Where there’s moisture, there can be mold. Molds are pervasive, which means they exist anywhere and everywhere. With their huge population, they can be hazardous to our health and lead to serious respiratory infections and allergic reactions. The only way to get rid of mold is to locate where it mostly grows, so it can go through the process called mold remediation. Learn about mold remediation and how it can protect your home or facility from mold damage.
Common Types of Mold Found in Homes
- Acremonium - often pink, grey, orange, or white, Acremonium typically grows in humidifiers, cooling coils, drain pans, and window sealants.
- Alternaria - a velvet-textured mold with dark green or brown hairs, which typically grows wherever dampness occurs like showers, bathtubs, and leaking sinks.
- Aspergillus - an allergenic mold with flask-shaped spores. It can lead to symptoms like asthma attacks, lung infections, and respiratory inflammation.
- Aureobasidium - usually develops in pink, brown or black color. This mold can be found growing behind wallpaper, on painted walls or wooden surfaces and can cause dermatitis or skin rash if directly touched with bare skin.
- Chaetomium - causes health effects such as skin and nail infections. This mold is usually found in a damp or leaking roof, basement or sink and may be recognizable by its musty odor.
- Cladosporium – a black or green mold that grows on the back of toilets. This kind of mold can trigger common allergy symptoms like red watery eyes, sore throat and rashes.
- Chlorohalonata – known as black mold or “toxic black mold” in the U.S., it is frequently associated with poor indoor air quality that arises after fungal growth on water-damaged building materials.
How to Protect Your Home from Mold Damage
Locate the moisture.
- Molds are likely to appear in moist areas such as leaky roofs, indoor plumbing, flooded spaces, or poorly maintained areas.
- Common building materials such as drywall, furring strips, plywood, and carpets are usually the areas where mold grows.
- If you suspect that the heating/ventilation/air conditioning (HVAC) system may be contaminated with mold, or it is a part of an identified moisture problem, for instance, or if there is mold near the intake to the system, DO NOT RUN the HVAC system. It could spread mold throughout the building.
Create a remediation plan.
- If you hire mold remediation experts after the inspection, the team will document the damage using photos or videos for them to create a remediation plan.
- In this case, the team will know what should be done. The remediation plan also includes the warranty and the liability of the company.
Calculate the extent of the contamination.
- The team should figure out the extent of the contamination to ensure that all infected areas are thoroughly treated. There are guidelines that need to be followed.
- These guidelines are commonly used in the construction industry and recommend six levels of mold remediation based on the square footage of the molds.
The Mold Remediation Process
This process includes the cleanup of the existing mold as well as the prevention of new growth without harming the homeowners and the handyman.
The cleanup process is the same for Level 1 and Level 2 mold remediation and it comprises of these steps:
- Repair the water problem
- Isolate the contaminated area. Suppress dust
- Suppress dust
- Remove materials
- Place materials in plastic bags
- Clean the affected area and egress
- Visibility test
- Drying
- Replacements
The Final Check Up
- This where we need the documentation papers. It will determine if the correct procedure was performed. We will compare the photo or the video that has been taken before the process has taken place.
- After the remediation process, an environmental testing company will come (depending on the contractor) as needed to verify that the mold is completely gone and preventive measures have been taken.
Mold remediation cannot be performed by an ordinary handyman; if the area cannot be thoroughly cleaned, the mold will keep growing and will compromise your family’s safety.
Schedule a Mold Remediation Appointment in Roswell, Georgia
ServiceMaster by LoveJoy has a 24/7 live answering service to address any mold emergency in Atlanta, Georgia and the surrounding areas.
Call us at (678) 293-0297 for clients near Conyers, GA and (770) 983-6665 for clients near Roswell, GA. You may also message us through our online contact form.
- Over 30 years of experience
- IICRC Certified Firm in Conyers, GA
- Skilled and experienced technicians
We offer water damage restoration and mold inspection and remediation for both residential and commercial properties. Don’t know what to do next? We do. Contact us today.
