or behind the kitchen cabinets. Mold spores are always in the air and on surfaces in any house. They seek moisture, including the occasional drip from a crack in the seal on the sink strainer or a small leak in a hose from the dishwasher or in the supply line. Even if the cabinet absorbs the water, the mold finds enough moisture within the cellulose fibers of the wood or particle board to start a colony. We evaluate the visible mold and search for any additional growth behind and under the floor of the cabinet when devising the plan to remediate.

SERVPRO uses protocols developed by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to manage the mold outbreak. After the inspection that sets out the extent of the infestation, we contain the area affected by the mold. Plastic sheeting creates a protected area. We also use the suction of a negative pressure air scrubbing system in many cases to seal the space so that moldy debris cannot drift into uncontaminated spaces during the cleanup and removal.

The SERVPRO crew then uses mechanical techniques to brush, scrape, and scrub mold off surfaces within the containment area. Non-porous surfaces recover well, but additional strategies are needed for materials the mold penetrates. We frequently use a soda blasting method that employs effective non-damaging abrasion to remove the mold from porous items and also from raw timber like roof trusses or crawl space supports.

After removal, we vacuum the previously moldy area and an EPA registered antimicrobial is applied to inhibit future mold growth. SERVPRO technicians take steps to ready the mold-damaged areas for final restoration steps. Mold preventative primers help seal and smooth the expanse we treated, and painting and refinishing can complete the project.

SERVPRO of Camarillo is ready to help homeowners faced with the challenges of mold damage. Scheduling an assessment by our trained mold remediation technicians is just a phone call away at (805) 484-5009.

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How to remove mold and mildew from anything and everything

3/20/2018 (Permalink)

"Mold and mildew thrive in moist conditions. That means musty-smelling growth can be found just as easily on damp clothing as it can on carpets and upholstered furniture. (Ew!)

To help avoid this situation, TODAY Home asked some cleaning pros the best way to manage mold.

Here's how to remove mold and mildew from ...

...WHITE-COTTON CLOTHING

Olivia Joyce, cleaning pro with Move Out Mates, has two effective ways to deal with mold, depending on the fabric involved.

Bleach is the most effective way to remove mold and mildew from clothing made out of white cotton, Joyce says. Apply a solution of one part bleach to three parts water to the stain and allow the solution to sit for a few minutes, then launder as usual."

Read more at How to remove mold and mildew from anything and everything

New Tools Bring Success to Mold Projects

1/17/2018 (Permalink)

"As a professional who has been involved in the mold remediation industry ever since it emerged from the shadows of the more general concept of an indoor air quality problem, I find it fascinating to see how much the science and practice of fungal control continues to change. While many restoration and cleaning contractors have the mistaken idea that the “mold hysteria” has peaked, the reality is the industry is in a continuing development stage. Anyone who thinks there is nothing new in the mold field should sit in on one of the weekly teleconference discussions among the professionals who are working on the fourth edition of the IICRC’s S520 Standard for Professional Mold Remediation. The debate and discussion is just as vigorous and enlightening as it was when I served on the committee to produce the inaugural edition in 2001 and 2002."

Read more at New Tools Bring Success to Mold Projects

What causes mold in a house?

8/1/2017 (Permalink)

What causes mold in a house? Well, there are several factors that contribute to the development of mold. Mold is usually a result of the right combination of factors, not one single thing. Understanding the causes of mold is important when attempting to prevent and eliminate household mold.

If you fail to eliminate the causes of mold, mold will simply return as soon as you clean it up. In addition to telling you about things that may cause mold in your house, we’ll tell you how to prevent mold caused by those things.

MOLD SPORES FROM OUTDOORS

It’s important to understand that mold has to come from somewhere. There are hundreds of different types of mold in the environment and when mold spores drift indoors through an open window or door, or when people carry mold spores indoors on their shoes, clothing or other items, those spores then settle on household surfaces. Leaky roofs or flood waters can also bring mold spores indoors. If the mold spores settle on damp surfaces, mold usually begins to grow there."

