Recent Mold Remediation Posts

Water Leak in Ceiling Causes Mold Outbreak in Hill City?

12/27/2023 (Permalink)

Mold grows along water stains on a ceiling. We are leaders in mold damage remediation in Aitkin County.

Our Aitkin, Carlton, and West St. Louis Counties teams are trained and certified to contain, remove, and restore mold infestations by the Institute of Inspection Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC). When mold is discovered, it is important to take action immediately as mold can spread quickly to other parts of your property. For years, Hill City residents have relied on us for:

  • Emergency Service
  • Inspection and Mold Damage Assessment
  • Mold Containment
  • Advanced Air Filtration Technology
  • Mold Remediation
  • Mold Damage Repair and Construction Services

Mold is often a sign of water damage, so when we arrive, we will carefully inspect your home or business for visible signs of mold. We use equipment and technologies that can detect mold and locate hidden water sources so the mold can be completely cleared and the mold will not return once the remediation process is complete.

Why Are We a Top Choice for Mold Removal and Remediation?

  • The #1 Choice in Cleanup and Restoration*
  • Residential and Commercial Mold Remediation
  • Specialized Mold Remediation Equipment
  • Easier Insurance Claim Process
  • Faster to any size disaster™

Call Us Today!

When your home or commercial property in Hill City has a mold damage emergency, our teams in Aitkin, Carlton, and West St. Louis Counties are Here to Help. ® We’ll restore your mold damage “Like it never even happened.” Call us today at 218-879-6141.

SERVPRO® franchise is independently owned and operated.

How Can I Prevent Mold Outbreaks During the Winter in Aitkin?

11/27/2023 (Permalink)

Mold grows as a result of a water leak. We respond to commercial property damage emergencies 24 hours a day in Aitkin County.

Our local Aitkin, Carlton, and West St. Louis Counties teams are trusted leaders in mold damage remediation services. Although mold is a common challenge in the spring, it can also occur during the winter months. To prevent mold outbreaks in your home during the winter in Aitkin, consider the following preventive measures:

Address Leaks Promptly: Inspect your home for leaks, both inside and outside, and repair any issues promptly to prevent water intrusion.

Maintain Proper Ventilation: Ensure that your home is adequately ventilated, especially in areas prone to moisture, like bathrooms and kitchens. Use exhaust fans or open windows when necessary.

Monitor Indoor Humidity: Use a hygrometer to measure indoor humidity levels and consider using a dehumidifier if humidity is consistently high.

Insulate and Weatherproof: Properly insulate and weatherproof your home to minimize the risk of condensation on cold surfaces.

Keep Indoor Plants Well-Maintained: If you have indoor plants, water them carefully and ensure that they are not contributing to excessive indoor humidity.

Call Us Today!

When your home or commercial business in Aitkin needs mold damage restoration services, our teams in Aitkin, Carlton, and West St. Louis Counties are Here to Help. ® We’ll restore your mold damage “Like it never even happened.” Call us today at 218-879-6141.

SERVPRO® of Aitkin, Carlton, and West St. Louis Counties are independently owned and operated.

Mold Prevention Tips for Aitkin Residents?

10/10/2023 (Permalink)

Mold is growing inside a water-damaged wall. We are highly trained and certified to remediate mold damage in Aitkin County.

Water can seep into any porous surface and encourage mold growth. Mold can feed on many organic substances, like drywall, wood, fabrics, paints, and more. When you notice a strong, musty odor, or if you have a water leak or have recently had a water damage event, the likelihood of discovering a mold outbreak is increased. Our local Aitkin, Carlton, and West St. Louis Counties team is a trusted leader in mold remediation services. Upon arrival, we will locate the source of the excess moisture and address the issue during the mold remediation process.

Here are some from our website things you can do to prevent the mold from spreading while waiting for professional help to arrive:

Important Facts

  • Significant mold growth can occur in 48 to 72 hours.
  • A strong, musty odor may indicate hidden mold behind drywall or under carpeting.

What to Do

  • Stay out of affected areas.
  • Turn off the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system and fans.
  • Contact our Aitkin, Carlton, and West St. Louis Counties offices for mold remediation services.

What Not to Do

  • Don’t touch or disturb the mold.
  • Don’t blow air across any surfaces with visible or suspected mold growth.
  • Don’t attempt to dry the area yourself.
  • Don’t spray bleach or other disinfectants on the mold.

Call Us Today!

When you find mold growing in your home or commercial business in Aitkin, our team in Aitkin, Carlton, and West St. Louis Counties is Here to Help. ® We’ll restore your mold damage “Like it never even happened.” Call us today at 218-879-6141.

Franchises are independently owned and operated.

