As a professional mold inspection company, we know first-hand that all too often a disaster can affect you, your employees and your business when you least expect it.
Water damage caused by a burst pipe, fire or severe storm can lead to building environment-related concerns like mold, which can spread swiftly throughout your commercial or industrial property when the conditions are right.
The reality is that if the original moisture source is left unattended or unaddressed, even a minor water infiltration problem can snowball into a massive mold remediation project!
When it comes to commercial mold remediation, you’re always better off hiring professionals you can trust and count on to properly remediate all mold-related damage following a disaster or emergency situation. Taking quick action is critical and this will certainly help minimize current and future damage to your commercial or industrial building to the extent possible.
Our commercial mold remediation strategy is customized to each property or client, but it generally includes many or all of the following steps:
- We act quickly to evaluate your industrial or commercial site and systematically inspect the property (including the entire building envelop).
- We assess all current and potential damage, including identifying and prioritizing all minor and major sources of moisture infiltration, as well as assessing exposure to any HVAC, mechanical and other costly building systems.
- We develop a comprehensive mold remediation plan to address all of your commercial or industrial mold concerns.
- Using our expertise, skilled training and professional equipment, we execute the commercial or industrial mold remediation services set out in your custom mold remediation plan. Our services can include mold cleaning, mold treatment or mold containment, as well as building materials demolition, removal and restoration.
- We perform final inspections of all affected areas, and we may recommend applicable indoor air quality (IAQ) or third-party testing once all mold remediation services have been completed to confirm your commercial or industrial building is once again safe for all.
If your industrial or commercial property has experienced a disaster, contact us to find out how our professional mold remediation services can help your business get back on its feet before it suffers further losses in productivity and revenue.
Call us for your free phone consult in the Toronto and Greater Toronto Area (GTA) at 416-575-6111.
Like bathrooms, kitchens can be a tremendously good breeding ground for mold. They offer three things that mold just loves: warmth, various sources of food (including dirt and dust), and humidity.
If you’re looking for a quick and helpful checklist you can print off to help identify potential sources of mold in your kitchen, consider this it!
#1 Look under the sink
Leaky pipe? Spilled cleaning products? Kitchen garbage? The space under your kitchen sink is the first place in your kitchen you should check for mold. If you spot a leaky pipe, first fix the problem and then consider laying vinyl tile on the bottom of the cabinet to protect it from any potential water damage in the future.
#2 Look around the sink
Check your taps and all around your sink for mold growing on or underneath. All seams and corners around the sink should be properly caulked to prevent water damage to your countertops and of course mold growth.
#3 Check your exterior walls
In your kitchen, check all of the walls that face the outdoors to identify potential areas of mold.
#4 Check your windows
We recently mentioned that window condensation in the home can be a warning sign of possible mold growth, and mold can be especially active in kitchens due to high humidity levels. Mold can grow on all types of windows, including wood-framed, metal-framed and even vinyl, so it’s important to check yours for mold or any evidence that mold may be present.
#5 Check your garbage and/or garbage disposal
As handy as they are, garbage disposals can offer mold a lot of potential sources of food. Rinse your garbage containers and/or garbage disposal with undiluted vinegar or another favourite antibacterial cleaner. Run the garbage disposal a minimum of once a day to help keep mold growth at bay.
#6 Check your compost
Like the garbage and garbage disposal, our compost bin can be easy prey for mold. Don’t allow it to sit out, especially in hot, humid summer weather, and dump it as often as you possibly can throughout the day.
#7 Check pantry items
If you’ve ever smelt a rotting potato, it’s likely a smell you won’t soon forget. Regularly check onions, potatoes and other stored food for mold and immediately toss any foods that look like their best days are behind them.
#8 Check your dishwasher
We recommend checking both inside the dishwasher as well as around the entire casing of the dishwasher. This is especially important if you have wood cabinets (as many of us do) because mold can grow productively on all of these surfaces. From professional experience, I can tell you that a small leak may go unnoticed for a long time!
#9 Check your fridge and freezer
The same advice for dishwashers also applies to your refrigerator and freezer: check inside the appliance for food sources of mold, as well as around the appliance. In addition, be sure to check the drip tray. It’s usually located at the front of the fridge and underneath. Check it several times a year or you may find something growing in there that would put monsters under the bed to shame!
#10 Check your ice maker
Bonus tip: if you have an ice maker built into your refrigerator, check in and around it for mold too.
Have you inspected your kitchen from top to bottom for potential sources of mold and still can’t find the culprit behind that musty or mildewy smell that’s driving you crazy? Contact us and we’ll be glad to make a visit to your home or office to track down and identify the source and type of your kitchen mold.
Hurricane Irene has ravaged the United States in obvious ways, blowing down and flooding countless homes, but the natural disaster can inflict long-term damage, too. The moisture created by flooding creates an ideal breeding ground for toxic mold spores.
The impact can also be felt north of the border. In Canada, we were hit with major storms as a residual effect of Irene, so a GTA mold inspection company could be just as busy as an American one theoretically.
Naturally, it’s a smart idea to undergo a mold inspection even just to see if your home is at risk after a flood. However, while you’re waiting for the help to arrive, the Center for Disease Control recommends a few key tactics to perform in the first 24 to 48 hours after flooding.
1. Dry out the building quickly. Open doors and windows, get air flowing through your home, use dehumidifiers or fans, and do anything possible to dry your place out.
2. Get tough on porous items. It may be frustrating, but you’re better off saying goodbye to any porous or “undryable” items that can’t be properly cleaned and dried. That includes wallpaper, drywall, insulation, leather, cardboard, paper, and even some clothing, just to name a few items. Trying to dry them isn’t worth the trouble because it’s virtually impossible to completely to do so. The smarter move is to get these mold-prone items out of your home!
3. Clean wet, salvageable items with water and detergent. The use of detergent or bleach to combat mold is a source of debate in the mold inspection community. But, even if detergent can’t kill mold, it may be effective at making conditions undesirable for mold to initially grow.
The CDC is adamant that you act quickly if your basement has been flooded. Once the initial work is done, you can contract a certified company for affordable mold testing.
MoldInspections.ca is the trusted leader for mold-free homes and breathable indoor air spaces in Toronto, the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), and beyond. Providing certified mold inspection, detection and testing since 2005, we service home owners, real-estate agents, landlords, property managers, insurance companies and businesses. Featured on CTV and recommended by contractors, we regularly serve as expert witnesses in court proceeding relating to Mold and Indoor Air Quality issues. Do you have mold? Call us today for a free quote at (416) 575-6111.