How Long Does It Take To Remove Black Mold
Armen D. Glendale Ca.
The time it takes for Black mold removal, is all dependent on how severe the growth is, the location of it, what caused the mold to grow in the first place, sewer wastewater, or freshwater leak.
We have removed black mold in 4 hours for lite contamination, and up to 4 days for severe contamination.
Having the proper certified black mold removal agents makes the removal process safe and very effective.
Can I Clean The Mold On The Interior Walls Myself Or Do I Need A Professional
Mildew is usually easy to remove from hard surfaces, and is easily a DIY project. Mold however is a different story. Customers often ask us, Can I clean the mold myself or do I need a professional?
Our answer depends several factors including:
- how extensive the mold problem is
- what building materials, furnishings, and belongings are affected
- where the mold is located
- whether or not you mind being in confined spaces such as your crawlspace, basement, or attic
If youre familiar with our blog, you know that the first thing to do when cleaning mold is to fix the moisture problem that led to the mold growth. Until you fix the moisture problem, mold will continue to grow and spread.
Mold is great at hiding in hard to detect locations such as in drywall and insulation. If the area of mold covers more than about 10 square feet, there is a good chance the mold problem is more than an isolated issue.
DIY? Be sure youre cleaning safely!
If the area of mold is less than 10 square feet and you dont have any health problems with mold, you may be able to handle it yourself. To get all the details check out our post: Black Mold vs Mildew 7 Common Misconceptions and When to DIY. Our article gives you all the details on how to DIY safely, and what mold removal products to use that are safe and environmentally friendly.
How To Prevent Mold In Your Home
Its much easier to prevent mold than get rid of it once its there. Follow these six tips to help reduce the risk of mold in your home.
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Previous Water Damage Event
Have you previously had the misfortune of discovering a water damage event like flooding or burst pipes in your home? If the water was extracted efficiently and properly, there is likely resulting mold growth.
Because fungus feeds on moisture, water damage often leads to mold problems which can be costly and can potentially harm the structural integrity of your home. To learn about how to manage a water damage event, clickhere.
Fungus and mold need water to thrive. If you have previously had the misfortune of experiencing a water damage event in your home, it is important to ensure that there is no resulting mold problem. At the first sign of mold, call the experts at ProClean at 484-8500.
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According to the EPA, there is no simple way to eliminate all mold within a home, so it is important to stay diligent in detecting any possible problems.
If you notice any of the above warning signs, it is important to thoroughly and comprehensively remove mold colonies before they multiply even further.
How To Remove Mold Behind Walls
A lot of people falsely believe that killing mold inside walls is an easy process. Its not. This is NOT a DIY activity. One wrong move and you run the risk of contaminating your entire home and all of your belongings. It is better to spend the money and allow a professional to properly remediate the area than trying to do it yourself and causing a larger, more expensive problem.
When it come to mold, you want to do it right. That means opening up walls, removing the moldy building materials and replacing it with new building materials. Specifically, porous materials such as sheetrock and insulation should be replaced. Even though the sheetrock and insulation may appear to be OK, it is likely that mold spores are still present and the mold may continue to grow even if you follow a treatment of black mold inside walls. It also means treating the areas around it with products like EC3 and Endurance Bio Barrier to tackle any rogue mold spores and mycotoxins and prevent mold in the future.
Mold in walls is one of the more complicated mold scenarios but certainly one that can be handled. Please reach out if you think you have mold hiding inside your walls. I offer phone consultations on the best steps to take for your individual situation.
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How Do You Know If You Have Mold Inside Walls
You should suspect mold in your walls if:
- There is a significant amount of wall mold on the outside of your walls.
- There has been flooding or other significant water damage in the home.
- You smell a definite musty odor in the room but cant see any mold .
The only way to know for sure if there is mold in walls is to look. Cut 12 inch by 12 inch inspection holes with a drywall saw every four feet, remove any insulation, and use a mirror and flashlight to inspect the inside of the walls.
