How To Know If You Have Black Mold

10/23/2024 (Permalink)

Black mold is generally easy to detect because of its appearance. But sometimes, it can become difficult. Some reasons for this include a lack of awareness or hidden areas.

Whatever your reasons, you don't have to stay in the dark any longer. We have written this article to help you understand how to detect black mold in your home, what to do when you detect mold and much more. 

Reasons You Might Have Black Mold

Black mold, also known as Stachbotrys Chartarum, is a harmful fungus that grows in greenish-black matter. It thrives in a wet environment, which is why it can be found in areas with high humidity. The primary reason you can have black mold is the presence of moisture. Moisture accumulates through different sources. 

Here are some of them:

• Water Damage: If you experience any kind of water damage, such as floods, leaks, or condensation, mold can appear if the water is not evacuated within 24- 48 hours.
• High Humidity: Humid air is thick with moisture. Therefore, when the humidity level exceeds 50%, mold growth is likely. 
• Poor Ventilation: As simple as this may sound, trapping air and moisture with no dry air can eventually cause mold growth.
• Leaks are probably the easiest to detect and fix. Wherever water drops, mold appears quickly.
• Condensation: Windows, pipes and other materials can retain moisture and eventually mold on them.

Early Signs To Watch Out For

Detecting mold early enough helps to save resources in the long term. Here are the things to look out for:

In And Out Of Your House

• Black Patches: This should be the most noticeable sign you will get. The color may not be completely black, but if it falls within the slimy category, it is most likely the fungus.
• Stains From Water: Mold has a peculiar musty odor that cannot be easily missed, especially if it is concentrated in one area.
• Water Stains: This will often point you in the right direction. Locate the source of the water stains, and you will most likely see the mold.

Found Mold? Here's what to do

Before you go rushing in, scrape out and evacuate the mold yourself. Here are a few things that will help

1. Avoid direct contact with the mold's surface. If you must touch it, wear protective gear to keep you out of harm's way.
2. Carry out a thorough inspection of other hidden areas around your house and environment to determine how far it has spread.
3. Cover the area with 6 mil plastic sheets or install barriers made from polyester. This will help check the spread. 
4. You can also create negative air pressure using a HEPA filter vacuum or a negative air machine. This will not only restrict the spread of mold but also check the spread of spores in the air.

Call SERVPRO of Newport & Bristol Counties for Black Mold Removal

When you discover mold, it's vital to contact the professionals immediately, and that's where we come in. At SERVPRO of Newport & Bristol Counties, our team of experts provides the best treatment for mold removal. When you choose us, you can skip options one to four and simply contact us. We will check for the source of the mold and fix it completely. You don't need to wait for it to get worse; just choose SERVPRO for mold removal.

Carpet Cleaning Services

8/16/2018 (Permalink)

Summer is the best time to be in Rhode Island. But the trips to the beach, the increased foot traffic, playing in the yard and the overall humididty can be tuff on carpets leaving them damp and dirty with debris. 

We can help.

SERVPRO professionals are available to clean, renew and help protect your carpets. We offer complete carpet and upholstry cleaning services to residents and businesses in Rhode Island & Connecticut.

Because our techs are professionally trained to remediate disasters like fire, water damage, smoke damage and more we are already equiped and prepared to offer commercial grade cleaning services right in your neighborhood. And, because we have decades of experience we offer service and products unmatched by other carpet cleaning services. Contact our office today for a no obligation estimate.

Restoring A Historical Home in Newport RI

7/25/2018 (Permalink)

SERVPRO of Newport & Bristol Counties is one of the areas most complete building restoration companies. Our crew of craftsmen, techs, and remediation experts allow us to restore even the most difficult of buildings. Recently we began the restoration of a Newport, RI home built in 1820. The home was in need of modern improvements throughout. But our goals was to avoid gutting this house and removing all of the old charms that make this old house unique. After safely removing old insulation and asbestos from the attic ceilings of the building and replacing it with modern insulation we began the restoration process. Our goal was to keep as much of the original wood flooring in place and to update and modernize the kitchens, bathrooms. We also updated most of the electrical components in the home as well as heating and water systems. If you own or know of a home that is need of restoration please contact our offices today! 