Proctor Home Shows Signs of Mold Damage?

6/6/2023 (Permalink)

A person discovers mold growing in the house. We are trained and certified to restore mold damage in St. Louis County.

Mold is a common challenge for Proctor residents and businesses. Fortunately, our local Aitkin, Carlton, and West St. Louis Counties teams are trained and certified by the Institute of Inspection Cleaning and Restoration Certification to restore mold damage quickly and efficiently.

Here are some tips from the Minnesota State Department of Health for what to look for when investigating your home or business for mold damage:

Look for signs of moisture or mold

  • If you smell mold, you should assume that a mold outbreak exists
  • Mold can have a cottony, velvety, granular, or leathery texture
  • The color of mold can vary from white, gray, brown, black, green, or other colors
  • Mold damage may look like discoloration or staining on the surface of building materials or furnishings
  • Noticeable mold odors are described as musty or earthly

Look for signs of water damage or excess moisture

  • Water leaks
  • Standing water
  • Water stains
  • Condensation problems

Search behind and underneath furnishings, stored items, and building materials (For example, under carpet and pad, wallpaper, vinyl flooring, sink cabinets, or drywall)

Call Us Today!

When you find mold damage in your Proctor home or commercial business, our local team in Aitkin, Carlton, and West St. Louis Counties will restore the damage “Like it never even happened.” Call us today at 218-879-6141.

Franchises are independently owned and operated.

Mold Outbreak Hidden Inside Walls of Floodwood Home?

5/1/2023 (Permalink)

A water stain on a wall and mold damage are seen. We are leaders in mold remediation services in St. Louis County.

Mold is a common challenge in Minnesota during the spring. Our local team in Aitkin, Carlton, and West St. Louis Counties have been restoring mold damage in Floodwood for years. Sometimes mold damage is not readily visible, but there are some indications that mold may be lurking somewhere in your home. Here are some of the signs that you may have mold damage:

  • Water leak on a wall
  • Strong, musty odor
  • Recent water damage
  • Fluffy white or black spots on clothing
  • Stinky, damp carpeting
  • Water leak inside a cabinet
  • Leaking water tank
  • Leaking water heater
  • Leaking water supply line
  • Spotting on upholstered furniture
  • Spotting on drapes or fabric blinds
  • Spotting on wallpaper
  • Bubbling paint on walls
  • Dark spots on walls
  • Musty smell from an air conditioner
  • Visible mold growing on wall or floor tiles

Mold Removal Process

  1. Emergency Contact – 218-879-6141
  2. Inspection and Mold Damage Assessment
  3. Mold Containment
  4. Air Filtration
  5. Removing Mold and Mold-Infested Materials
  6. Cleaning Contents and Belongings
  7. Restoration

Call Us Today!

When you notice a strong musty odor in your home or business in Floodwood, you may have hidden mold damage. Our local team in Aitkin, Carlton, and West St. Louis Counties will locate and  the mold damage “Like it never even happened.” Call us today at 218-879-6141.

Franchises are independently owned and operated.

Leaking Pipe Leads to the Discovery of a Mold Outbreak in Hill City Home?

4/25/2023 (Permalink)

A leaking pipe is dripping water. We are leaders in mold and water damage restoration services in Aitkin County.

Our local team in Aitkin, Carlton, and West St. Louis Counties are trained and certified to restore mold damage in Hill City. Often, mold is a symptom of a water leak somewhere in the structure. The Environmental Protection Agency offers these tips for determining if you have a water leak:

To check for leaks in your home, you first need to determine whether you're wasting water and then identify the source of the leak. Here are some tips for finding leaks:

  • Take a look at your water usage during a colder month, such as January or February. If a family of four exceeds 12,000 gallons per month, there are serious leaks.
  • Check your water meter before and after a two-hour period when no water is being used. If the meter changes at all, you probably have a leak.
  • Identify toilet leaks by placing a drop of food coloring in the toilet tank. If any color shows up in the bowl after 10 minutes, you have a leak. (Be sure to flush immediately after the experiment to avoid staining the tank.)

Call Us Today!

Mold issues are very common during the spring months in Hill City. When you discover mold in your home or commercial business, you can trust our local team in Aitkin, Carlton, and West St. Louis Counties to restore the damage “Like it never even happened.” Call us today at 218-879-6141.

Franchises are independently owned and operated.

Avoid Mold

1/19/2021 (Permalink)

Mold on back of trim board Mold after flood damages

Mold thrives on moisture along with a food source. It only takes a tiny bit of water to feed a mold colony. There are steps you can take to avoid mold growth in your home or business. Here are some of them:

  • Keep the humidity level between 30%-50% by venting bathrooms and dryers to the outside. Use exhaust fans while cooking, cleaning or washing dishes.
  • Have the proper insulation in your home to reduce condensation on cold surfaces.
  • Don’t carpet bathrooms, kitchen areas or areas that hold moisture.
  • Cover dirt in crawlspaces with a moisture barrier plastic sheeting.