You can also call in a certified mold tester to inspect your home and test different areas for the presence of mold. Certified mold testers are usually engineers and they know how and where to look for mold. They will make sure you dont overlook any hidden mold in the home. To find certified mold testers in your area, follow the link.
Diy Mold Removal And Treatment
This is where you remove the moldy drywall, assess the situation, clean and treat the mold, encapsulate it, and rebuild the wall. However, DIY mold treatment is risky you run a real risk of spreading the mold and compromising your health due to the mold spores and the toxic chemical treatments.
More so, it’s easy to damage your home during removal and incur an extensive loss. Experts only recommend DIY if you are certified, experienced, and own the right tools for mold remediation.
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What Is Mold And What Causes Mold In Your Home
Mold is, by broad definition, a type of fungus that sprouts from microscopic spores floating in the air. When clusters of mold spores grow on surfaces, they start to reproduce and become visible to the human eye. If you have mold allergies, asthma, or another lung condition, even breathing in the microscopic pores can trigger an attack. If you dont, you may not even be aware that there is mold in your home until you see it or smell it .
All homes have the key ingredients needed for mold growth: the presence of mold spores, a surface for it to grow on, oxygen, warmth, and darkness. When you add moisture, whether from a water leak, stagnant water, or high levels of humidity, into the mix, thats where mold problems begin. Knowing where mold is commonly found in homes can help you prevent and treat it so you can keep your home and body healthy.
How Common Is Mold In Buildings
Mold is very common in homes and buildings.
One 2017 study found mold in every public building studied, with an average of about 14 instances of mold per building.
Another involving 31 European countries found mold in 1 in 6 homes. The author noted that the prevalence of mold may vary greatly depending on the regional climate.
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What Does Mold Smell Like
Mold has a noticeable damp and stale smell, almost like wet paper. If you notice this musty smell coming from parts of your house, youre probably dealing with a mold problem. Ceiling tiles, wallcoverings, and wood products are most susceptible to moisture, hence why they are often the target of mold. Follow your nose and locate the source.
If your house has a chimney thats been neglected for a while, chances are its full of mold. You can inspect it by smelling it, but we highly suggest hiring a professional for a quick checkup and routine maintenance.
Trust The Experts Trust Proclean
Our highly-trained, certifiedmold removalprofessionals follow a proven, step-by-step process to make your home or business safe again.
First, we visually inspect the area to find any potential mold, tracing it to the source if possible. Then, our team contains the affected area and removes moldy, non-salvageable, porous material and implements negative air pressure technology to keep harmful mold spores from traveling from the air to your lungs.
Next, we utilize advanced HEPA filtered vacuums to help eliminate mold on non-porous surfaces, then set up air scrubbers with HEPA filters.
Finally, we ULV fog with a powerful antimicrobial solution to ensure that we treat the deepest, darkest corners of your home then, we clean and sanitize the remaining salvageable contents as necessary.
The moment you notice mold, you must act. Even a small amount of mold in the home can multiply quickly, and its entirely possible that there is more existing mold than what meets the eye.
today to ensure the safety of your home and health of your loved ones within it.
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Signs Your Home Has Mold
Worried your house or apartment has mold? Here are the telltale signs you may have a damp or fungus problem.
Does your home have mold? If you own your house or apartment, mold can be an expensive issue to fix, and a persistent problem. And it isn’t just the cost either – many forms of mold are extremely bad for your health, if ingested over a period of time, so you need to get it sorted. If you’re in any doubt about whether you have mold, what type you have, or where it is concentrated, you should pick from any of the best mold test kits and check it out for yourself. They’re all inexpensive, and can help you start to fix the problem.
However, you need to know the early-warning signs in order to start your investigation. Mold can often grow in places you rarely inspect, and can even spread behind stud walls, chimneys, or large items of furniture like wardrobes. One of the most common places for mold to grow is in your HVAC unit, which will then spread it through your home. Many test kits will sample from your air con unit, but some won’t. In some instances you may even need to change the heating and cooling system in your home, if mold gets bad, so if this is the case you should consult our guide to the best central air conditioning units .
