Fun Mold Experiment
6/12/2018 (Permalink)
Mold can easily grow within 24 to 48 hours after a water damage occurs. It begins to colonize in 1 to 12 days! SERVPRO of Hunt Valley / Lutherville decided to put this to the test...
The photos on the left represent the control group. The pieces of drywall pictured encountered zero excess moisture.
The photos in the center mimic a water damage that occurs during the winter months and goes undiscovered until the spring when weather warms up and mold spores reach their "happy" place (70+ degrees). These pieces of drywall were submerged in water for ten minutes then placed in Ziploc bags to observe.
The column of pictures on the right represents a DIY water mitigation job. This happens more than you would think. A homeowner dries and cleans the water damage on their own without the help of a professional. Approaching a water damage this way often leads to the structure not being fully dried and susceptible to mold growth. These pieces of drywall were submerged in water for 30 seconds and then placed in the Ziploc bags for observation.
The results are right on. Mold growth was seen a mere 7 days after encountering moisture... and after 4 weeks?!? No thank you! It's of utmost importance to have water mitigated correctly after a loss. But, if it's not, we are here for you as well. Mold mitigation just happens to be one of SERVPRO of Hunt Valley/ Lutherville specialties.