Read more at: What causes mold in a house?

Best Home Dehumidifier To Prevent Mold

5/1/2017 (Permalink)

"Readers often ask us which is the best home dehumidifier to prevent toxic mold and we’d like to help you choose the right dehumidifier for your needs. Since different homeowners sometimes have different needs, it’s hard to point to just one dehumidifier that is right for everyone. Instead, we’ll provide a dehumidifier comparison guide to help you choose the correct home dehumidifier for you.

Dehumidifier Comparison Guide

When comparing dehumidifiers, you need to look at a number of factors, including size (which refers to how much moisture they can remove from the air in one day, measuring in pints), cost, and various features they may or may not have, such as an automatic shut off in case you forget to empty the water bucket (all that moisture they pull from the air has to go somewhere) or whether they can be set up to drain continuously so you don’t have to worry about emptying a water bucket at all."

Read more at Best Home Dehumidifier To Prevent Mold

How to Find and Eliminate Mold

3/10/2017 (Permalink)

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MOLD thrives in damp places. Often, health experts say, ideal breeding grounds are the insides of walls and ceilings exposed to a recurrent source of moisture from a roof or plumbing leak.

So how do you know if you have mold in your house, and what do you do if you do? "Not all mold is the same, and different people respond to mold differently," said Dr. Eckhardt Johanning, an occupational and environmental physician with offices in Albany and Manhattan.

Dr. Johanning said that while some people may have no reaction to mold spores inside a home, those who are sensitive to mold can have allergic reactions ranging from mild to life-threatening. "People with asthma, allergies, lung problems and immune-system dysfunction are usually more inclined to experience problems when they're exposed to mold," he said."

Read more at: How to Find and Eliminate Mold

10 Mold Prevention Tips For Your Home

1/17/2017 (Permalink)

"Fixing mold damage is an expensive and time-consuming home repair. But you can save time and money with these 10 tips to prevent mold.

Homeowners have good reason to shudder when hearing, “You’ve got mold!” Mold can wreck your health and your finances: An extensive mold remediation can reach five figures. 

Here are 10 ways to prevent, control, and combat mold in your home.

1. Eliminate Clutter

Cast a critical eye on household clutter, and pare down your stuff. Clutter blocks airflow and prevents your HVAC system from circulating air. Furniture and draperies that block supply grilles cause condensation. All this moisture creates microclimates in your home that welcome and feed mold growth.So throw out things you don’t love or don’t use. Push furniture away from vents and grilles to keep air circulating. On humid, still days, run a couple of fans to keep air moving."

Read more at 10 Mold Prevention Tips for Your Home

Got mold?

6/2/2016 (Permalink)

Mold can spread through a home in as little as 48 hours.

Microscopic mold spores naturally occur almost everywhere, both outdoors and indoors. This makes it impossible to remove all mold from a home or business. Therefore, mold remediation reduces the mold spore count back to its natural or baseline level. Some restoration businesses advertise “mold removal” and even guarantee to remove all mold, which is a fallacy. Consider the following mold facts:

• Mold is present almost everywhere, indoors and outdoors.
• Mold spores are microscopic and float along in the air and may enter your home through windows, doors, or AC/heating systems or even hitch a ride indoors on your clothing or a pet.
• Mold spores thrive on moisture. Mold spores can quickly grow into colonies when exposed to water. These colonies may produce allergens and irritants.
• Before mold remediation can begin, any sources of water or moisture must be addressed. Otherwise, the mold may return.
• Mold often produces a strong, musty odor and can lead you to possible mold problem areas.
• Even higher-than-normal indoor humidity can support mold growth. Keep indoor humidity below 45 percent.

If your home or business has a mold problem, we can inspect and assess your property and use our specialized training, equipment, and expertise to remediate your mold infestation.

If You See Signs of Mold, Call Us Today – 805-484-5009