Mild Winter Brings Mold Growth Concerns

This year’s heavy fall rains and mild winter temperatures have produced an unseasonable need for mold prevention and detection.

We are not exactly having a heat wave, but temperatures have been well above normal. Mold spores would normally die off during a cold snap but in warmer weather, mold continues to grow and spread.

While most are thrilled with the mild temperatures, dreaded frost and snow in typical winter months prevent mold from circulating in the outside air.

While winter usually grants us with a temporary reprieve from mold growth due to lower levels outdoors, this year requires steps to keep mold at bay.

As always, we recommend that you keep cleaning around persistently moist areas like dampness around windows. Keeping the air circulating in bathrooms and tight spaces will also help. Reduce humidity in your home using a home dehumidifier.  Monitor with a humidity meter.

Not to sound like a broken record, but, warm winter or not, mold prevention is always about keeping spaces Clean and Dry!

Black Mold has Infested Millions of Bathrooms & Kitchens

Black mold exists even in well-kept bathrooms, kitchens and laundry rooms. Black mold is a known allergen.

It's understood mold spores are in our everyday air, though mold growing in the house, especially in confined areas like a bathroom, multiply the danger and can be very detrimental.

 It's usual to see indoor levels reach concentrations that are hundreds of times higher than outdoors. Even dead mold spores indoors add to respiratory issues. According to the Mayo Clinic Study, nearly all chronic sinus infections (afflicting 37 million Americans) are a result of molds.

Under sink rims, and where flooring meets tubs and toilets, mold spores spawn and disperse into a household with just a wisp of air. Simply opening a bathroom door will draw enough air to cause black mold spores to flare up by the thousands (even dead spores) and linger in the room regularly.

Black mold thrives where shower condensation or moisture from washing get into countertops or flooring.

Since discovering how common the black mold problem is and the extent of its health implications, American Mold Experts has developed MTR94-a 100% natural and organic solution.  This formula is not only safe, but very effective at killing molds.  This solution not only kills all kinds of dangerous household mold, it's safe for children and pets.

To learn more about preventing, treating and killing all kinds of dangerous household mold, visit americanmoldexperts.com

Winterizing Tips to Prevent Mold Growth

The wet season in the winter months is one of the best times of year for molds to grow and expand. Often mold is contained near sources of water where it can easily grow and reproduce. As it grows, mold can breakdown and compromise the integrity and strength of the source in which it lives.
Mold spores are microscopic and are naturally found in the air we breathe indoors and outdoors. When large amounts of spores grow, one’s health may be compromised. Mold can be killed, but if it is not removed properly, it can remain in the area just cleaned and the dry spores can be released into the air. Our mold remediation services can help eliminate the mold in your home and personal items affected by water damage.
Prevention, however, is what will help keep your lungs healthy and homes and buildings strong. We’ve put together a few tips on how you can help thwart mold from infesting your home with these winter weatherizing tips.

• Keep all areas clean, mold feeds on dust!
• Make sure there is good air circulation. Use an exhaust fan or open a window when showering, cooking, and washing the dishes.
• Prevent mold and water damage by turning off the water flow to broken appliances and pipes.
• Replace cracked or defective mortar in basements. If you find your basement is wet or has water leaking into it, inspect the outside drainage systems.
• Spread moisture-barrier materials in crawl spaces over the soil. Heavy roofing paper or plastic film made of polyethylene can be used for this. Make sure there is good ventilation in the crawl space and, if possible, do not enclose it. One may need to use a fan to blow out humid air from under the building.
• One can get rid of humidity or dampness within a building by heating it for a short time. After heating, open up the doors and windows, or use an exhaust fan, to let out the air that is moist.
• Hire a professional roofing contractor to cover a damaged roof with a tarp or tent. This will help protect the building from the elements.
• If there are freezing temperatures, take measures to insulate pipes inside and out to ensure they will not crack and/or burst.
• Make sure all the seals on the windows and doors are not compromised and in good-working condition.
• Clean and repair roof gutters regularly.
• Make sure the ground around your building slopes away from the foundation so water does not collect around or enter in to it.
• Act quickly if you see condensation on windows, pipes, or walls inside a building. Dry out the area and determine if the source of the condensation is from a leak or the result of high humidity.
• Lower the humidity and temperature in the building: molds do not like these conditions. 

The two key things to remember in mold prevention are:
1. Keep everything clean, and 2. Keep everything dry.

Many simple steps can be taken to prevent mold damage as well as water damage during the winter months. However, keep our number handy should you require our services. Our professionals can efficiently and quickly ensure your home is safe, dry, and mold-free. 

Cheers For New Years!

Cheers to a Happy and Healthy home in the New Year!

Don't Let Your Tree be the Grinch That Stole Christmas!

