Mold Removal

Mold Removal & Cleanup

When a building is on the market for sale, there are cases during the inspection that mold is found. The chance of this happening is greater in foreclosed homes since they may have been neglected by the homeowner and could also be left vacant for long periods of time. When it is time for sale, it is possible that mold removal is necessary. The selling agent will usually be in contact with a mold remediation company to solicit bids for remediation. We can bid projects to eliminate and cleanup the mold and provide a 3rd party air sampling mold test proving that the area remediated is cleaner than the outside ambient environment. We can also coordinate the reconstruction of anything demoed like bathroom or kitchen cabinets, drywall and painting, selling the building more quickly and minimizing effort for the realtor.

When water damage is not taken care of correctly, mold damage can occur. Mold damage can occur within 2 hours to a few days if a property is left with high moisture levels.

Mold, whether dead or alive, can cause serious respiratory health problems. Many times homeowners ask us if “bleach” will “kill” mold. This option will cause mold blemishes to change color but leaves the distinct possibility that mold is left in the air, alive or dead, allowing for potentially harmful health effects. We eliminate this option by filtering the air with HEPA air scrubbers an HEPA vacuums in a very specific manner to reduce the mold levels to acceptability.

Many times homeowners will also ask if the color of the mold is an indicator of its affects to health. The only way that the specific mold strain can be identified is to have it sampled, cultivated in a lab, and analyzed under a microscope. We can coordinate this. Its effect on health is also a function of the susceptibility of the individual person (i.e. the elderly and young are more susceptible). Certain people are naturally more susceptible as well. Certainly, there are certain stains that nearly all individuals will have an adverse respiratory health affect to if exposed to them. We treat all mold damage as if it were the worst.

We can assess the damage or coordinate the testing. We can walk you through the steps necessary to eliminate the mold and restore your property back to pre-existing conditions. Our specialized remediation techniques include the following:

• Coherence or exceeding the EPA standards for mold remediation
• Coordination of air or surface sampling if necessary
• Moisture analysis
• Analysis of moisture source
• If applicable, setting up containment to ensure mold spores do not move from the area to other parts of the structure
• Removal of damaged areas and proper disposal of debris
• Extraction of mold spores
• HEPA vacuuming
• HEPA air scrubbing
• Coordination of air duct cleaning
• Dehumidification
• Drying / air movement for expediting drying
• If applicable, specialized drying of cabinets, hardwood floors, carpets, interior of drywall
• Coordination with an air tester as proof that area was remediated correctly

A few examples of remediation related to water damage are:

• Water damage not taken care of quickly that causes microbial growth buildup
• Slow leaking pipe within a wall causing mold damage on the drywall
• Slow leaking appliance like a refrigerator or dishwasher causing mold damage to the hardwood floor or subfloor
• Leaky shower pan on a second floor causing a slow drip and damage to first floor ceiling drywall
• Foreclosed house left unattended with flood damage and causing microbial growth on carpet, drywall and hardwood flooring
• Standing water under a house in a crawlspace left unattended and causing microbial growth on ceiling / floor joists
• Broken water heater causing consistent water damage to drywall and the water heater stand

The above are all real examples of remediation work we have completed. We can also coordinate the construction by offering referrals. Give us a call. We are your one source from start to finish for your property damage needs.

“Black Mold” – difference between it and “regular mold”