The mold problem is one of the most irritating things that building owners tend to face. Mold is a naturally occurring fungus that feeds and grows on moisture. Mold can grow on several materials, such as carpets, wood, drywall, and fabrics. During its earlier stages, mold isn’t easily detectable, but its microbial growth tends to give off an unpleasant smell, thus alerting the tenant of its presence. Mold also happens to be quite harmful to human beings, hence the need to get rid of it immediately once it’s spotted. Here are steps on how to remove mold from office buildings.
Use Antimicrobial Agents
For mold to thrive, either water or moisture must be nearby since they depend on moisture to grow and feed. So, if the office building has recently experienced water damage, an antimicrobial agent must be applied around the damp area.
Antimicrobial agents tend to prevent the growth of molds if they haven’t yet appeared, and if they are present, they kill the mold spores, thus preventing further growth and spread. The antimicrobial agent usually works effectively during the mold’s early growth stages.
Conducting Regular Building Inspections
As stated above, it’s quite hard for someone to identify the presence of mold in an office building until it has grown or starts giving off its unpleasant smell, thus the regular building inspections.
Since once mold starts appearing in the office building, it tends to spread very fast hence the need for early detection. If the mold has grown over a considerable space in the office building, contact a restoration service because they’ll assess the damage for free and help devise a plan to deal with the infestation.
Containment
Once the restoration agents have identified the mold hotspots, they’ll isolate the affected regions from the other parts of the building. Under the right conditions, mold tends to spread very quickly since it reproduces through spores.
So, before the containment is performed, ensure all sources of moisture are eliminated or have been repaired. Containment of the affected regions of the office is critical in reducing the potential cross-contamination of the unaffected regions.
When isolating the affected region, it is important to ensure that all dump materials are removed from the buildings, and the affected region should be empty.
Mold Remediation
Once the contaminated area has been isolated, the mold removal process can begin. Removing all the affected materials is the most effective way of eliminating mold from your office building. Since a slight disturbance of the mold spores can cause the mold to become airborne, even the air must be cleaned.
Air cleaning can be performed using negative air machines fitted with high-efficiency particulate (HEPA) filters. Ensure the air machines are running throughout the process since it allows the expulsion of mold spores and dust from the building.
Mold removal in office buildings can be a bit complicated, hence the need for professional mold removers who would first assess the damage for free before coming up with a mold removal strategy. Remember always to have protective clothing on when dealing with mold.