Many common irritants come out to join the festivities during the holidays.  Mold and dust show up as much as relatives.

When you are decking your halls, you are also dusting off the decorations from last year releasing mold and dust into the air. There are various ways to release mold into the air, such as improper storage of cardboard boxes or leaving water in the tree holder.

TIP: A simple remedy to dusty, moldy boxes are reusable plastic tubs!

What’s green and festive and makes you sneeze?  Christmas Trees are for many the first sign of the holiday sneezon, I mean season. 

Christmas Tree Syndrome?  It is not as pleasant as it sounds.

So called Christmas Tree Syndrome can cause wheezing, coughing, itchy nose, watery eyes, fatigue and problems sleeping-triggered by breathing in mold spores from the mold growing on Christmas trees.  Mold grows on trees naturally but proliferates once the tree is in your toasty, warm home.

Don’t let your tree become the Grinch that Stole Christmas! Your tree will not necessarily make you sick but there are some simple steps you can take to reduce the spread of mold in your home.

*Check with the nursery where you buy your tree. Some have tree washing services available. If not, clean the tree yourself. Use a garden hose to spray the tree and allow it to dry before bringing it into the house.

*Don’t leave the tree up too long. Some evidence suggests the longer the tree is in the house and the warmer the environment, the more spores are released into the air.

*Use an air purifier in the same room as the tree to help remove allergens.

Using a fake tree can be a solution but won’t necessarily eliminate the problem because artificial trees can also introduce mold and dust into the home if they are stored improperly.

With some simple precautions you can breathe easier this holiday season.

Wishing you a Happy & Healthy Holidays from our home to yours!

Peace of Mind Guaranteed!

The only thing worse than having a mold problem in your home, is removing it and having it COME BACK!

American Mold Experts works to remove mold and keep it from returning. We want our customers to have peace of mind that their home is safe for their families. Because our goal is to restore health to homes damaged by mold, we will treat and re-treat your home until the issue is resolved.

No one says it better than one of our customers. We are proud to have this testimonial from Ron & Elaine from Fishers, Indiana:

“If you are like us you know very little about mold. We had a rather difficult job.  Lot of mold suddenly appeared in our basement.  We checked with two removal companies the prices were about the same, and we chose American Mold, basic reason was the sales person, Daryl. I told Daryl when we hired him I trust you guys will do a good job.  We are very happy we made that choice.  The job was difficult because of all the stuff we had in the basement and some of the difficult spots the mold was growing.  To be honest the first time the crew did the job there were many areas that were not done correctly, and when Daryl came out to inspect and test he made it clear he was not satisfied with the job and scheduled another cleaning.  The second cleaning went well, Daryl came out and tested the air again and found there was still a higher than normal level of mold.  He brought out his service manager and they inspected the basement again and found a couple of difficult areas that needed to be cleaned again.  So they came out for a third time and cleaned a couple of areas, after testing again the mold was gone.

Bottom line is Daryl stood behind his word and made the job right, I respect a company that doesn't just take your money and say the job is done, having very little knowledge of mold a lesser company could have easily done just that.  We recommend these guys.”
An American Mold Expert professional will ALWAYS return for post-treatment testing and provide you with a report from an independent environmental lab.  If lab results do not show a significant improvement to industry norms, we will retreat to get the desired results or you will receive a 100% refund.

We guarantee that no visible mold will reoccur in the treated areas for a period of ONE YEAR or we will re-treat at NO CHARGE with our renewal warranty!

Isn't It Obvious?

You may have searched high and low checking your home for mold to discover the cause of the musty smell or allergic symptoms you have been suffering from with no success.

In some cases, indoor mold growth may not be obvious. You may suspect hidden mold if a building smells moldy, but you cannot see the source, or if you know there has been water damage and residents are reporting health problems.

Mold may be hidden in places such as the back side of dry wall, wallpaper, or paneling, the top side of ceiling tiles, the underside of carpets and pads, etc. Other possible locations of hidden mold include areas inside walls around pipes (with leaking or condensing pipes), the surface of walls behind furniture (where condensation forms), inside ductwork, and in roof materials above ceiling tiles (due to roof leaks or insufficient insulation).

Investigating hidden mold can be difficult and requires a professional with experience investigating water- and mold-damage.  Investigating hidden mold requires caution. 

It is important not to disturb large areas of mold as they may spread mold throughout your home. For example, removal of wallpaper can lead to a massive release of spores if there is mold growing on the underside of the paper.

Large mold colonies should only be disturbed with proper containment during the remediation process to prevent the spread of mold spores and dangerous mycotoxins throughout your home.

Contact American Mold Experts is you suspect hidden mold growth in your home.  Don’t ignore your suspicions because the presence is not obvious to the naked eye.