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Archived Mold Remediation Blog Posts

Expert Techniques for Disinfecting After Water Damage

3/13/2024 (Permalink)

Team member in PPE in an attic. Experts, such as our SERVPRO of The Seacoast team, have the knowledge, equipment, and experience to thoroughly sanitize and disinfect your property.

Water damage not only wreaks havoc on your property but also poses serious risks due to potential bacterial and mold growth. Proper sanitization and disinfection are critical steps in restoring a safe and healthy environment after water damage. Here's a comprehensive guide on how to properly sanitize and disinfect after water damage:

1. Safety First

Before starting the sanitization process, prioritize safety. Wear protective gear such as gloves, goggles, and a mask to prevent direct contact with contaminated water or surfaces.

2. Remove Excess Water

Begin by removing excess water from affected areas. Use pumps, wet/dry vacuums, or towels to extract as much water as possible. This step is crucial in preventing further water absorption and reducing moisture levels.

3. Clean Surfaces

Thoroughly clean all surfaces affected by water damage using a mild detergent or soap and clean water. Scrub gently to remove dirt, debris, and visible contaminants. For hard surfaces, a mixture of warm water and a mild cleaner works effectively.

4. Disinfecting Surfaces

After cleaning, use a disinfectant solution to kill bacteria, viruses, and mold spores. Common disinfectants like bleach solutions or commercial disinfectants are effective. Apply the solution generously to affected areas and allow it to sit for the recommended time before wiping or drying.

5. Target Mold Growth

Areas prone to mold growth should receive extra attention. Apply a mold-specific cleaner or a mixture of water and vinegar to affected surfaces to inhibit mold growth. Allow the solution to sit for several minutes before wiping or rinsing.

6. Address Porous Materials

Porous materials like carpeting, upholstery, and drywall may require specialized treatment. Consider professional cleaning or replacement of extensively water-damaged porous items to ensure thorough disinfection.

7. Ventilation

Promote airflow and ventilation in the affected area to aid in the drying process and prevent the resurgence of mold and bacteria. Open windows, use fans, and dehumidifiers to expedite drying and maintain a dry environment.

8. Regular Monitoring

Continue to monitor the sanitized areas regularly to ensure they remain dry and free of mold or bacterial growth. Conduct periodic checks to prevent potential issues from escalating.

9. Seek Professional Help

In severe cases or if uncertain about the effectiveness of DIY disinfection, consider hiring professional water damage restoration services. Experts, such as our SERVPRO of The Seacoast team, have the knowledge, equipment, and experience to thoroughly sanitize and disinfect your property.

By following these expert steps for sanitizing and disinfecting after water damage, you can effectively eliminate harmful contaminants, mitigate risks, and restore a safe and healthy environment in your home or property. Remember, prompt action and proper techniques are key to successful sanitization and disinfection after water damage! 

Tips for a Mold-Free Home Renovation

11/9/2023 (Permalink)

Black mold growth in a kitchen during construction. Whether you're planning a minor remodeling project or a full-scale home renovation, it's important to be aware of the potential risks of mold growth.

Whether you're planning a minor remodeling project or a full-scale home renovation, it's important to be aware of the potential risks of mold growth during the process. In this blog, we will share essential tips to help you achieve a mold-free home renovation while maintaining a healthy indoor environment. Read on to discover how you can safeguard your renovation project from mold-related issues.

1. Start with a Solid Plan

Before embarking on your home renovation, create a well-thought-out plan that considers potential moisture sources and areas prone to mold growth. Identify any existing mold issues and address them before starting the renovation. This proactive approach will minimize the chances of mold spreading during the construction process.

2. Maintain Proper Moisture Control

Moisture is the main contributor to mold growth. During your renovation, it's essential to control moisture levels to prevent mold from developing. Here are a few measures you can take:

Ensure Proper Ventilation: Properly ventilate high-moisture areas like kitchens, bathrooms, and laundry rooms by installing exhaust fans. Proper airflow helps reduce excessive moisture accumulation.