This homeowner had mold growth on the back side of the trim board after a flood. We restored the damages for them quickly. Don’t hesitate to call SERVPRO if you discover mold in your home or business. We will come out and mitigate it for you.

What can I do to prevent mold from growing in my home?

2/6/2020 (Permalink)

Since mold needs a food source and moisture to grow, the best thing you can do is to prevent moisture problems that allow mold to grow.

  • Maintain lower levels of humidity in your home (preferably between 30-50%) by: venting bathrooms and dryers to the outside; using air conditioners and de-humidifiers; increasing ventilation by adding crawlspace and attic vents; using exhaust fans when cooking, dishwashing, and cleaning, etc.
  • Add insulation to reduce the potential for condensation on cold surfaces such as windows, pipes, exterior walls, roofs, or floors.
  • Inspect your home regularly for indications and sources of indoor moisture such as leaking pipes, appliance hoses, showers, tubs, sinks and toilets. Replace plastic hoses with steel-reinforced hoses. Check windows, doors, attics and ceilings for leaks or evidence of water stains or odors, particularly after rains. Fix plumbing, flashing, and roof leaks right away.
  • Don't carpet bathrooms, basements, kitchens or other areas prone to moisture. Clean bathrooms often and keep surfaces dry.
  • Cover dirt in crawlspaces with a moisture barrier plastic sheeting.
  • Prevent water from entering basements and crawlspaces by repairing holes and cracks in walls and foundation. Use landscaping to direct water away from your foundation.
  • Clean and maintain your gutters and make sure drainpipes carry water several feet away from your home.
  • Watch your utility bills. An abnormally high water bill could signal a water leak.
  • Before you travel, turn off the water at the main valve. Have a trusted friend or neighbor check the inside and outside of your home periodically while you're away.

     If you think you may have a mold issue or signs of mold growth in your home call SERVPRO of Aitkin, Carlton and West St. Louis Counties at (218) 879-6141 

Funky Smell Have You Confused

12/27/2018 (Permalink)

Do you have a strange odor that you suspect might be mold, but don’t have any visible mold? SERVPRO of Aitkin, Carlton & West St. Louis Counties has the test for you! This test is an air quality test used to test the large and the small particulates is the air. Giving us an accurate reading of the particle count and giving us the information to know if you have mold or if something else is causing that funky odor.

The air quality test is preformed using a meter to test particulates larger then small micron and smaller than 10 microns. This machine is then placed in various areas around the house to include the affected areas and an unaffected area. Also, it will be placed outside to get a base line for the affected areas. Once the test has been completed results are interpreted by one of our highly trained technicians to determine what the possible causes are. Then one of our production management staff will come up with recommendations on what your next steps might be to solve the issue.

So, if you think you smell mold and don't have visible mold then you might want to call SERVPRO of Aitkin, Carlton & West St. Louis Counties today at (218) 879-6141!

Have Mold and Need to Know What Kind

12/27/2018 (Permalink)

Do you have mold in your house and you want to know the exact name and spore count of the mold you may have? SERVPRO of Aitkin, Carlton & West St. Louis Counties has a solution for you! This can be done by preforming a settling test.

The settling test is the most common and most accurate test when it comes to mold. The settling test is performed by placing settle plates on all affected levels and outside for a base line. The plates are placed for one to two hours than sealed labeled and sent off to an independent lab. The lab than incubates the dishes for 5-7 days. This allow the lab to identify the microorganisms using a microscope.

If the curiosity has the best of you contact SERVPRO of Aitkin, Carlton & West St. Louis Counties at (218) 879-6141 and get your settling test done today.

Settling Test

12/20/2017 (Permalink)

Do you have mold in your house and you want to know what one of the thousands of different types of mold you may have? SERVPRO of Aitkin, Carlton & West St. Louis Counties has a solution for you! This can be done by preforming a settling test.

The settling test is the most common and most accurate test when it comes to mold. The settling test is performed by placing settle plates on all affected levels and outside for a base line. The plates are placed for one to two hours than sealed labeled and sent off to an independent lab. The lab than incubates the dishes for 5-7 days. This allow the lab to identify the microorganisms using a microscope.

If the curiosity has the best of you contact SERVPRO of Aitkin, Carlton & West St. Louis Counties and get your settling test done today.