Winter Water Damage

12/7/2017 (Permalink)

In the wintertime, we tend to forget about mold becoming an issue in the home. For the most part, we associate mold with humid summer days creating the perfect environment for mold growth in dark, damp spaces… but this is not always the case. For example, mold growth can strike quickly after a flood or fire even in the winter. We recently encountered a home in which the pipes had burst on the third floor of the dwelling. With no one home the water soaked the home for 2 days before the leak was discovered. Our crew began working in the home within 72 hours of the disaster and within that time mold growth could be seen on wet surfaces throughout the house. If not properly treated mold can quickly make its way into difficult to find places like vents and ducts where it may cause health issues to those in the home if not removed.

Revitalizing Old Buildings? You Might Find Mold.

11/30/2017 (Permalink)

Finding mold in your home or commercial property is a precarious situation. Sometimes it may be a localized outbreak that can be easily cleaned away, other times what appears to be a small patch of mold is an indication of a much bigger issue that could be hazardous to the health of those living in the home.  SERVPRO of Newport & Bristol County’s mold remediation is second to none and will evaluate and remediate mold outbreaks. 

As many areas in the US see continued growth many old, unoccupied commercial buildings are now opening their doors again. If you encounter mold in your new commercial property SERVPRO of Newport & Bristol County can help. Call our office today and we can send an experienced technician to review your mold issue.

2017 Mold Report & Preparation

7/1/2017 (Permalink)

Nationwide 2017 has been a unique year for weather. Across the country cities and towns have been stressed by the weather extremes from snowfall accumulating in 48 of 50 states to almost non-stop rain storms and flooding throughout the spring in some areas. The next battle will be the warm summer months and mold will be a new challenge as a result of the spring weather. SERVPRO technicians everywhere are getting prepared for what they believe will be an above average year for mold contamination in homes and commercial properties everywhere.

In New England states like Rhode Island, Connecticut, and Massachusetts many homes and commercial properties will have mold issues, especially in basements and lower levels.  These areas tend to get very little light and remain damp even when the temperature rises creating the perfect environment for mold to thrive. 

If you believe your home, office or commercial building could be experiencing mold issues call us today!(401) 847-8145

How to Prevent Mold

4/19/2017 (Permalink)

Mold can grow everywhere, from your carpet to your window seals, and even inside of your walls! Sometimes it is easy to detect mold, and other times it’s more difficult. While it is impossible to completely eliminate mold, here are some tips on how to prevent mold from growing.

Dry Wet Areas

Mold needs moisture to grow. You can help prevent mold from growing by wiping away condensation and by not leaving wet items around. Always make sure you wipe down the bathroom after you shower and hang wet towels in a room with good air circulation to dry.

Proper Ventilation

Poor ventilation allows water to stay in the area and may help mold grow. If you are doing an activity that produces a lot of moisture, like cooking, make sure you are using the exhaust fan. You can always open up a window in addition to using an exhaust fan.

Monitor Humidity

The EPA recommends indoor air humidity should be between 30 and 60 percent. You can keep an eye on humidity levels in your home with a moisture meter which can be picked up at your local hardware store.

If your home has high humidity levels, you may want to get a dehumidifier. This will help keep humidity levels down.

Direct Moisture Away from your Home

If your property constantly is flooded, you may want to develop a way to prevent water from getting inside of your home. This will help prevent water damage and it may help prevent mold from growing inside of your home. This can be done in a few ways.

1. Create a barrier
2. Dig a trench
3. Build a dry well

If you suspect that you have mold growing in your home, call SERVPRO. The experts at SERVPRO will inspect and assess your property with our specialized training and equipment. We will make your property look “Like it never even happened”.