Utilize Dehumidifiers: In spaces where humidity can be a challenge, such as basements or crawl spaces, consider using dehumidifiers to maintain an optimal moisture level.

Control Water Intrusion: Protect your renovation site from water intrusion by addressing any leaks, properly sealing windows and doors, and ensuring proper drainage around the property.

3. Monitor Humidity Levels

Keeping a close eye on humidity levels within your home is crucial during a renovation. High humidity levels create a favorable environment for mold growth. Consider using hygrometers to monitor humidity and maintain levels below 60%. This simple tool can help you detect and address any moisture issues before they escalate.

4. Properly Dry Materials and Surfaces

During the renovation process, it's common for construction materials and surfaces to become wet due to plumbing work, moisture from building materials, or accidental spills. Ensure that all wet surfaces and materials are thoroughly dried before proceeding with the renovation. This will prevent mold from thriving and spreading.

5. Professional Mold Remediation

If, despite your best efforts, you discover mold during the renovation, it's crucial to address it promptly. Contact a professional mold remediation service like SERVPRO® of The Seacoast to ensure proper containment, removal, and remediation. Our experts will employ specialized equipment and techniques to effectively eliminate mold from your property, providing a clean and healthy environment for your renovation project.

A mold-free home renovation is essential to maintaining a healthy indoor environment in your New Hampshire property. By following these tips and being vigilant during the renovation process, you can significantly minimize the risk of mold growth. Remember, if you encounter mold issues, it's best to seek professional assistance to ensure a thorough and safe remediation process. Contact SERVPRO® of The Seacoast for trusted mold remediation services. Enjoy your renovation journey while keeping mold at bay!

Important Facts To Prevent A Mold Infestation From Taking Over Your Home In Exeter

2/13/2019 (Permalink)

SERVPRO of The Seacoast wants to help homeowners protect their property from invasive microbes that cause mold damage.

Facts That Can Help You Prevent Mold Damage From Harming Your Exeter Home

Some microbes can easily cause costly harm inside your house in Exeter. SERVPRO wants to help you prevent this from happening by giving you some information about mold and mildew that helps to keep these microorganisms under control.

Once your property in Exeter suffers from mold damage, you might be surprised at how effortlessly it can spread from one region to another location. Here are some facts about microbes that can shed some light on these prolific but tiny living things that we share our homes with, no matter where we live.

First, complete eradication of mold and mildew is not possible. No matter how much we try, nor which equipment types we use, mold and mildew, and their spores continue as a presence in almost every inch of the planet. As tiny as they are, the weakest air currents and deposited elsewhere. They travel on clothing, pets, food, books, bags, and anything else that goes from one place to another.

Second, it is not their absence that protects your home from mold damage, but the elimination of excess humidity. Elevated amounts of water vapor in the air give microbes the necessary changes in their environment to gain access to cellulose. Without moisture, microbes cease to grow. SERVPRO uses special tools to measure the amount of moisture your home's structure contains and also how much water vapor the air holds. Part of our work involves reducing these so mold cannot return after we finish remediating your home.

Third, after an incident involving a water loss, you only have 24 to 48 hours before mold and mildew begin forming in visible patches. Containing the water and drying the affected area prevents this growth from occurring. This is why we use not only air movers to dry out saturated interiors, but also air scrubbers. Trapping microbes coming into the area can significantly reduce the amount of mold and mildew we see later.

Household bleach contains substantial amounts of water, and microbes get a drink from its contents. When used on porous materials like drywall, only the water molecules are small enough to pass through the pores of the drywall coverings. The bleach's molecules are too large to do this and remain on the surface. Bleach cannot penetrate to kill microbes hidden in a wall. Now provided with fresh water, microbes unexpectedly but quickly proliferate.

