Mold damage does not happen in a day. There are different stages of mold damage. People are well aware of the fact that molds are dangerous creatures that can destroy their property and health. It is important to find out the extent of mold damage in a house before you take up remediation methods.
Different stages of mold require different levels of treatment. You can always go for DIY methods if the mold infested area is small. It will be easy to clean. But in case the mold infestation area is large, you will require professional help. To understand the need you should learn about the stages of mold damage in a house.
The Five Different Stages of Mold Damage in a House
There are five stages of mold damage. Let us have a look at the different stages of mold damage.
- Mold Damage: Stage 1 – this stage includes damage within an area of 10 square feet or even less. This stage does not usually require professional help. The mold remains on the surface and hence it is easy to clean. The stage 1 mold damage is found on the surfaces of baseboards, ceiling, tiles and wall panels. Molds grow in these surfaces due to their exposure to moisture. Before you apply DIY methods for mold cleanup, you should take some precautions. Do not forget to wear safety equipment like, glasses, gloves and boots. It is better to dispose any material that has been contaminated. Open the doors and windows for proper ventilation. To clean the surface you can use a detergent solution. Once you finish cleaning do not forget to dry out the surface.
- Mold Damage: Stage 2 – stages of mold damage differs according to the infested area. In this stage, the contaminated area is almost 10 to 30 square feet. Stage 2 mold damage also points to some underlying leakage in your home. Remove the mold infested material by sealing them in plastic sheets. This will help you prevent the mold spores from contaminating the other items in your home. After you are done, you should vacuum the surfaces and wipe it clean with a detergent.
- Mold Damage: Stage 3 – this stage of mold growth is severe. It is therefore important to take immediate action. In this stage the mold infested area varies from 30 to 100 square feet. For this stage of mold damage it will be a good idea to hire mold remediation professionals. You should cover the mold infested area with plastic sheets. This will prevent the contamination of HVAC system of your home. Try to keep away children and senior from the contaminated area.
- Mold Damage: Stage 4 – this stage contaminates an area above 100 square feet. In this stage mold remediation professionals should be hired immediately. In this case, the remediation experts will remove everybody from the contaminated area. The experts also require safety measures because they need to work with hazardous materials. The household items that are contaminated needs to be disposed. This stage of mold damage removal can be costly as well as time consuming. The experts use air filtration equipment to purify the contaminated air inside the house.
- Mold damage: Stage 5 – this is among the final stages of mold damage. In this stage the HVAC system of your house is contaminated. The professionals first shut down the HVAC system of your house. The experts use biocide elements with the HVAC component to kill those molds which cannot be accessed.
These are the several of stages of mold damage that you might have to go through. You should keep a close check for musty smell and stains of floors and walls to determine the presence of mold in your house.