Water Leak Causes Mold in Oceanport, NJ

Recently, a property investor who owns and manages a 4-unit apartment building in Oceanport, NJ, contacted Mold Solutions By Cowleys to treat a mold problem. His building had a significant water intrusion event. A water pipe had burst in one of the 2nd-floor units, which, in turn, caused fairly extensive flooding in the apartment underneath. 

Since the water problem was caught quickly, the landlord thought that there would not be enough time for any mold to set in. It’s a pretty common misconception that it takes a while for mold to start forming after a water leak. In fact, mold starts growing immediately. Mold spores will attach to damp or wet organic materials —  wood products, ceiling tiles, cardboard, wallpaper, carpets, drywall, fabric, and even insulation —  as long as there is enough water or moisture and temperature conditions are right (mold thrives in hot, humid surroundings). Some strains of mold can easily grow within 24 to 48 hours from the water intrusion event and begin to colonize a day or two thereafter. While it may take a week or two before mold grows enough to be seen by the naked eye, mold is often there at the microscopic level. Inevitably, there is a delay between mold formation and when it is first discovered.

With this particular job, mold growth was discovered when renovations started a short time later. They immediately called us to make sure this mold problem was handled correctly and there were no tenant mold-related complaints down the road.  

We treated all of the mold-affected areas with two products, an EPA-registered antimicrobial called MAPS 1 followed by a patented sealant called MAPS 2.  This sealant, available only to licensed distributors, completely destroys mold, rendering it harmless and non-allergenic. MAPS stands for Mold Abatement Polymer Solutions. MAPS 1 attacks mold at its DNA and kills it immediately while MAPS 2 is a patented sealant that encapsulates the surface mold is growing on and renders the mold non-allergenic and harmless. MAPS 2 is also moisture-sensitive and reactivates whenever it gets wet to prevent the return of mold.

The Mold Solutions crew was able to treat this mold problem in less than a day, and the renovations were back on track for this landlord with no time loss.