Moisture Leads to Microbial Growth

6/8/2022 (Permalink)

If your property needs to be evaluated for water damage call SERVPRO of Marshall, Sedalia and Columbia at 660-886-5194.

We send one of our Project Managers to a property instead of accepting images because we can’t engage our other senses with images. The biggest sense that we can’t engage is the sense of smell; our Project Managers know what to smell to tell how severe the job is. If a property has standing water, we must consider factors such as microbial growth. With us being in the warmer months, properties have a higher chance of microbial growth with the added humidity in the air. By following these easy controllable steps, you can ensure your property doesn’t fall victim to microbial growth.

1. Microbial Growth needs specific conditions to flourish, one being moisture in the air. Adding moisture to your home’s air quality can stem from multiple sources, so finding what is causing the moisture needs to be the focus immediately. This could be flood water, dishwasher leak, or as simple as having the water vapor from a boiling pot of water. 
2. Everything that is a living organism needs a food source to thrive. Microbial growth also needs a food source, and some of the most common household materials that promote growth are wood, cardboard, textiles, and dust-containing skin cells.
3.  We all know that temperatures during the summer are unbearable at times; well, microbial growth thrives in temperatures ranging from 41 to 104?, which is what we keep our homes at. 
4. Finally, Oxygen is the last factor that can control microbial growth.