Mold growth can cause you a lot of problems. Black mold is generally the kind that you have to worry about, and it is unfortunately the kind that most commonly grows in commercial buildings.
What Is Black Mold?
Black mold is hazardous to human health. Coughing, sneezing, eye irritation, and skin rashes are some of the milder symptoms people can experience as a result of exposure to mold. Some people have more serious allergies to it, asthma sufferers can experience extreme effects, and the mold can even produce potentially fatal substances called mycotoxins.
If black mold is discovered in your building, the building will be shut down for mold remediation. You can also face legal actions for allowing workers to be in a building with such a hazardous substance.
For these reasons, it is essential that you prevent mold growth in the first place. Mold likes humidity, and so it is more likely to grow in the most humid areas of your building.
Where Does Black Mold Grow?
Bathrooms and HVAC units are some of the most common culprits. Check in cabinetry under the sink, as well. If your building is in a humid climate it can grow inside your walls. Essentially, any place in your building that has the potential to retain water has the potential to grow mold.
How To Prevent Black Mold Growth
There are several things that you can do to prevent mold growth.
Maintaince
First, regular maintenance checks are crucial. Frequent visual inspections of likely spots for mold growth help to ensure that no mold is growing. It also gives you a chance to see how humid those areas are, in case any other maintenance needs to be performed.
Cleaning the drip pans for you HVAC units can also be an important preventive measure. While these pans are unlikely to grow mold themselves, when they are holding water they create a humid environment around them that is conducive to mold growth.
Clean leaks and water damage immediately. These are prime spots for mold growth, but they can also cause major structural damage if they are not repaired right away.
Work With Professionals
Hiring a waterproof caulking specialist to caulk your building is one of the best steps you can take for mold prevention. You might be surprised at home many different areas of the building can and should be waterproofed.
The baseboards and trim, for instance, often need caulking. These are areas where small amounts of water can often seep in unnoticed, creating ideal conditions for mold growth. Your bathroom walls probably already have caulking, but caulk wears out over time. It is always a good idea to have a professional inspect the caulk and apply fresh caulk if necessary. If the caulk is old and worn out it will crack, and the watertight seal will be broken, rendering it ineffective. Fresh caulk is all you need to solve the problem, but if you do not apply fresh caulk quickly you are almost guaranteed to develop mold, which will then need to be removed before more caulk can be applied.
Vents and pipes also need caulking. Condensation and water from the pipes can easily gather around the edges, and if they are not properly caulked they will begin to develop mold. Just as with the bathroom walls, there is likely already caulk there, but it may be old. Fresh caulk is needed to keep everything in good condition.
Finally, any expansion or control joints in the building should be caulked. These spaces are perfect for mold to grow, but they are often overlooked. Sealing them off with caulk is important, but as these joins expand and contract the caulk will wear out even more quickly than usual. You may want to consider inspecting these more frequently than other areas.
Waterproof caulking prevents the building from holding on to moisture that would otherwise fuel the growth of dangerous mold. Caulking a commercial building can be a big job, but it is much cheaper to have a professional regularly inspect and caulk the building than it is to find yourself with a mold problem and have to shut the building down while the mold is removed.
Contact Waterproof Caulking & Restorations To Prevent Mold Growth
Mold is dangerous, and it grows very quickly. Modern buildings, with their stable temperatures, are all too often perfect places for mold to grow in. If you do not keep on top of things, mold will almost certainly grow in your building. Regular inspection and maintenance will allow you to prevent and control mold growth.
If you are concerned about potential mold growth in your building, and would like to learn more about how to prevent it, or schedule a consultation, contact the experts at Waterproof Caulking & Restoration. Their friendly and professional staff will be happy to assist you. Do not wait to seek help if you think you are at risk for a mold problem, act now before you have to shut your building down.