When it comes to commercial buildings, it can be quite challenging to eliminate mold. It’s often too late to prevent the decay once it has already started growing inside humid hidden areas, such as under a sink or inside a cupboard.
The large area of commercial buildings makes it even trickier to find areas affected by mold growth. However, it’s crucial to deal with this issue, as mold can lead to several problems. A mold infestation can cause severe allergies and diseases such as asthma, creating a health hazard for all employees working in the commercial building. Additionally, mold can also damage the structure of the building. Most importantly, you may have to shut down your business, as a mold infestation will lead to a reduction in business standards. So, here are some practical ways to prevent and remove mold from your commercial building to help you run your business smoothly.
Keep an eye on the mold growth
Mold growth can be quite sneaky. As mentioned earlier, mold grows in humid and warm areas that usually hide from sight. Without being vigilant, you may encounter a large amount of mold growth unexpectedly, leading to several problems. However, if you keep an eye on humid and warm areas, you will be able to spot any signs of mold growth. As a result, you can take immediate action and prevent any further mold growth.
To effectively watch out for mold growth, you’ll need to inspect your building routinely. During this inspection, you can check damp areas of the building, such as bathrooms, cupboards, and basements. Musty odors, stains on walls and floors, peeling paint, and dark-colored wall spots are all common signs of mold growth that you can look for.
However, things can often get out of hand as there are chances that you may not find the exact location of the mold, leading to exponential mold growth later. In such a situation, it’s essential to get help from professional mold removal services, who have the right equipment to eliminate mold before it’s too late. So, make sure to contact commercial mold removal services to ensure your commercial building remains safe.
Repair water leakages
Water leakages can increase indoor humidity significantly, creating the perfect environment for mold to grow. Therefore, it’s essential to repair any leakages as soon as possible before mold starts to grow. For this purpose, you’ll first need to conduct a thorough inspection to locate every water leakage. Damp spots on walls are often a sign of water leakage in pipes located inside the walls. However, if you can’t repair such a leakage, you can choose to cover your walls with paint or wallpapers that can absorb moisture well. Moreover, you can also look for leakages in bathrooms and places where water is used.
However, leakages aren’t the only source of moisture. Moisture can enter your commercial building through cracks in foundations, walls, and doors. Your goal should be to keep humidity below 80%, as that creates an unsuitable environment for mold growth. If you want to ensure optimal humidity, it’s best to patch up any cracks you find. Additionally, to further minimize moisture, clean any standing water that is often found inside bathrooms.
Improve ventilation
Improving your building’s ventilation is an effective way to reduce moisture and mold growth. Passing fresh air through the building will stop moisture from accumulation while also helping to prevent existing mold from further development. To effectively increase ventilation, you will need to increase the number of vents and windows in your building, especially in hidden areas such as the basement.
However, it’s best to make sure the outlets of your vents are not placed near moisture sources, such as standing water, as that will increase humidity. Furthermore, you’ll also need to clean vents frequently to remove any moisture. More importantly, it’s crucial to service your HVAC system often. Without doing so, HVAC ducts and filters can become humid, resulting in a mold breeding ground, allowing spores to flow inside the building. However, some HVAC systems are complicated, and you may need to call in an expert.
Install dehumidifiers
Even with the help of ventilation and reduced water leakages, mold can often find humid areas to grow in. For example, it can be pretty challenging to ventilate a basement and reduce moisture properly. In such areas, dehumidifiers can be installed to reduce the moisture, preventing mold growth significantly. What’s best is that you can use dehumidifiers to replace vents if you can’t afford them. Alongside preventing mold, a dehumidifier will make it difficult for existing mold to keep growing, making it easier for you to eliminate them.
As a result, airborne mold will not be able to spread further into your commercial building, allowing you to get rid of it quickly. Dehumidifiers can also provide various health benefits, such as reducing allergies.
Conclusion
A mold infestation can be highly damaging to any commercial building. Not only does mold put your employees at risk, but it also increases the chances of your business shutting down. However, there are many ways to deal with a mold infestation, such as those mentioned above. Follow the methods discussed above to ensure the safety of your building, employees, and business.