Hopefully, though, you’ll spot one of the signs your home has mold early, and get it fixed before it spreads.
Mold Removal: How To Detect And Remove Mold From Behind Walls
Mold growth can be a common issue for home and business owners. Unlike mildew or the encroachment of weeds, most strains of mold can grow without sunlight and take hold on a variety of surfaces, even inside walls. This issue can be especially problematic because the mold can damage wiring, insulation, and drywall. When it comes to mold in walls, removal can be tricky, but there are a few steps you can take to ensure it is properly eradicated and will not return.
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What Causes Mold In Walls
Water. Water causes mold in walls. Lets look at the most common ways it gets there.
- Building materials were either already moldy OR were installed wet.
- The house itself from not properly seated on the foundation which allowed rainwater, groundwater, and runoff to seep into the framing.
- Windows and doors are not properly installed and sealed. Water is able to penetrate into the wall cavity.
- Water intrusion from outside coming into your wall from rain or irrigation due to stucco, siding, etc on an exterior wall thats compromised.
- A roof leak that runs into your home and behind a wall.
- Pipes and plumbing connections fail and leak. Usually you will discover a burst pipe rather quickly. It is the slow water leaks that are the main culprit when plumbing failures cause mold in walls.
- Wastewater line / sewer drain line has a slow leak.
- Air conditioning condensation line breaks inside the wall.
- Toilet overflows, bathtub overflows, washing machine overflows, hot water heater breaks, or any other accumulation of a large amount of water in your home that ISNT dried out promptly and completely.
Addressing Moisture And Mould In Your Home
Health Canada considers indoor mould growth to be a significant health hazard. The word mould is a common term referring to fungi that can grow on building materials in homes or other buildings. Damp conditions and mould growth in homes increases the risk of respiratory allergy symptoms and exacerbate asthma in mold-sensitive individuals. It is important to know how to identify, address and prevent moisture and mould in your home.
People living in homes with mould and damp conditions are more likely to have:
- eye, nose and throat irritation
- coughing and phlegm build-up
- wheezing and shortness of breath
- worsening of asthma symptoms
The level of concern depends on the extent of mould, how long it has been present and the sensitivity and overall health of the residents. Some people are more susceptible than others. For example, infants, children, the elderly and those with health problems such as breathing difficulties are more at risk from mould and dampness.
Any respiratory health concerns should be discussed with a physician if you suspect that these could be caused by poor indoor air quality. Your physician is best suited to determine if your symptoms may be related to environmental factors or some other underlying cause.
Health Canada recommends controlling dampness indoors and cleaning up any mould regardless of the type of mould presentFootnote 1.
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If Mold Is Present In Concrete Walls Try These Tips
How Do You Remove Mold Inside Walls
Before attempting to remove mold in walls remember that these procedures are to be performed inside a contained area while wearing personal protective equipment and operating negative air filtration equipment.
If mold is growing on the back of drywall, the drywall must be removed and replaced. Any insulation in the wall should be removed and replaced. Moldy materials should be double bagged in heavy plastic trash bags before you carry them through the house for disposal, to prevent the inadvertent spread of mold throughout the home in the process.
After sheetrock walls and/or ceilings are removed, the exposed studs and joists and the surfaces between the studs and joists need to be HEPA vacuumed to remove all of the settled dust deposits from these surfaces, as these deposits are likely to contain elevated levels of mold and bacteria. The same holds true for floor joists when wood floors are removed during a mold remediation project.
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In The Shower And Bathtub
Showers and bathtubs are one of the most common places you may find mold. With repeated use, these areas tend to be damp most of the time. If you arent properly ventilating during and after your shower or bath, mold spores will thrive. But mold isnt always visible and obvious be sure to check for mold on your shampoo bottles, washcloths and loofahs, shower curtain, in and around the faucet and shower head, and in the tile grout.
