How’s your holiday season going so far? Whether you’re celebrating Christmas or not, it’s likely you’re giving a gift at some point this holiday season. Often, these gifts tend to sneak up on us, and we have to make do with last year’s wrapping paper and a little duct tape. Sound familiar?
However, using last year’s wrapping paper might be a really, really bad idea. Mold absolutely loves to colonize on paper. Its thin pages and readiness to absorb moisture make it a key target. And thus, we have to be really careful about preserving books and other paper items (like wrapping paper).
Let’s talk a bit about mold identification. Mold presents itself in so many different ways that it’s often hard to concisely summarize what mold looks like. If there is any sort of abnormality growing on the paper, it’s almost certainly mold. Mold can look like spotting of any color or a fuzzy growth. In addition, you may see tiny white strands branching out from a key area.
However, mold isn’t always visual. Mold is quite literally everywhere, and we only begin to see it when it colonizes in substantially high numbers. There are ways to detect the presence of mold before it becomes visible, as well.
For instance, smell is a great way to detect the presence of mold. The smell of mold is usually described as damp or musty. You’ve likely come across the smell of mold at some point in your life. Often, old books smell like mold — not necessarily because they are moldy, but because they may have had a mold colonization in the past and then it was removed. The smell usually lingers in books that have been infected with mold.
That being said, if you bought the paper or books new and smell a damp and musty smell, it’s pretty likely that you have a mold colonization on your hands.
In addition, if you have recently had any moisture problems in your home such as a flood, leaky pipe, or even high humidity, it’s incredibly likely that you have a mold infestation. Mold thrives on moisture and humidity. Without it, there is simply no way that mold can survive. In the event of a flood or similar water problem, mold begins to colonize the area in just 48 hours if the water problem is not taken care of.
If you’ve recently had a water problem, it’s definitely a good idea to give us a call for a free inspection and subsequent Illinois mold remediation.
So now, lets talk about how to prevent mold colonization in books and other paper.
Our number one suggestion on preventing mold colonization is to invest in a dehumidifier. Seriously. Here at ProCare Restoration, we cannot stress enough how important it is to control moisture in mold prevention. Without moisture, mold will not grow, and it’s as simple as that. Experts recommend that you keep your humidity levels under 60% to prevent mold growth.
Paired with the dehumidification, our other mold prevention method works to keep your home dry, as well. To stop mold in its tracks, you also need to have proper air flow inside your home. A dehumidifier does no good if its only working in a small area. If your home has poor air circulation, placing fans in key areas will go a long way in ensuring that there are no areas with high humidity in your home.
Often, people assume that mold colonization of books isn’t a big deal, but such a colonization can easily spread to walls. In addition, harmful mold that has colonized books can hurt members of your home just as easily as mold that has colonized on walls.
If you see the signs or symptoms of a mold infestation, don’t wait. We can help you out, but only if you take the first step by calling us.
Oh, and throw away that old wrapping paper that’s been sitting in your crawl space. Happy holidays.
