Mold Removal and Remediation

Mold Removal Facts

1. Mold Grows Quickly: Mold needs only moisture, temperatures above 40 °F (4 °C), and organic material to survive. Mold can grow in 24-48 hours, preferring areas with no sunlight, limited airflow, and little disruption.
2. Mold Destroys Your Home: Professional Builder Magazine warns that mold will dramatically lower the value of your home. A home worth $250,000 can easily have $100,000 in mold problems and will be difficult to sell at any price. Additionally, mold can lead to serious structural damage to your home.
3. Cleaning Visible Mold is Not Enough: Mold can grow in fiberglass insulation, on top of ceiling tiles, inside ducts, behind drywall panels, in wall cavities, and behind wallpaper. Even when it's visible, it's often impossible (even for an expert) to tell the difference between mold, soot, and dirt without testing. The mold you can see is just the beginning, and some of it is extremely hard to find!
4. Bleach & Detergent Will Not Eliminate Mold: Bleach and detergent are useful for removing mold on nonporous surfaces. However, materials such as ceiling tiles and wallboard will have deep mold penetration and may need to be replaced. Removed mold will regrow if all sources of moisture and humidity are not eliminated.
5. Mold Cleaning is Hazardous: It only takes 3-5 mold spores to cause an allergic reaction, and some molds contain mycotoxins that are carcinogenic or deadly. Vibrations and movement will cause mold to release their spores; it's easy to accidentally knock hundreds of thousands of spores loose from a single patch of mold! And that's just a drop in the bucket: Recent research has shown that up to one billion mold spores can be found in just one square foot of drywall!
6. Mold Removal Requires Professional Equipment and Training: Mold removal experts have a variety of state-of-the-art equipment that they use to identify sources of moisture, to dry out wall cavities, and to safely remove mold that is growing in your home. Samples of mold may be analyzed in a laboratory to identify potentially toxic strains, and special cleaning agents may be used to restore property. While some contractors are jumping on the "mold is gold" bandwagon, it's important to find the established, trained, and equipped contractors that are committed to the industry for the long haul.

To Sum It Up: As Steven R. Silicato, writer for Buildings Magazine states, "Choosing the right remediation contractor could be the single most important decision an owner or manager makes -- one that could mean the difference between a successful cleanup or a negative outcome."