Do I Need Mold Remediation
One of the most important questions you will ask as a homeowner is, How do I know if my house has mold? Mold spores are close to impossible to prevent simply because they are part of the environment. They help break down biodegradable materials in the earth.
Since mold thrives in humid and moist areas, they tend to grow in homes, too. When mold spores spread inside a house, they can cause serious damage to its structure. To avoid costly repairs, homeowners must know how to spot mold growth so they can request mold remediation services right away.
Signs Indicating That Mold Remediation Is A Must
1 Musty Smell
Although this is not true for all types of mold, most tend to have a moldy or musty smell. If you notice that kind of odor suddenly becoming a constant in your home, that most likely means you have mold somewhere. You should check humid or moist areas for mold and call a mold removal company as soon as possible.
2 Dark-Colored Spots Or Discoloration
Mold spores are microscopic and usually grow in places that are not easily visible. However, a surefire sign that a house has a mold infestation is discoloration on the walls or ceilings. Discoloration caused by mold is usually black, but it could also be white, gray-brown, pink, or gray-green. When stains or discoloration is present, it is possible that the mold has been growing for some time and requires immediate action.
3 Allergies, Coughs, And Sore Throat
4 Water Damage
5 High Levels Of Condensation
Molds In Woods Start To Rot
It is not necessary that all the wooden surfaces are exposed to water damage. The ones that are starting to rot may have mold colonies already. If you were not able to clean your house properly, dry out furniture and wooden windows immediately, then you may expect a lot of wooden parts of your homes to start rotting.
Wood is initially an organic matter so mold thrives immediately where the wood is rotting. There is no way to cure the wood completely so you may have to rip out the whole rotting wood and install new wooden parts.
Does Mold Have To Be Removed Professionally
Caution should be taken when removing mold from your home. Arguments against professional mold removal is that it is costly and at the end of it all, mold must be removed for it is harmful. Mold poses as a health risk to both animals and human beings, so it is ideal that you get a specialist to remove it and completely eradicate it.
Professional mold remediation is more effective for the right tools, gargets and cleaning agents are used. There is always minimal exposure of people to the mold spores as the vacuum used collects all the mold spores from the air.
Professional removal of mold spores also focusses on the causes of mold. The main cause many times is the moisture factor, which shall be eliminated.
It is also ideal for having a professional to remove mold from your home especially if the mold has spread over a large area.
Mold often times mold grows in hidden damp areas. This makes it hard to be discovered at early stages, a professional shall be able to remove all the mold including the one that you cannot physically notice.
A professional shall also be able to assess the extent of damage caused by the mold and advice accordingly. Sometimes the affected areas need to be replaced, it is hard for you to determine this.
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Mold Testing & Inspection
Performing Mold testing and inspection prior to performing mold remediation allows us to provide homeowners with a clear picture of the problem at hand. Through testing and inspection, we identify the source of the problem while also providing a baseline for post-mold remediation verification testing. Additionally, we provide preventive recommendations to help reduce potential future mold growth.
Why You Need A Mold Remediation Professional
Mold remediation is essential before more issues occur. Opting to not seek professional help can be detrimental to you and your familys health. Besides, you can also risk re-infestation if you attempt to get rid of mold on your own. Over-the-counter mold test kits are expensive and dont actually tell you how serious the problem is or where it is concentrated.
However, mold strains affecting limited areas, such as a very small growth in the bathroom tub or on a small section of drywall near a leaky tap, can be easily treated. A mold cleaner can be used to thoroughly wipe an affected area, along with grout and caulking replacement. A small portion of drywall with mold is not considered severe either. It can be isolated from the rest of the house and wiped down with a mold remover. But do remember to always look out for additional warning signs it may be elsewhere in your home.
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What Are The Next Steps If I Have Mold
If inspection and quality testing reveal that you do have mold issues, then the next step is mold removal. A good mold remediation plan involves mold removal, removing the source of the moisture, scrubbing and washing all hard surfaces, cutting out and replacing all soft surfaces, and ensuring the area is well ventilated as well as clean and dry. If the mold contamination exceeds 10 square feet, then the EPA and local health departments suggest hiring professional certified mold remediators to remove mold and evaluate the area for improvements. This will ensure that the mold is removed and prevent mold from growing in that area again.
If youre interested in a mold assessment, mold testing or sampling, or mold remediation, call Precision Environmental Services today. We are mold remediation experts ready to help you make your home or business safe again.
Why Is A Mold Inspection Almost Always Unnecessary If There Is Visible Mold
Dont you need to know what kind of mold it is so you can determine whether its toxic? No. For starters, so called Black Mold is a term that is badly misused and misunderstood as we already discussed in our other industry shakeup article on toxic black mold.
