Cabinetry is a common place to find mold especially under a sink cabinet. Typically, there are quite a few water sources in a kitchen such as a dishwasher, faucet, and garbage disposal, or ice maker line that can fail and cause a flood or slow steady leak. When cabinetry is built-in, a leak isn’t detected very easily as the cabinetry may absorb some of the water or the water may be traveling to until it can’t go any further and cause a problem where it stops. The damage from an ongoing leak behind built cabinetry can be severe due to lack of air flow behind the cabinets. It’s a dark, moist, and porous environment and in a few days of a water intrusion, mold may begin to form.
Finding the exact source of the leak is critical to prevent further damage. If the problem has been ongoing, removal of the cabinetry may be required to dry out the wall behind it. If that’s the case, then you may want to consider safety precautions such as building a containment when removing moldy cabinetry to prevent cross contaminating the air quality of the area.
Often, people ask me if they can use bleach to get rid of mold. The answer is No. Although bleach will kill and decolorize mold, it does not remove mold. Dead mold can still cause allergic reactions. It is not necessary to kill mold to remove mold. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and the New York City Health Department agree that bleach or other biocides should not routinely be used to clean up mold.
Porous building materials that have mold on them, such as visible mold growth on drywall, or baseboards, or mold under the carpet etc., must be removed and discarded. The open wall cavity or area is then treated with hepa vacuuming and antimicrobial solution applied.
You will know the mold remediation is complete when there is no visible mold remaining and there is no dust or dirt remaining that could contain large amounts of mold and mold spores. You may decide to have a post remediation clearance test of the air to confirm it’s normal.
South Florida Water and Mold Restoration is a licensed and insured mold remediation firm, and we are a state licensed general contractor, so we can offer rebuild services such as flooring, drywall, baseboard, paint and more.
If you suspect a problem, or see visible mold please call us at South Florida Water and Mold Restoration, Inc. 954-923-334 with any questions you may have, we are available 7 days a week, 24 hours a day, and we are here to help you or just discuss your problem.