Mold Remediation

We have all encountered mold at some point in our lives. Typically you don’t even know it is there but it can get out of control very quickly. We see a lot of people who decide to replace a dishwasher or put down new carpet and are shocked to discover that they have a mold problem that was hidden very well. Obviously, there are other circumstances that bring on mold damage such as properties that are left vacant with no air movement for an extended period of time or a basement or attic that had a dehumidifier that stopped working. Properly cleaning mold is a tricky process and you need to know what you are up against. The innitial reaction is to go at with some bleach to sanitize and clean because, well, GROSS! This is probably one of the worst ideas as mold is a very durable organic material. Literally, this will do nothing but bleach the color out of the mold and likely will distribute the spores into the air. Now you are breathing the spores in and they are also looking for new organic material to attach themselves to so that they can create a whole new colony of growth!

Mold really only needs two things to grow; moisture and organic material to feed. If your home has experienced water damage that goes unchecked, mold can begin to grow within 48 hours. Water damage is not the only way that can cause mold growth. Often times it can be poor ventilation or high humidity levels that create the perfect environment for mold spores to take hold to a surface. This can be why bathrooms, laundry rooms, kitchens, basements, and attics seem to see damage more than other areas of your home that do not see much moisture. If you encounter mold in your home you will want to act quickly. Often times you can treat a small area quickly like the dishwasher scenario described earlier quite easily with no additional testing or air quality monitoring. However, the vacant home scenario usually means the process is going to take a bit more time and be a bit more intense.

Depending on the level of damage mold remediation can be an involved process but it all starts with the same step; kill the mold and all of the spores so that it does not have the opportunity to spread any further! We have professional equipment and professional chemicals that will stop the mold in its tracks. This process is typically accomplished by applying mold killing chemicals to the surfaces of the affected areas and running powerful heppa air scrubbers to remove the airborn mold spores. Once we have accurately treated and killed all of the mold is when we start in on the cleanup. Just because the mold is now dead does not mean that it disappears. The cleaning process is pretty standard but we often take additional steps to seal subflooring and drywall that was effected with antimicrobial paint so that mold resistance is greater moving forward as demonstrated in the photos below.

ASJ offers free visual inspections of mold discovered in your property and also offers air quality testing at a small cost to discern if your home may be affected by unseen mold or mildew. If you feel that your home is experiencing a mold issue, give us a call! We have IICRC certified mold remediation technicians that can quickly and accurately assess your situation and make great recomendations on next steps.