Secondly, once you already see obvious, visible mold, knowing what type it is is usually irrelevant because at this point, you or a mold professional simply need to get rid of the mold following proper Mold Remediation and Mold Removal Principles.
Doesnt the type of mold matter in determining the right way to properly remove the mold? No. In fact, once visible mold is present, the same Mold Remediation Principles referenced above are followed to remove it regardless of the color, species, etc.
If this all sounds too hard to believe, especially coming from a mold company, dont take our word for it. Here is what the Environmental Protection Agency says verbatim:
Notice the EPA says that not only is mold testing usually unnecessary when visible mold is present, but they also tell you that there are no federal guidelines for determining the amount of mold spores that is safe or dangerous. This is also something we tell our clients all the time, and by now you can probably guess is a rather important fact that most other companies will of course not bother to reveal!
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Heres What You Need To Do After Your Mold Remediation
No property owner wants to hear that one of their buildings has a mold problem. Unfortunately, any building can be susceptible under the right conditions. All a mold outbreak needs is moisture, warmth, and organic matter to grow on. Moisture can be caused by a natural disaster, a leaky pipe, or even simply excess humidity that is not vented adequately from the area. Warmth and organic matter are provided by the building itself.
If youve ever dealt with mold in one of your buildings, you understand both how dangerous it can be and also how potentially costly remediation can be. What you may not know is that hiring a remediation contractor may not be the end of the ordeal for you.
Moisture and mold growth are both tricky problems to solve. Both can go undetected behind walls and in hidden areas, like ducts, crawl spaces, or behind vinyl wall coverings. Even an experienced remediation design firm can make mistakes or miss something that is well hidden. A less experienced remediation contractor may even miss obvious problems.
Furthermore, if the leak or other cause of moisture is not properly diagnosed, or if there are multiple causes and only one of them is corrected, you can continue to have a problem after remediation. Likewise, if the affected area was quite large, the initial mold assessment may not have been able to identify all sources of moisture, or the contractor may not have addressed everything.
Protect Others And The Building
If you decide to clean the mold yourself, it is important to protect yourself and the other people in the building. When cleaning a large amount of mold, consider the following:
- Remove furnishings and items from the work area.
- Enclose and seal mold material in plastic before carrying them through the home.
- Cover air supply and return vents in the work area.
- Use a fan to pull contaminated air out of the work area and exhaust it outdoors.
- Consider renting an air scrubber to operate in the area .
- Remove the outer layer of work clothing inside the work area and wash separately, or bag and discard the clothing.
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Why You Shouldnt Wait When Mold Remediation Is Required
If left untreated, mold will continue to grow, especially if its in damp, dark areas. Mold grows quickly, so take action as soon as the problem is identified. Waiting too long to address mold can lead to health hazards for building occupants, damage to furnishings or equipment, and other issues, depending on the buildings use. Working with a professional is the best way to ensure that mold is completely removed using specialized products and equipment.
Whats The Difference Between A Moisture Barrier And A Vapor Barrier
A lot of new construction and remodeling contractors seem to use the terms Moisture Barrier and Vapor Barrier interchangeably. While both of them are designed to prevent moisture from permeating your home, they might still be made from various materials.
One of the most apparent differences is that moisture barriers are better at keeping out liquids, and vapor barriers are better at keeping out water in its gaseous state.
A lot of the industry materials used for a moisture barrier can be categorized based on their permeability rating, as well as how they are defined by the International Residential Code.
- Class 1 moisture barriers effectively cover the vapor barriers with the lowest permeability. This includes things like metal, glass, polyethylene sheets, or other highly effective materials.
- Class 2 moisture barriers are engineered to cover materials like extruded polystyrene and plywood.
- Class 3 moisture barriers include materials like gypsum board, concrete blocks, house wrap, and more.
If you have an older home and you are planning a remodel, or you are designing the new construction home of your dreams, a moisture barrier is going to be a sound investment. It can help preserve the integrity of your home It can also prevent the kind of mold infestations that drastically reduce your homes long-term value.
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Do You Really Need A Mold Inspection Or Testing
We are going to tell you something right away about mold inspections and mold testing that is going to make almost every other mold company and mold inspector squirm. Most other mold companies will not reveal the following, but we have been doing so for years because it is our mission to get good factual information about mold out there to combat all the misinformation and fiction that dominates our industry. Ready?
How To Prevent Mold
Once you discover mold in your building
…you must take concrete steps to keep it from growing and spreading.
It doesnt matter if the issue is from a sudden water leak or some other past problem.
For the safety of your building occupants, it is very important to take action immediately.
Plus, quick action will help to minimize damage and remediation expense once you notice mold or mildew.
