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Mold is one of the most dangerous “substances” a home could have. After all, mold will produce and spread mycotoxins in the environment at an array of degrees. Understand that if there is mold in the home – regardless of where you find it – it means there is an intrusion of water. Somewhere in your home, water is finding its way to surfaces and allows mold to grow and proliferate.

Home with plaster walls must take special care of finding water leaks immediately. While plaster walls do have the ability to soak up a plethora of water, if allowed to remain there, it will let mold develop.

Mold is a fungus that can spread rapidly in a home, damaging anything its spores touches. And, if not immediately remedied, it can lead to further mold growth. It’s common in many buildings – no building is really immune to mold growth. However, homes or businesses in wetter climates are more susceptible to it than drier locations.

On top of that, it can lead to numerous health problems and exacerbate allergies. Some such health problems you could experience include the inability to focus, memory loss and lethargy.

If you notice any one of these health problems, and you suspect or know your home has experienced a water leak, call the number on our website now to have a local mold remediation professional come out and inspect your home for free!

2 Key Factors That Can Lead To Mold Growth

There are two things that mold behind plaster walls needs to grow and reproduce:

• Moisture
• Food source

If you notice a rise in moisture in your home, chances are you’ve had mold inside of it for several weeks, months or even years. The key to avoiding the growth of mold is to control the moisture level in your home.

How Quickly Can Mold Grow and Proliferate?

The speed in which mold can grow on your plaster walls will vary based on the factors involved, but it’s usually within 48 hours of the first sign. This is why you must quickly resolve any water issues in your home to ensure no mold has a chance to grow and spread.

Do-It-Yourself Mold Remediation Of Your Plaster Walls

While you can clean the wall, it’s only a temporary solution. So, is improving the air quality with a fan or dehumidifier. If you decide to do this yourself, here are the necessary steps to make it happen:

• Protect yourself using a breathing mask, gloves and safety glasses.
• Demolish the building materials that have been contaminated with mold
• Use a stiff bristle brush, dipping into the concoction and scrub the wall down with it.
• Use an antimicrobial spray to spray down the area.
• Put a fan and dehumidifier next to it, pointed right at the wet spot so it’ll quickly dry the area
• Install new building materials

Hiring A Mold Remediation Company To Address Your Plaster Walls

While you can do the remediation process yourself, it’s better to let professionals handle it. What will a mold remediation company do to treat and rid your home of a mold infestation?

Take Off Personal Belongings On The Wall – If you have pictures, tapestries or other knick-knacks on the wall, the mold remediation company will first take them off before they start the cleaning process.

Eliminate Damaged Walls – If your walls have been damaged by mold, they’re liable not to be in good to be salvaged. As such, the mold remediation company will take steps of getting rid of the mold by getting rid of the plaster wall it is on. Always hire a restoration contractor for this part of the job, as it can be quite dangerous with all the nails and wires behind it.

Repair Leaks and Dry Damaged Areas

Mold is unable to grow without some sort of water source. When hiring a professional mold remediation service, they will take the time out to find out where the source of the water is coming from and fix it, so repairs can be made without mold coming back on the new plaster.

They will also use fans and dehumidifiers to dry the damaged areas present.

Install New Walls

Since plaster walls can easily become damaged by mold, it’s essential to find plaster walls that can repel water instead of soaking them up. A professional contractor can help you find these kinds of walls and install them for you.

Clean and Replace Personal Belongings

Once your walls have been put back up, your belongings will be thoroughly cleaned and sanitized. It’s possible that some belongings won’t make it back if they were too damaged beyond repair. Your insurance company can reimburse you, but don’t count on it, as it depends on the source of the leak and your homeowner’s contract.

How To Stop Mold Redevelopment

It’s not uncommon for mold to return if it wasn’t adequately treated or taken care of initially. What can you do to reduce the chance of this happening to you?

• Ensure the mold source (leak) was properly taken care of and that there are no new leaks.
• Ask a professional to come in and waterproof the property to stop future damages.
• Use a HEPA filter to rid the air of mold spores.
• Properly vent the home by opening windows and doors. When you can, use fans to help.