Mold Remediation

You found mold, now what?

There is a lot of conflicting and scary information out there: all mold is toxic, mold can ruin the sale of your home, and mold is airborne. While it's true that mold can cause health issues, it can create toxic byproducts, and (if left untreated) will likely cause problems with the sale of a property, we can help you sort through the information and misinformation. We can also help you mitigate mold on your property.

Mold is everywhere

So you think you might have mold, or maybe you have visible mold, what do you need to do?

First of all, remember that mold is found everywhere in nature, and not all mold is toxic. However, different people have different health reactions, and for many reasons, mold growing inside your home simply is not a good thing. So when do you need to worry, and what steps should you take?

There are many kinds of mold, found both indoors and outside. Some types of mold can cause illness (sometimes severe illness), while other types typically do not pose a major health threat. Mold can cause health problems for one person, and not the next, so the impact can vary greatly. Even if the mold infestation is not making anyone sick, the presence of mold DOES indicate that you also have a moisture issue, and that can lead to mold, fungi and, eventually, structural damage.

Health concerns

Mold decreases indoor air quality and is a leading trigger for allergic reactions. Common symptoms include:

• Respiratory reactions including sneezing, runny nose, coughing or wheezing, sinus inflammation, and other breathing issues
• Nose bleeds
• Water, itchy or red eyes
• Skin irritation, rashes and sores
• Asthma attacks
• Fever, fatigue, and headaches

Property concerns

Mold decreases indoor air quality, is ugly to look at, often has a noticeable and unpleasant odor, and can slow or prevent the successful sale of a property. When you have (or suspect) the presence of mold, it's important to identify:

• The source of the moisture and whether or not it has been corrected (if not, you can remediate the mold, but it will eventually come back)
• Whether or not the original source of moisture contained sewage or other contaminants
• What areas and materials have been affected (and how that will impact any next steps for proper containment and remediation)

Get professional help

When you schedule a mold inspection, we will review with you the areas where you suspect there is mold and discuss remediation options and costs. We will look to confirm the presence of moisture using visual inspection and moisture detection equipment. Often, the big three signs are enough evidence: visual appearance, musty odor, or health effects.

Further testing

When additional testing is necessary, we will recommend several independent, 3rd party testing laboratories. We make these recommendations as a convenience to you - you may use any testing laboratory of your choice. While there are some firms that will perform both the testing and the remediation, we prefer to keep the testing and the remediation completely separate.

Our professional team will take the proper steps that you are not likely to be prepared to do on your own such as:

• Negative air and proper containment to avoid and prevent the spread of mold spores to other uncontaminated areas
• Use of proper PPE, including respirator, eye protection, rubber gloves, proper footwear, and coveralls

Proper treatment with a safe, effective, EPA-approved plant-based fungicide and mildewstat. This green treatment falls under the FDA's category of GRAS (Generally Recognized As Safe) and is free of ammonia, chlorine, oxidizers and alcohols.

Common Mold Myth-Conceptions