Mold Damage After Hurricanes

What is our secret weapon to find hidden moisture? Currently, ServiceMaster of the Florida Keys is working diligently to restore the local residences in Marathon, Long Cay, Tavernier, Big Pine, Key West, and Islamorada.

The ServiceMaster yellow trucks can be seen in the Hawks Cay and Ocean Harbor subdivisions. We are also busy on the Treasure Coast taking care of mold jobs caused by Hurricane Irma and recent tropical depressions from Melbourne to Sebastian to Vero Beach, even south to Fort Pierce and Hutchinson Island. It takes a trained professional to properly dry out and remediate a home after a hurricane or storm. Some of the challenges may be:

• There are pockets of hidden moisture that can be located throughout the home.
  You are not dealing with just a water leak. Hidden moisture can be lurking from a roof leak, window or door leak, flooding, or storm surge.
• Living in a hot climate, humidity becomes another problem. Humidity coupled with extended periods without electricity will complicate the drying process even more. Under ideal situations, such as high humidity and no electricity, mold growth can begin to grow in as little as 24 hours.
• Another challenge after a storm would be finding certified and qualified LOCAL companies to assist you in remediating your home. Check with your local Better Business Bureau (BBB) to verify a company’s reputation.
  When hiring a restoration company, such as ServiceMaster of the Florida Keys, there are proper ways to dry out a home.

To properly restore a home from water intrusion and possible mold growth, you will need:

1. The proper equipment. You must have the proper equipment. Some of the equipment we may use would be:  dehumidifiers, moisture meters, fans, and air scrubbers; but our secret weapon is the infrared camera! The infrared camera is a $10,000 piece of equipment that allows us to detect moisture hidden in walls and ceilings!
2. Experience. The proper certifications and years of experience allow us to be able to seek out hidden moisture. There is a true science behind properly drying out each room. Each room needs a proper amount of fans and dehumidifiers to extract and dry hidden moisture.
3. Proper Protocol. If mold has been present, proper protocol must be followed to ensure your home will be remediated properly and free of any future mold problems.
4. Certifications. A Florida state-certified mold remediator should be used to remediate your home. You must check the certifications of the individuals you hire.

What are the best mold-cleaning solutions?

When we come to clean your home and rid it of mold growth, we know you want to know what kind of chemicals we will be using to get rid of the mold. The two choices we have are hydrogen peroxide or chlorine dioxide.. which do you think is the most effective?

Hydrogen peroxide and chlorine dioxide are both approved by the EPA, have a very broad spectrum of use, and are effective against antimicrobials.

Here are the differences:

• Hydrogen peroxide. This chemical does not actually keep mold or fungus from growing. It just removes the mold. It should be considered a cleaning product only. It will degrade in quality if a high-quality water diluent is not used. It has the potential to damage surfaces that are not acid-stable.
• Chlorine dioxide. As with hydrogen peroxide, this chemical does not actually keep mold or fungus from growing. It just removes the mold. It should be considered a cleaning product only. This chemical also attacks stains and odors and does not have the same strong odor as chlorine bleach. It is capable of damaging certain textile dyes and it will degrade in quality (as with hydrogen peroxide) if a high-quality water diluent is not used.

Both of these chemicals have been proven effective and work. They are both almost equal in mold remediation effectiveness. We choose which chemicals we will work with based on experience and the unique situation of each mold removal case.

Dealing with mold after the recent hurricanes? Servicemaster of the Florida Keys is here to help our locals and restore your peace of mind! Give us a call today at 305-664-4400.