Holiday Preparations May Uncover Issues Within Home
The holiday season is creeping up on us pretty fast this year. This means holiday preparations are underway. No matter what holiday you celebrate, you may be having company over at your home. This means that your home may be due for a deep clean so you can impress those guests. You wouldn’t want your close friends and family coming into an untidy area. So you get to work cleaning away, ensuring that you reach every nook and cranny of the home. While all this cleaning and organizing is going on, you may find some unsavory issues within your home. Mold, water damage, and mildew are issues that can often be uncovered when deep cleaning for the holidays. Whether you are taking out your decorations, or simply cleaning an area that isn’t checked very often, it’s possible to uncover some issues.
Issues That May Be Uncovered
Holiday preparations include cleaning, reorganizing, and decoration. Any of these things has the potential to uncover water damage, mold, or another issue within your home. Here are some signs to look out for when prepping your home for the holidays.
Signs Of Mold Development In Your Home
Many people store their holiday decorations in their basement or attic. These decorations only come out once a year for a short time. It is possible for issues to develop in these areas during the rest of the year. With all the signs about to be mentioned, it is always best to contact a professional mold remediation company in your area to aid in getting rid of the mold. A professional mold inspector will not only assess the damage, but also create a plan for cleanup.
Signs of mold include, but are not limited to:
Staining: When you take out your decorations, you may find that there is some staining on the surfaces that you couldn’t see before. Dark staining on building materials is indicative of a leak or some sort of water damage. You may not know how long the staining has been there, but that doesn’t matter. Mold can develop in as quickly as 24-48 hours if the circumstances allow it.
Visible Growth: Mold comes in various colors, including black, white, gray, brown, and green. Mold can sometimes be difficult to see with the naked eye, but not always. You may notice a chalky substance, or patches of discoloration on the surfaces of your home. Clusters of spores on the surfaces of your home are an obvious sign of mold development. It may be difficult to see when looking at it head-on. Sometimes you have to look at it from an unconventional angle to ensure that you are seeing correctly.
Odor: The odor that mold gives off is very distinctive. It has a musty, damp, organic odor. If you are detecting an odor that is out of the ordinary, you should take action in finding the source of that odor. Odor can sometimes be more difficult than some of the visible signs, because you don’t know exactly where it is coming from. As previously mentioned, a professional mold inspector will be able to help distinguish what may be causing the issue.
Excess Moisture/Humidity: As previously mentioned, holiday decorations are often stored in attics and basements. Coincidentally, these areas are prone to experiencing excess moisture and improper ventilation. These conditions give mold spores the opportunity to develop at a rapid rate if not handled properly. You may not have noticed any of the other signs of mold development, but you are aware that excess moisture can cause future issues. If this is the case, you should do what you can to prevent mold from developing. Employ the use of a dehumidifier in the area experiencing excess moisture. This will make a huge difference in preventing the growth of mold.
Don’t Let Mold Put Your Holiday Preparations On Hold
If you do end up discovering mold during your holiday preparations, the best thing you can do is contact a professional. They will be able to determine the extent of the damage, and come up with a scope of work to clean up the contaminated areas. You don’t have to worry about mold derailing your holiday festivities. This is not to say that mold is no big deal, but a properly trained mold technician knows just how to handle these issues correctly. Technicians are trained to work efficiently to get your holiday preparations back on track as soon as possible.
