Is Fungal Growth Common on Commercial Painting Sites?

If you aren’t a professional painter or you don’t work with paint often enough to be familiar with it, then you may not know that paint can get moldy. Fortunately, commercial exterior painting professionals are well aware of this and know exactly how to combat it, especially on commercial painting sites. 

Is Fungal Growth Common on Commercial Painting Sites?

It is normal for paint to grow mold over time. No matter where the fungi grow, they can cause problems if they aren’t treated properly. While professional painters know the best ways to prevent mold and fungal growth in paint, it’s not too uncommon for fungal growth to still appear. 

Why Does Fungi Grow on Paint?

Fungal growth occurs in areas with improper airflow and a lot of moisture. Areas where humidity is often high, tend to struggle with fungal growth more than dry areas. 

At first, fungal growth may only seem like an external problem, but it’s not. When fungi grow in paint, it’s a major issue.

While it’s expensive to throw out a tin of moldy paint, it’s easier than removing moldy paint from the wall. Additionally, mold on the walls will require a professional mold removal company to be called on-site and take care of the problem before the paint job can continue.

How Do Professional Painters Recognize and Treat Fungal Growth?

Despite the best preventative measures, if fungal growth is found in any type of paint, commercial or residential, the painter will have to throw it out. This may seem like an expensive waste of paint, but many fungal communities are severely harmful to your health, and using moldy paint can pose significant health risks.

Since paint is so important in a professional painter’s career, we learn how to recognize early signs of fungal growth in both paint tins and within paint on walls. 

When checking for signs of fungal growth within paint, professionals will look for three things:

• Musty Smell: paint that has molded smells like it. It has a musty smell and is immediately noticeable when a paint can is opened.
• Discoloration: fungal growths tend to be brown, white, green, grey, or black, which can be recognized quickly on walls or in a paint can.
• Clumps and Colonies: fungi tend to grow in colonies and clumps. If a professional painter encounters paint with a strange clump or colony, they’ll be able to recognize it as fungal growth.

How Do Professionals Prevent Fungal Growth?

When it comes to a commercial paint job, it’s understandable that moldy paint can lead to long delays and problems. Since commercial jobs often have stricter timelines and dates that need to be met, professional painters are always prepared to tackle something like replacing moldy paint.

To reduce the odds of encountering fungal growth in their paint, professional painters take a few extra steps to protect the paint before and during a commercial job.

We always choose high-quality paint that is more resistant to fungal growth than cheaper paints. In addition, we have access to commercial grade paint that has been specifically developed to prevent mold growth. 

Even with mold and mildew-resistant paint, professionals won’t stop there. Fungal growth occurs when the paint is exposed to moisture but doesn’t have good air circulation. To avoid making a paint tin or a freshly painted wall into the ideal fungal home, professionals keep paint cans tightly sealed until they need them and ensure proper air circulation while the fresh paint dries.

Conclusion

Fungal growth is a concerning problem, but it’s common. Even commercial painting sites may encounter mold in the paint or walls. Fortunately, professional painters are trained to efficiently take care of the problem and know how to work around it without putting anyone’s health at risk. Call us today and leave your commercial paint job to us; we know just what to do to give your paint work the best chance against fungal growth.