April has arrived with its promised spring showers and the residual snow is finally melting. For anyone in the mold business, we know what this means: water damage. Flooding or water damage are the top reasons that you should test for mold. Whether the flooding or water has only been present for 48 hours, or it has been already cleaned up, you may be at risk for mold. Moist, wet conditions are a breeding ground for mold, and many times you may not know that mold is present for some time. When mold is spotted, homeowners are generally still trying to figure out how the mold acquired when the areas haven’t been wet for long and didn’t know they had a moisture problem. Unfortunately, it takes as little as 48 hours for mold to manifest.
Moisture affects homes and businesses in many ways. From rainwater to groundwater seepage there is plenty to be taken into consideration. Depending on the amount of rain the New Jersey area gets we can expect to see a lot of homes during inspection that are affected by the rainwater. According to the National Weather Service, areas of New Jersey have already had up to 13” of rain since January. That statistic is approximately 50% higher than norm. Rainwater causes roof leaks, leaks in the doorways, windows and ceiling. Just a small area of vulnerability in the roof, even unknown to the homeowner can cause havoc on the home.
It is important that any time you suffer water damage even after it’s cleaned up that you get a mold inspection. Many insurance companies require that you have documentation from a mold inspection company before you file for a homeowners claim that will cover mold abatement. If you’ve sustained recent water damage, or suspect you do and are already seeing mold growth, visit us today for an inspection. The earlier the better!