SERVPRO of The Seacoast wants to help homeowners protect their property from invasive microbes that cause mold damage. When you find mold damage more massive than the size of a twin mattress, you need experts like those at SERVPRO. Call us at (603) 433-4300 any time, day or night, year-round.

Click here for more about Exeter.

Our Crew Can Help Restore Your Mold Damaged Home In Exeter

12/21/2018 (Permalink)

Mold remediation is a quality way to protect your home from continued damages.

What To Expect From Mold Remediation In Your Exeter Home

The less that Exeter homeowners know about services like disaster recovery or mold removal for their home, the less likely they become to actively seek it out when they need it. Often homeowners do not have the time to waste when their home has gotten affected by mold growth, as this situation does not get better on its own. Instead of scouring the internet for information about what you can expect from mold remediation services hired to restore your property, you can learn what you can expect from our team when they arrive at your address.

Recovering mold damage in your Exeter property is not something that can happen overnight, and often these processes take a few days at minimum to complete. These factors depend on the severity and spread of the damage, whether areas of your home must get removed and later replaced, and how our contents department determines the risks associated with the individual items and belongings in the affected areas of your home. These same factors play a part in determining the cost of the remediation.

While inspections are the first step in the remediation process, as they help to determine parameters for the work to get done, they also help a homeowner to determine if the estimated cost of restoration is worth getting their insurance company involved. Our professionals set up containment of the affected areas of your property and remove any contents, belongings, items, and removable materials from the area to prevent further damages. These removed items get stored in a safe area once they have gotten cleaned, disinfected, and deodorized by our SERVPRO professionals.

Whether through the removal of the material or the removal of the organism with our advanced techniques like soda blasting and sanding, we work to eliminate the presence of the mold colonies in our containment area. Along with this step, we seek to locate the source of the moisture that allowed the mold growth to occur and dry up this damage entirely to prevent recurrences.

Mold remediation is a quality way to protect your home from continued damages. Give our SERVPRO of The Seacoast remediation specialists a call today at (603) 433-4300.

Click here for more about Exeter.

Adequate Disaster Preparation Can Diminish Opportunistic Mold Damage In Your Greenland Residence

9/18/2018 (Permalink)

Microbes need water to thrive, and when unwelcome incidents involving water happen.

Mold Damage Preparation

Preparing for disasters this month means many families, schools, agencies, and others across the USA are practicing the skills needed to prevent loss of life, injuries, and unnecessary property damage. Greenland residents are encouraged to develop emergency response plans with their families, as well as at work and school.

Many disasters that occur in the Greenland area involve water which, when left unmitigated for too long, can create situations that increase the chances of mold damage. Microbes need water to thrive, and when unwelcome incidents involving water happen, these microbes waste little time becoming a problem for homeowners.

SERVPRO technicians certified by the IICRC in Applied Microbial Remediation (AMRT) know the most effective techniques to mitigate microbial infestations rapidly. Our skilled employees ensure that the containment of infested areas within your home lasts for the duration of the job, protecting uncontaminated areas from possible soiling and infestation. Because moisture in the house can allow other colonies to develop while we concentrate on visibly affected areas, we use air scrubbers that remove spores that might already exist in your residence's air.

Removing that excess moisture, particularly after a disaster that brought water into your property, also must happen. Directly responding to every aspect of mold damage stemming from a previous disaster means more thorough remediation of the mold damage and effective measures to prevent reinfestation. Complete restoration of your residence's normal humidity levels and the elimination of excess microbial particles helps get things back to normal, just “Like it never even happened.”

Preparing for possible disasters beforehand can help protect your home in the first place, however, and when water never poses a problem, microbes can never begin growing out of control to cause excessive mold damage later. While September is National Preparedness Month, protecting your property should take place continuously. Obtaining materials to help you do this from the Red Cross can facilitate the task of developing plans and collecting needed information.

SERVPRO of The Seacoast desires to help families in all types of disasters, including those that cause mold damage. Call us at (603) 433-4300 for more information about how we can help you protect your home.

