What to Expect During Mold Remediation (And When Do You Need It?)
After a storm swept through my childhood home, my parents were face-to-face with a huge mold problem. Rainwater had leaked through the roof and infected multiple areas. They needed mold remediation but had no idea what it entailed.
This article will teach you all about mold remediation. We’ll discuss whether or not you need it, what the process looks like, and what to expect afterward.
What is Mold Remediation?
The simple answer is that mold remediation is the professional removal of mold. They will survey the area, treat it, and eliminate all mold.
Whenever there is large-scale mold, remediation is the only solution.
Why Do People Get Mold Remediation?
You might already be aware of this fact, but certain molds are deadly. Mold is a living spore that’s really easy to enter into your body through your eyes, mouth, or nose.
Once it’s in your body, mold can start wreaking havoc. Even non-toxic mold can lead to some pretty nasty symptoms.
The reason to get mold remediation is to keep yourself safe and away from mold. A lot of care has to be taken when you’re dealing with a large area of mold.
Do I Need Mold Remediation?
According to the EPA, you need professional mold remediation if the affected area is larger than 10 square feet.
The reason is because larger areas require professional equipment, expertise, and abilities. If you try to tackle it on your own, you can wind up getting really sick. You’ll see in the next section just how important it is to consult a professional.
If you stumble across a large area of mold, immediately call the professionals, and get out of that area. In homes that have mold, it’s not rare for there to be multiple locations of mold. The pros will also know where to look to locate more mold.
Read More Articles About Mold Removal:
- Can Mold Come Back After Remediation?
- Can Mold Grow on Fiberglass Insulation?
- How To Kill Mold and Mildew in Carpets
- How To Clean Mold Off The Ceiling Above The Shower
What Happens During Mold Remediation and What To Expect
The mold remediation process has a few steps. The ultimate goal is to locate and remove all mold in your property.
Don’t be surprised if the process takes longer than you expect. A lot of equipment is involved, there’s a bit of a scavenger hunt, and caution must be used.
It starts with a walkthrough.
Initial Walkthrough
The first part of the remediation process is having an expert look at your home. They are trained in knowing where to look and understanding what they’re looking at.
They will typically do a pretty thorough inspection. If you know some problem areas (probably what caused you to make the call), you can show them these areas. They might take photos or take notes during the walkthrough.
They will generate enough information to put together a report for their home office. The report might include:
- Photos of the affected areas
- Some information you give them about the problem
- Their professional assessment of the areas
- The type of mold
- What might be causing the mold
- What can be done to fix the mold problem
The expert might even give you a copy of the report.
You Might Be Relocated
Depending on the size and location of the moldy areas, you might be forced to leave your home or office.
While work is being done in the room or building, only the professionals are allowed to go in and out of the room. That means that you need to avoid these areas at all costs otherwise your health is at risk.
Your mold professional will tell you whether or not you’ll have to leave the site, but just be prepared in case they ask you to leave.
Preparing the Area
If the expert determines that the mold is bad enough for their crew to get to work, then they need to prepare the area. This is typically a separate trip to your home or office.
If the affected area is large enough, the experts will seal off the area.
They will move all the furniture out of the area. Since the mold spores are so small and easy to float around, they will take a lot of care in preparing the area.
They might put plastic over vents, windows, and closets to protect them. If you have carpeting, they might even opt to lay plastic down on the floor as well. These areas will be covered and restricted during the process.
They will set up a fan that blows air from the room to the exterior of your home. This ensures that the dangerous mold spores don’t settle in your room and still pose a hazard.
Eliminating the Mold
Next up is eliminating the mold. The workers will be donned in fully protective outfits. They might wear full bodysuits, but they will definitely have on protective face masks.
During the elimination process, you cannot go anywhere near the area.
The method and technique they use to eliminate the mold varies on a lot of factors. The treatment depends on where the affected area is, how large the area is, and the access to the area. Additionally, the type of mold will determine how they deal with it.
Eliminating Mold on Objects
In some cases, your moldy area might involve a number of items. If the items are non-porous or semi-porous, you’re in luck. Examples of these items are concrete, glass, ceramic, wood, plastic.
The pros will use a cleaning mixture on the item, kill all the mold, dry it completely, and return the items.
How Long Does Mold Remediation Take?
As you can see, the process is pretty thorough. The pros need to make sure they stay safe, and they need to work meticulously to make sure all the mold is destroyed and removed from your property.
With that being said, remediation can take longer than you expect. Between the initial walkthrough call to the final steps of remediation, you could be looking at weeks. The shortest time to expect is at least a few days for them to set up, kill the mold, and remove the blockades after 24 hours.
Expediting the process only raises the risk level for you and the professionals. This is one of those things that you just have to bite the bullet and let it take its time.
What Happens After Mold Remediation?
After the mold professionals are done the remediation process, you still can’t go near the area. Most experts will suggest a 24-hour lockdown of the area. Your mold pro will most likely tell you about that before they even start the work (some companies require a longer period of time to reduce the risk).
After that period of time, you’ll be able to move your belongings back into the room. It’s advised to check your belongings for mold before bringing them back in. If your objects have mold on them, you can either throw them away or clean them with bleach. Ask the pros to check before they leave, if possible.
Your mold professional might also make recommendations about removing moisture in certain areas. They will have products and equipment they can suggest that will prevent the mold from returning.
