New Construction Mold Prevention with a 50 Year Guarantee - Escarosa

No homeowner wants the nightmare of dealing with mold growth in their new home. In addition to being disheartening and inconvenient, mold growth in a new build can cost tens of thousands of dollars to remediate.

Fortunately, you can avoid a mold growth nightmare by investing in mold prevention during your new construction. As a licensed mold prevention expert, our team can apply a microbial barrier to your new home’s studs, trusses, floor joists, and other vulnerable building materials.

This simple process prevents future mold problems and saves you from the health hazards mold can introduce into your home.

Here’s what you need to know about new construction mold prevention:

Why are New Builds so Vulnerable to Mold?

First things first, let’s discuss why new construction is so vulnerable to mold. When you invest in a new home, you expect it to be fresh, clean, and a long way from needing any repairs. And, for the most part, that’s true.

What most people don’t consider, however, is that new homes may be at increased risk of mold, compared to existing homes. Here’s why:

Damp Building Materials

Homes take a long time to build, and it’s impossible to control the weather throughout that timeframe. Sometimes, it rains or frosts on that wood before the construction crew has a chance to use it. In some cases, the wood arrives wet, having been dampened at the mill or other locations.

While most builders will do their best to dry materials before using them, very few job sites have the time to dry wet wood completely before it gets used.

The result? Those damp building materials go into the home and get sealed away into enclosed spaces like walls, attics, and basements, where they release humidity and generate moisture.

While this may not seem like it creates much moisture, it’s important to remember that mold doesn’t need much moisture to thrive. Mold also doesn’t need much time to grow. In fact, FEMA reports that mold and mildew can begin to grow on a damp surface in just 24-48 hours.

Damaged Building Materials

Consider this situation: a team is building a home after several days of heavy rain. The materials for the wood subfloor have been sitting outside, and the outside boards are damp.

Even if the builders discard the wet boards, the boards in between are likely already harboring invisible mold growth. When these boards go into the house, the mold growth will spread to other building materials and create a mold problem rapidly. Unfortunately, these early signs of mold growth can be difficult for building inspectors to detect.

Uncontrolled Humidity

Both the problems above are exacerbated in homes where the humidity is not controlled or regulated. In these situations, mold can form rapidly, affecting even newly-installed drywall or subfloor.

While it’s impossible to eliminate moisture altogether, it’s essential to take steps to control humidity and discourage mold growth in new builds.

Is New Construction Mold Prevention Worth the Investment?

Typically, home builders do three things to prevent mold from occurring in your new home. They refer to it as dry in or drying-in the building.

This entails putting on the roof, exterior siding, windows, doors and closing up other gaps at the beginning of the construction process – before they begin any finish work. This helps prevent water or moisture from entering the home.

After drying-in, builders let any damp building materials, such as wood, have plenty of time to dry out. It’s not a perfect system, though, and even a dried-in building can develop mold growth. It’s very difficult to avoid all water or moisture during the building process.

There are other causes for mold, as well. As a general rule, builders seal closed-in buildings tighter than they used to, which limits airflow and prevents building materials from drying thoroughly. Additionally, many modern builders are using younger timber products, which are more susceptible to damage by moisture.

Fortunately, homeowners can eliminate the possibility of mold growth by employing certified mold prevention specialists, like the team at Escarosa Cleaning and Restoration. To prevent mold, our techs will deploy a microbial barrier before your builders hang drywall or install ceilings. This simple, straightforward approach prevents future mold problems and adds an extra layer of insurance to your building process.

If you are interested in mold prevention efforts, invest in the process upfront, rather than using it as a last-ditch effort when you already have mold. This is especially important for homeowners in Pensacola and along the Florida Gulf Coast, where the humid climate becomes a perfect breeding ground for mold.

What is a Microbial Barrier?

Here at Escarosa Cleaning and Restoration, our certified mold technicians also hold certifications as Anabec NewBuild Applicators. This certification allows us to use the special cleaning agents developed by Anabec Systems in Buffalo, N.Y.

Anabec’s anti-mold solution utilizes nano-technology that helps it penetrate and protect new building materials. Additionally, the cleaner resists and repels water and bonds to surfaces.

The Anabec mold prevention process usually takes two days to finish. On the first day, we take moisture readings to ensure the conditions are favorable for the product application. We also spot-clean any areas where mold appears. On the second day, we deploy the Anabec agent, which kills the mold and resists future mold growth for years.

For your peace of mind, Anabec’s proven product comes with a 50-year guarantee that homeowners can transfer if they sell their new home. We also offer a 30-year warranty on any existing structures treated with Anabec.

This guarantees your property will be mold-free for many years to come.

Research Validates Mold Cleaning Agents

In 2005, an Arizona State University study did a series of experiments to test Anabec Systems’ NewBuild 30 agent. It found E. coli, Bacillus subtilis, and Salmonella typhimurium on both pinewood and drywall were wiped out within 24 hours of deploying the Anabec product.

It also tested Penicillium and Stachybotrys spores on pinewood and drywall. The ASU study found after 75 days of incubation at various temperatures, less than 0.1 percent of the spores remain viable.

Escarosa Cleaning and Restoration is Ready to Help You Eliminate Mold!

When you build a new home, contact us to provide mold prevention during new construction. We can inspect the project and eliminate mold with Anabec’s innovative microbial coating protection. Protect your family and home from mold growth today with the help of our licensed mold experts at Escarosa Cleaning and Restoration!