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Once described as a “treasure trove of unbelievable holdings on the life, work and history of Mark Twain” is under assault by mold. Thousands of those treasured items at the museum are at risk of being damaged by mold that started growing after a malfunctioning HVAC system and roof leaks were discovered in the museum’s storage rooms.
The roof leaks and the HVAC system issues had been addressed in November 2015, but mold had already taken hold in the home’s storage rooms. It has been estimated that mold is currently damaging about 1/3rd of the museum’s 16,000 artifacts. Items affected include 19th-century furniture, upholstery, glass, metal, leather goods, and books, some of which are valuable first editions. The mold’s advance has been halted due to close humidity controls, but the cleanup of the actual mold remains to be accomplished.
Great care must be used when removing mold from delicate objects. It takes special training and skills to remediate mold. Every object needs to be individually handled and cleaned to ensure that no mold or mold spores remain on the objects. The estimated cost of the mold remediation will reach or exceed $1 million and will take three or four months to accomplish.
The museum did the right thing in solving the humidity and roof leak issues before starting on the mold removal. Effective remediation can only be done after eliminating the moisture sources. What the museum did wrong was to wait for several years to start removing the mold.
Water Mold Fire Restoration of Hartford recommends taking quick action to stop any moisture problem, but then you should also take immediate action to remove any mold. Your home may not have 16,000 items affected by mold, so removal should not cost you a million dollars. Then again, taking fast action will keep the mold from affecting everything in your home, including your family’s health, and who can put a price on that?
WMF of Hartford is nationally certified in mold remediation. Our mold removal experts have the training and experience to handle any size mold problem you may have. Call us at (860) 333-5570 and we will provide you with a free inspection and estimate of removal. We answer our phones 24/7 so don’t hesitate to call. Your mold problem will only get worse as time goes by.