In our blog, weve detailed the exact steps you need to take to prevent mold from growing after water damage.
However, the short version includes the following steps:
- Fix the Cause of the Water Leak: Once youve done this, it will make it easier for a mold remediation expert to come in and start assessing the situation.
- Turn Off Electricity: Water and electric dont mix well, so make sure to cut off power at the main breaker to the affected area.
- Document Damage and File a Commercial Insurance Claim: Take lots of pictures of the issue and areas that have mold growth. Talk to your insurance company promptly.
- Contact a Water Damage Restoration and Mitigation Company: Theyll help you start to dry everything out and ensure mold growth doesnt happen.
- Ensure Your Building is Completely Dry: Before the build back, you need to make sure all moisture levels are back to normal to prevent future mold growth and damage.
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Is Mold Really That Dangerous
Mold exposure can be dangerous to those who are sensitive to inhaling its spores. For others, it can cause allergy-like symptoms.
The degree of danger of mold exposure can change depending on how sensitive an individual is to its spores, how long the person has been exposed, and the extent of the mold infestation of the property.
To limit the chance that exposed individuals will suffer severe and lasting health effects as a result of exposure to mold, it is best to begin mold remediation as soon as growth is suspected.
Mold Inspections And Mold Assessments
Mold Inspections can either be performed directly by a restoration company or by a third party mold inspector. In a perfect world there is no difference as to who performs this, so long as the inspector is qualified to do so.
Recently, certain states have made regulations in the mold industry that prohibit performing a mold assessment and remediation on the same job. The reason for this is that there is a possible conflict of interest. The inspector should be unbiased and a restoration company has an incentive to say there is a serious problem when there may not be.
The states that have added licensing for mold contractors include Florida, New York, Texas and the District of Columbia. Each of these states have different guidelines for what defines a mold assessment. For example the State of Texas requires a mold assessment by a Licensed Mold Assessment Consultant/Technician before and after a mold remediation take place whenever there is twenty five square feet or more of contiguous mold. While the State of Florida allows a restoration company to give an estimate whenever there is visible mold, they simply cannot test their own job before or after if they perform the remediation.
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Mold Removal And Mold Remediation: How To Remove Mold Safely
If you have found mold growth in your home or business for the first time, you might be very concerned for your health if you have heard of all the issues that can come from Toxic Black Mold exposure. As a restoration company, we take pride not only in performing mold remediation but also educating people on the truths about mold. We have put together this comprehensive guide to educate people on the mold remediation process and how to remove mold safely.
Moisture: Investigating And Solving Problems
Mould will grow indoors if moisture is present. Moisture problems in homes may result from:
- daily activities such as showering or bathing, washing clothes or cooking, if exhaust fans are not working properly or are not used
- infiltration of water from the outside when there are cracks or leaks in the foundation, floor, walls or roof
- plumbing leaks
- moisture condensation on cold surfaces
- flooding due to weather conditions
- inadequate ventilation.
Moisture indoors accumulates when it cannot be vented outside and becomes a problem when building materials become damp or wet.
Moisture problems are preventable.
Unless the cause of the moisture problem has been identified and solved, mould will reappear. Once the moisture problem and its causes have been identified, they must be fixed. To prevent future problems, measures should be put in place to control sources of moisture in your home, for example:
- Ensure rain, irrigation water and snowmelt drain away from the house by sloping the grade away from the building.
- Keep eavestroughs and downspouts clean of debris and ensure that the outflow runs away from the house and not into neighbouring foundations.
- Repair plumbing leaks promptly.
- Use exhaust fans, ventilation and air conditioning systems to vent moisture outdoors.
- Use moisture tolerant materials in areas likely to get wet .
Run a dehumidifier in damp areas such as basements or if you observe that moisture is condensing on cold surfaces such as window panes.
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What A Mold Remediation Professional Will Do
Mold remediation companies will clean up your mold in a few days if just some washing and removing carpet is involved, or in a few weeks if demolition and rebuilding is required.
Generally, the cleanup process entails:
- Removing water-damaged, mold-infested materials.
- Cleaning and disinfecting walls, carpet, and personal items.
- Removing drywall and studs if mold damage is extensive.
- Vacuuming with HEPA filtration.
If mold infestation is severe and you are mold-sensitive, you may have to live elsewhere during cleanup.
Remediation costs vary depending on how much and where mold exists. Figure on:
- $500 to $4,000 to remove mold from crawlspaces only.
- $2,000 to $6,000 to remove mold from ducts, crawl spaces, walls, and attics.
- $10,000 to $30,000 to repair widespread structural damage.
Mold remediation isnt about ‘kill, kill, kill,’ says Wane A. Baker, a Wisconsin mold investigator. Even dead mold can still be allergenic.
