Mold Remediation: The Inside Scoop
10/6/2022 (Permalink)
Mold damage to your property is never pleasant. The thought of mold alone makes some people cringe, mainly when the mold exists inside your home or business. While it is essential to try and prevent mold growth in the first place, mistakes happen, and it’s not uncommon for people to make minor oversights that lead to worse mold problems.
One way to address mold issues on your property is through mold remediation. Mold remediation goes a step further than removal by targeting the source of the mold damage and combatting the infestation to prevent further damage.
Mold remediation is one of the best decisions you can make to maintain the integrity of your property and keep your environment safe from mold caused by excess moisture and humidity. This article will cover the steps of the mold remediation process, why mold remediation is essential to anyone dealing with mold damage, and how you can avoid mold growth in the first place.
The Mold Remediation Process, Explained
Mold remediation removes mold from a property by identifying its source and removing all traces of the harmful mold. Remediation cleans and disinfects contaminated areas to help prevent mold growth from happening in the future.
Mold remediation is typically a seven-step process that gets to the root of why you are experiencing mold infestations. Whereas mold removal eliminates the visible mold, it does not target the source of the problem.
Choosing mold remediation is essential to fight against mold growth. Below are the seven steps of the remediation process to prevent mold damage to your property.
- Call an emergency contact service once you notice the mold. For example, services like SERVPRO of Wellington South are crucial points of contact for beginning the cleanup and restoration process. Contacting SERVPRO of Wellington South ensures that experts will solve your mold problem with the right resources to get to the root cause of the mold.
- Once you’ve contacted emergency services, the inspection and mold damage assessment process begins. During this step, experts will inspect your property and identify any signs of mold. An expert is crucial for this step, as mold often stays hidden from plain sight and is challenging to detect.
- After the assessment, experts will begin mold remediation procedures, starting with containment. Containment procedures are crucial for preventing any further spread of mold infestation. Removal teams will use various procedures to contain the infestation, such as negative air chambers that isolate the mold damage.
- Once containment is complete, specialists will begin the air filtration process. This step allows for the collection of mold spores out of the air to prevent the spread of mold. Air filtration is crucial to keep mold spores away from you and from spreading to other areas of your property.
- Following air filtration, mold remediation teams will begin removing the mold and any mold-infested materials. Remediation strategies depend on your property's mold damage and what surfaces are housing the mold. The removal process will involve antifungal and antimicrobial treatments to target mold colonies and minimize the chance of new colonies appearing. This step might get complex depending on the extent of the mold damage. Remediation teams may remove any porous materials like drywall for a successful remediation.
- The penultimate step of the mold remediation process is cleaning your belongings to remove any lingering impact of mold damage or unpleasant odors. Remediation teams must clean things like decorations, furniture, or clothes to keep mold away from your property.
- The final step to successful mold remediation is restoration. Restoration depends on the mold damage level and any materials removed during the remediation process. Restoration might include minor repairs like replacing your drywall or insulation but could also entail more significant repairs and reconstructions to your property.
Why Mold Remediation is Important
Mold remediation might seem lengthy and expensive compared to simple mold removal. Because of this, many people don’t understand the importance of mold remediation to keeping your property safe. Though mold remediation is an investment on your behalf, leaving the issue unaddressed or removing the visible mold will likely incur more significant expenses in the future.
Mold remediation reduces the chance of future problems occurring because of mold damage. If you choose mold removal over remediation, you will likely face a repeated cost, as the mold will return to your property and require removal. You can only solve mold outbreaks with remediation to prevent further damage to your property and health.
How Can I Prevent Mold in the First Place?
Mold remediation is essential to address your current mold problems and prevent further mold damage and outbreaks. While remediation is a must if you notice mold on your property, there are ways to prevent mold from growing that will save you time and stress. The CDC recommends five preventative measures to keep mold outside of your property.
- Make certain humidity levels are low on your property. Mold forms because of excessive moisture and humidity levels, and humidity above 50% can spell trouble for your property. If you are unsure how to keep mold damage from harming your property, you should consider investing in a dehumidifier or quality air conditioning unit. You should check humidity levels multiple times daily, especially during warmer seasons.
- Get rid of any leaks in your home. If you’ve ever noticed that sometimes water drips in from cracks, you should take care of this as soon as possible. Any leaks on your property will provide mold with a place to grow.
- Use fans and vents on your property. Airflow is crucial to preventing mold damage and the need for mold remediation. Exhaust fans and vents are essential to keeping a healthy airflow and preventing excess moisture.
- Keep your bathroom clean. Bathrooms are a breeding ground for mold because they are most likely to suffer damage from excess moisture and humidity. Cleaning your bathroom walls with mold-killing products is vital to keeping mold outside your property.
- Remove and replace items like upholstery and carpeting that are soaked with moisture and cannot be dried immediately. To prevent the need for replacement, consider eliminating carpeting from places like your bathroom or basement.
Mold Remediation Experts
Mold remediation is essential for preventing possible damage to your property caused by excessive humidity and moisture. Some ways to prevent mold from growing on your property will save you time, stress, and money.
However, if you notice or suspect mold damage, you must call an expert service immediately. SERVPRO of Wellington South can help you prevent further mold damage through expert remediation services. Contact us today to speak with a mold damage specialist.