As the awareness of mold exposure and its resulting health concerns have grown in recent years, people are concerned about contracting mold sickness. Mold exposure can cause anything from flu-like symptoms to poisoning. It can be fatal for immune-compromised people or those who are too old or too young.

For these severe health issues, people have begun taking care of mold growing in their homes and also become cautious to avoid it at public or commercial properties. Under the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, people can also sue commercial property owners for putting them at risk of mold exposure.

If you’re a commercial property owner and don’t want to be liable for thousands of dollars worth of health damages to people, you should make it a routine to inspect your property for hidden mold growth. As mold can grow anywhere too, you need to ensure inspection at the following spots and spaces to take care of hidden mold:

Around the Water Pipelines

While mold is carried through the air, dampness is what makes it grow. Water pipelines are the most favorite spot for mold to grow. You may not find it a problem initially, but if allowed to grow on water pipelines, mold can soon cover the entire water and sewerage system of your property. Regular inspection and cleaning of water pipelines are essential to keep a property mold-free.

While you don’t need to dig up the property and inspect pipelines for mold, regularly examining exposed edges and sources of all pipelines will give you an idea about possible hidden mold.

Under the Carpet

Cleaning under the carpet is not an easy task. Hence why most commercial properties only clean the carpet surface. While it doesn’t come across as ideal mold habitat, mold can quickly grow and spread under the carpet.

Spilling of food and beverages is a common occurrence at commercial places. Since mold can grow anywhere damp and has access to air, carpet at a commercial site can become an ideal habitat. While mold over the carpet is visible and can be easily cleaned, it can continue to grow if not cleaned thoroughly under the carpet.

The best method to get rid of mold growth under the carpet is to get rid of the carpet and replace it with tiles that are easy to keep clean. However, mold growth under the carpet can be controlled by running a dehumidifier in carpeted rooms regularly.

Behind Ceiling Tiles

As not many care to look under the carpet, most ignore what’s behind the ceiling tiles as well. But water pipes running through the ceiling can make it an easy place for mold to reach and spread.

If you think that mold behind ceiling tiles will not affect anyone because it’s at a distance, you forget that your property’s ventilation, heating, and cooling systems run through the ceiling. Mold growing anywhere in the ceiling will enter the ventilation systems, spread everywhere, and expose a large number of people to it.

Behind Wall Boards

Mold is more likely to grow on wooden surfaces, and while mold grown on the front can be easily spotted and cleaned, the same isn’t true for behind-the-wallboards. The back of the wallboards also allows plenty of room for mold to spread. Though there’s little chance of people getting exposed to this mold, it can reach electrical wiring and cause hindrance that may lead to accidents.

As the owner or administrator of a commercial property, you are responsible for ensuring people’s safety. One way of doing it is checking behind wallboards to clean up the hidden mold.

In Ventilation System

A ventilation system in commercial properties makes for a perfect place for mold to grow. A ventilation system removes contaminated air from the inside and throws it outside while also transferring fresh air from outside to inside. However, the outside air can be contaminated with mold too. This mold can stick to the walls of the ventilation system, and the humidity and oxygen in the air can help it grow.

Mold in ventilation systems can stay hidden for an extended period while exposing people to hidden mold particles. However, keeping the ventilation system clean can help you avoid getting mold in other areas of your commercial property.

In Insulation

Insulation sheets do not only absorb heat and cold; they also absorb dampness. Damp insulation sheets can be the perfect hiding spot for mold to grow and spread. It is one of the most dangerous hiding places for mold as it can cause structural damage to the property, making it unsafe to inhabit by humans.

Mold grown in insulation sheets can damage the surrounding walls, leading to a weaker building structure and possibly resulting in a collapsed roof. Regularly examining insulation sheets and running a dehumidifier every so often can keep insulation sheets dry and mold-free.

While cleaning mold from the visible surface is easy and manageable, you won’t be able to get rid of mold entirely from your commercial property by yourself alone. We suggest hiring a mitigation and restoration service. Many restoration services in Oklahoma City, such as 911 Restoration of Oklahoma, provide complete mold removal and cleanup in personal and commercial properties.