Air quality test

12/19/2017 (Permalink)

Do you have a strange odor that you suspect might be mold, but don’t have any visible mold? SERVPRO of Aitkin, Carlton & West St. Louis Counties has the test for you! This test is an air quality test used to test the large and the small particulates is the air. Giving us an idea of if you have mold or something else that is causing that funky odor.

The air quality test is preformed using a meter to test particulates larger then small micron and smaller than 10 microns. This machine is then placed in various areas around the house to include the affected areas and an unaffected area. Also, it will be placed outside to get a base line for the affected areas. Once the test has been completed results are interpreted by one of our highly trained technicians to determine what the possible causes are. Then one of our production management staff will come up with recommendations on what your next steps might be to solve the issue.

So, if you think you smell mold and can’t see then you might want to call SERVPRO of Aitkin, Carlton & West St. Louis Counties today!

Mold Inspection

12/4/2017 (Permalink)

MOLD it’s one of the “scary” topics the we get calls about all the time. The thought of having mold in your house can be terrifying, but isn’t as bad as you might think. In fact, mold is natural and can be found all around the world. Yes, there are mold there are mold types that can be hazardous to your health, but not all mold is presents an immediate hazard to your health. Mold can be tolerated in small doses over a short period of time so don’t panic and call SERVPRO of Aitkin, Carlton & West St. Louis Counties to set up an appointment for a mold assessment.

The process of setting up the assessment is simple we just ask you some general questions about the suspected mold. We might have you send us pictures for us to get a better idea of what we might be walking into. From that point we can set up an appointment and a small fee a member of our team will inspect further.

The typical inspection includes a team member to physically inspect the affected areas and use a mold test to determine if it is mold that we are looking at. You can add an air quality test to test the count of particulates in the air. Air quality can be used that is done typically when no physical mold is visible. However, none of these techniques are used for identifying the type of mold. This requires a settling test and a lab to test the results. These tests will come with a report on our findings and an estimated cost for removal of the mold.

Mold Signs

5/18/2017 (Permalink)

Mold

Fungi and mold occur naturally in our environment. In fact, there over 100,000 kinds of fungi that has been identified. While some of these are very useful to us, like yeast, many others can be harmful to your health. So, where does mold come from and how can we prevent it?

Intrusion of water into your home or place of business can result in mold growth. Water intrusions can be from storm damage, plumbing or equipment failures, long-standing leaks, and poor humidity control. When these water problems are not addressed right away, the resulting damage can present increased risk of mold growth.

If you have high humidity in your home, running a dehumidifier, even during the winter can help. If you have a water loss making sure you completely dry the structure is key. Even if you think that all the water is off the floor water can leach into walls and stay wet for a long time after you think it is dry.

Mold affects people differently, but the people at highest risk for health effects are infants and children, pregnant women, the elderly, people with respiratory problems with asthma, and people with weakened immune systems.

If you think you might have a mold problem, give SERVPRO of Aitkin, Carlton & West St. Louis Counties a call at 218-879-6141. Using various testing devices, we collect air and surface samples to see the mold count in your home.

Mold is something that may not be covered by your insurance policy. To know if you are covered for mold you would need to contact your insurance provider.

If the unfortunate happens call SERVPRO of Aitkin, Carlton and West St. Louis Counties at 218-879-6141. You can submit your own question on our Facebook page, facebook.com/SERVPRO-of-Aitkin-Carlton-West-St-Louis-Counties.

Signs of Mold

3/31/2016 (Permalink)

Mold

Fungi and mold occur naturally in our environment. In fact, there over 100,000 kinds of fungi that has been identified. While some of these are very useful to us, like yeast, many others can be harmful to your health. So, where does mold come from and how can we prevent it?

Intrusion of water into your home or place of business can result in mold growth. Water intrusions can be from storm damage, plumbing or equipment failures, long-standing leaks, and poor humidity control. When these water problems are not addressed right away, the resulting damage can present increased risk of mold growth.

If you have high humidity in your home, running a dehumidifier, even during the winter can help. If you have a water loss making sure you completely dry the structure is key. Even if you think that all the water is off the floor water can leach into walls and stay wet for a long time after you think it is dry.

Mold affects people differently, but the people at highest risk for health effects are infants and children, pregnant women, the elderly, people with respiratory problems with asthma, and people with weakened immune systems.

If you think you might have a mold problem, give SERVPRO a call at 218-999-9799. Using various testing devices, we collect air and surface samples to see the mold count in your home.

Mold is something that may not be covered by your insurance policy. To know if you are covered for mold you would need to contact your insurance provider.

If the unfortunate happens call SERVPRO of Aitkin, Carlton and West St. Louis Counties at 218-879-6141. You can submit your own question on our Facebook page, facebook.com/SERVPRO-of-Aitkin-Carlton-West-St-Louis-Counties.