Household mold often leads to coughing and wheezing, even if you’re healthy. For those who are asthmatic, it causes severe breathing problems.
If not treated, mold will spread throughout your home, putting everyone at risk. Before it becomes a serious hazard, you need to bring in a mold assessor to properly diagnose the issues and then a mold remediation company to remove the mold.
What is mold remediation? Think of it as extreme cleaning down to the microscopic level. In more severe cases, the cleaning process involves removing part of a wall, floor or structure. That’s why you need to bring in a professional.
Ready to solve your mold problems? Use the following guide to prepare for the mold remediation process.
1. Assessment Appointment
The first step for mold remediation is a thorough mold inspection, moisture survey and mold air quality test.
A certified mold inspector will visit your Orlando Florida home to check for airborne mold spores. They will also document any areas containing mold.
After the assessment is finished, they’ll submit a report to you and the remediation company. A remediation protocol can be added to the scope of work to list the steps needed to remediate the home.
The company will develop a quote to clean the mold. They’ll then draw up a contract detailing what will happen.
2. Preparing Your Home
Before the mold remediation company arrives, you need to do a little prep work.
First, take care of the moisture problem. If the mold comes from a leaky pipe, have a plumber replace it. If you don’t stop the leak, it’ll create more mold after remediation.
Make sure there’s a clear path to the affected room in your house. The crew will bring in large equipment and needs space to safely move it.
3. Isolating the Contaminated Area
Mold spores spread easily. To prevent it from affecting other rooms, the company will use plastic sheeting to seal the mold area.
They will also bring in a HEPA-filtered air scrubber. This machine removes mold spores from the air.
4. Removing Mold-Damaged Materials
Drywall and insulation with mold on it need to be removed from your home. The materials will be double bagged and carried out carefully.
Porous items like carpets and fabrics that have been exposed to mold typically need removal. Special “micro-cleaning” can be performed on contents within the home to help clean up settled mold spores.
5. Cleaning
This is a two-step process. First, the remediation company often times sprays a biocide on the mold. This mold-killer will render the mold sterile (unable to reproduce).
Then cleaning up the spores with HEPA-vacuums and damp-wiping with surfaces to remove spores will be required.
6. Final Testing
Before the final documents are signed, the air quality needs to be tested again. The Certified Mold Inspector will return to run this test.
The test is a six-step process to ensure your home is safe from mold. After their report is issued, you can complete any necessary repairs.
Mold Remediation Protects Your Family
You want to take care of mold problems as soon as possible as if you wait too long, it might be a very costly process.
Whatever the cost, it is worth the time and effort to protect your family.
Worried about mold in your Orlando, Fl home? Contact Elite Mold Services today to schedule a mold inspection.