Click here for more about Greenland.

Mold Damage Should Never Stress You When As A Resident Of Hampton

8/15/2018 (Permalink)

A successful mold damage remediation process is normally determined by the remediation plan that restorers put in place.

Mold Damage In Your Home

A successful mold damage remediation process is normally determined by the remediation plan that restorers put in place. It all starts when restoration technicians assess the degree of the mold problem and the damaged items. We outline the procedures to use to fix the moisture problem and the suitable PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) to use when returning your Hampton property to its earlier state. Different situations demand different remediation plans due to the varying complexity and level of contamination.

When dealing with mold damage incidents in Hampton, our SERVPRO technicians turn off all HVAC systems in the structure. We do this to prevent spreading the mold spore to clean areas. In cases where we trace some contamination near its intake system, we follow the EPA standards to clean the air ducts. We can also replace the contaminated filters at the end of the remediation process.

While in some situations it can be easy to identify mold growth, it is not always the case. Sometimes it can grow in hidden areas such as at the backside of wallpapers, drywall, in utility tunnels, in pipe chases, and inside the ductwork. Our SERVPRO technicians observe caution when investigating mold damage in hidden areas. For instance, if we disturb the mold that is growing beneath wallpapers can lead to the unwanted release of spores and possibly further damage.

Mold cleanup is part of the remediation process, and the method we use depends on the surfaces and items that we are cleaning. If we have to collect water from carpets, floors and other hard surfaces, then we can decide to use wet vacuuming. We do not use this method when cleaning porous contents. Scrubbing and wiping is also an option when removing mold damage from non-porous or hard surfaces. We use a disinfectant during this process to prevent a possible re-occurrence.

At SERVPRO of The Seacoast is an industry leader in fire, storm, mold, and water damage restoration. Call SERVPRO at (603) 433-4300 when you need experienced restoration technicians to return your property to its preloss state.

Click here for more about Hampton.

What You Can Do When You Find Mold Damage in Your Hampton Home After a Vacation

7/19/2018 (Permalink)

No matter the scope of the mold damage, our team will be able to remediate the area "Like it never even happened."

What to Expect When Mold Damage Strikes Your Hampton Home

You are always bound to forget something when packing for your vacation, but forgetting to close a bedroom window can lead to mold damage. Being away for two weeks while it rains off and on allows for water to breach your home. It can continuously soak your belongings and the structure of your house, which gives mold spores ample moisture to feed off of and expand. Fortunately, there are professionals close to you who can help.

When you find mold damage in your Hampton home, it is essential to call for remediation services as quickly as possible, as mold causes health effects. Additionally, mold also leaves behind a musty smell and has the power to rot organic materials. For health safety reasons, when you find mold, you should allow professionals and remediate it for you.

When SERVPRO arrives at your home, we can swiftly inspect the mold damage and then identify a remediation strategy. The first step to containing the problem is to set up plastic sheeting so the spores cannot spread while the colony is being removed. SERVPRO can block vents and any doorways to contain the problem.

Afterward, we can use tools such as air scrubbers to purify the air of foul odors and airborne mold spores while we work on removing the mold colonies from your bedroom. To remove mold from nonporous surfaces, SERVPRO can use disinfectant and scrub them away. However, when mold grows into porous surfaces, that is not enough. The drywall has to be removed, but SERVPRO can help you find a contractor who can fill the gaps left behind.

To help ensure that mold does not regrow, we can use dehumidifiers to get the moisture levels in your bedroom at an acceptable rate. Afterward, we can spray antifungal agents to help further ensure there is no regrowth.

Locally Owned Company with National Resources


Should an accident cause mold damage in your home, do not hesitate. Dial (603) 433-4300 to reach out to SERVPRO of The Seacoast. No matter the time, we are always ready to help you.

