Auburn, MA: How to Spot Mold in Your Office
5/18/2018 (Permalink)
Mold growth in commercial buildings is a serious issue. While the cleanup and repair costs can be tremendous, the cost and inconvenience of potentially having to move out of the building for a period of time can be far greater. Even in instances of mold smell, most encounters with mold are after it’s had the opportunity to grow and become visible. However, there are ways you can spot mold growth before it gets out of hand.
A Strange Smell
Although mold can grow in your walls for a while before you see it, there are instances when the mold smell is obvious before the stains show up. For example, if you notice a persistent, rotting or fungus smell in a particular section of your office, then the culprit is likely mold.
Moisture Exposure
If your building was affected by any of the flooding in Massachusetts then it’s likely to experience mold growth. In this case, even before you smell anything, mold may start to gain traction in the affected areas. Similarly, if there’s a leak in an area of your building, then mold can certainly begin to take form.
Light Discoloration
Before your walls turn totally green or black, you may notice some slight darkening initially. This is also a possible sign of possible mold growth that should be investigated further.
In either of these cases, you should not attempt to determine the severity or clean up the mold yourself as it may not be limited to what you see. You should contact a mold cleanup specialist who can properly identify the entirety of the growth. Even if the mold can’t be seen or the mildew smell isn’t present, the specialist can use an infrared thermal camera to detect the presence and level of moisture in your walls. With this information, the specialist can make a proper recommendation for safe cleanup.
Mold smell in commercial buildings should not be taken lightly. Overlooking it or using traditional cleanup measures may lead to bigger problems down the line. It’s best to contact a specialist early on who can complete a thorough assessment and recommend a safe solution.
Call SERVPRO of Southern Worcester County at (508) 234-3399!