For more on Hampton, click here

Misconceptions About Mold Growth In Your Exeter Home

5/30/2018 (Permalink)

For mold spores to thrive, they only require persistent moisture or dampness as well as warmer temperatures.

Misconceptions About Mold Growth

Many Exeter homeowners do not fully understand mold spores and their behavior, so in turn, they also do not fully understand the ease with which these spores can seat and colonize in a home. While better appreciating the risks to your home, you can better prepare against potential risks, but there are some circumstances like fungal growth that can strike and grow unnoticed for some time if traffic through the area is not high.

Mistakenly, many homeowners have thought that the presence of mold could get attributed to the cleanliness of a home, but this is not the case. For mold spores (which naturally occur in the environment indoors and outside of your house) to thrive, they only require persistent moisture or dampness as well as warmer temperatures. With these rudimentary conditions that many houses already meet throughout multiple time periods of the year, your Exeter home remains at risk for developing mold damage.

Fortunately, our SERVPRO technicians work to keep the situation contained as much as possible from the moment that we arrive at your home. While the initial inspection is a critical element all on its own, preventing the spread of active spores to new areas of your property is a high priority. Our equipment can do much of this job on its own, though air circulation appliances like a heater or AC unit must get shut down for the remediation process.

The SERVPRO professionals assigned to your homework to remove the present mold colonies quickly, but simultaneously seek out the cause of the damage. Preventing this dampness and moisture is paramount to keeping mold from growing a short period after removal again. This process could improve small repairs to areas of your home. For more substantial fixes and reconstruction efforts, you must seek out the expertise of a residential contractor.

It might not be simple to eliminate mold from your life, but with our SERVPRO of The Seacoast team of remediation specialists, you no longer have to suffer its presence. Call SERVPRO anytime at (603) 433-4300.

Click here for more about Exeter.

Watch Out For Avoidable Mistakes When You Face Mold Damage In Exeter

3/20/2018 (Permalink)

Mold spores cannot thrive without the presence of water in your Exeter property.

Mold Damage In Your Home

The buildup of indoor moisture from high relative humidity, plumbing, and roof leaks may lead to mold damage. When the relative humidity is kept low, chances for condensation to take place reduce, and that means there are no appropriate conditions for fungi to grow. Mold spores cannot thrive without the presence of water in your Exeter property.

It is necessary to take precautionary measure when dealing with mold damage in Exeter because it can cause health effects. Our SERVPRO technicians assess the level of contamination and choose the right Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for the job. When the area is extensively contaminated, we prefer a half-mask respirator, full body suits, and chemical resistant gloves. For light levels of contamination, an N95 respirator can be good enough.

We are careful not to spread the contaminant to clean areas, and if we have to disturb the mold when cleaning the site, we make sure containment procedures are already in place. Containment also helps limit mold exposure to the occupants and our SERVPRO team. If the area we are working on is small, we practice limited containment. Otherwise, we do full containment when the place is more than 100 square feet.

After disturbing the mold, spores and dust might settle on porous and non-porous surfaces. When that happens, we do damp wiping and HEPA vacuuming to do the removal. We first determine the airflow direction and clean areas towards that path, and the cleaning process starts from the structure's top towards its bottom.

When drying the items and rooms, our SERVPRO technicians some methods such as using air movers may be necessary if we believe they might spread the spores. We first remove any wet objects from the area to speed up the rate of evaporation and after that setup dehumidifiers to lower the humidity. Since dehumidifiers do not have much airflow, it is not a concern to use them at this stage.

At SERVPRO of The Seacoast, We’re Faster To Any Size Disaster whether it strikes your home or business property. Call us at (603) 433-4300 when you need to be served by a proven industry leader.

For more about the city of Exeter click here.

Cold, Wet Weather Increases Chances of Mold Damage to Historic Houses in Hampton

10/15/2017 (Permalink)

When you suspect the mold in your attic is making its way down to other living spaces, it's time to contact SERVPRO for their thorough remediation.

SERVPRO Finds and Fixes the Source of the Mold in Your Home

Attics in the cold winter weather seem to stand still in time, but any microorganisms inside remain active. Ice dams and snow accumulation can work against Hampton homeowners when shingles develop weak areas. Microbes that receive even small amounts of water from melting snow trapped overhead by ice buildup can become highly active. The cold only inhibits their growth slightly.

To help protect Hampton properties from extensive mold damage, SERVPRO technicians apply a unique anti-microbial agent, Concrobium, to at-risk surfaces. Concrobium is safe around children and pets, but deadly to microorganisms.  

The microorganisms already present when an application takes place become encapsulated. As it dries, any microorganisms covered slowly become crushed, rendering them inert. Other microorganisms, including spores, that travel to the treated area later cannot obtain the moisture necessary to grow because of the chemical composition of the anti-microbial agent.

Even in somewhat small areas, we can protect against the effects of mold damage. We can apply Concrobium in a spray, as a fine mist, instead of painting it onto walls. Because it contains no bleach or other strong-smelling chemicals, residual odors do not cause problems like other chemicals might.

When mold affects an attic, the problem might seem as if it should not spread to other areas of the home, but vents can permit this to happen. Furnace activity causes slight air currents inside your attic, and these can lift up loose spores.  

Whenever spores become airborne inside your living space, they can colonize any other areas of your home where moisture accumulates. Windowsills often gather a great deal of moisture from condensation. Windows which receive little natural sunlight often experience much more mold activity than windows facing East or West. Other places where infestations can grow quite rapidly include in and around unwashed laundry, under sinks, and inside closets with damp outerwear.   

SERVPRO of The Seacoast is always ready to help property owners fight microbial infestations by removing mold damage and helping provide the protection needed to prevent future problems. Contact us at our local number, (603) 433-4300, for our 24-hour, 7-days a week service.

For more information regarding Hampton, click here

Full-Service Solutions To Mold Damage Found In Your Portsmouth Area Home

9/13/2017 (Permalink)

Mold Usually Requires Professional Help for Remediation--Rely on SERVPRO

Remediation Is More Complicated Than Wiping Up a Mold Stain

Mold reproduces by devouring organic materials used to construct your home. They prefer dark, damp, humid areas and create small, lightweight seeds, called spores. These seeds travel through the air, gaining access to portions of your Portsmouth home through open airways, or by catching a ride on your shoes or even a household pet.  

Mold spores can usually survive for a very long time, even before settling on an acceptable surface. However, after finding an adequate site, molds rapidly develop into large contaminated areas within 24 to 48-hours, continually spreading throughout your Portsmouth area home, causing mold damage as the growth process continues.   

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) suggests that any homeowner experiencing mold growth should seek professional help removing any standing water or wet materials found on your property, as they serve as breeding grounds for many microorganisms including viruses, bacteria, and mold. Whether you experience a freshwater flood, sewage back-up, roof leaks, or plumbing issues, mold and mildew can develop soon after.

A qualified mold remediation specialist, like those offered at SERVPRO, can provide you with the professional services you need to remedy the problem and even give you tips that help prevent mold growth in the future. It takes a keen eye and advanced equipment to combat mold found on your property, especially on larger areas where there may also be hidden dangers that exist. SERVPRO’s mold remediation specialists use physical methods to remove contaminated materials, following strict guidelines to contain the affected area, preventing further spread and limiting exposure to clean sections of your home. We pay close attention to furniture, upholstery items, bedding, and toys, using advanced cleaning and disinfection techniques to restore contents if at all possible.
 
SERVPRO technicians may inspect every section of your home to determine how far the contamination has spread, eliminating potential problems one at a time before installing new materials that make your home look like new again.

Contact SERVPRO of The Seacoast for full-service solutions throughout the Portsmouth and Exeter areas, we are here to help. Dial (603) 433-4300 for fast, efficient services.

More information on the New England town here.