Most homeowners certainly don’t want to spend much money on cleaning and removing mold that doesn't work. That is why most of you are anxious to learn how to remediate or DIY mold removal on your own. It isn’t a bad thing to learn what kills mold spores effectively. However, if you’re not sure about the whole mitigation process in your home, it’s best to work with the Mold Remediation team.
Superior Restoration Temecula is a certified Mold Remediation company that provides quality mold remediation services.
Basic Facts About Mold
Molds are very common. They exist everywhere, be it outdoor or indoor. They grow in places where moisture is, such as around leaks in pipes, windows, roofs, or areas where there has been flooding. They can grow on wood, carpet, paper, fabric, tiles, food, etc.
Molds develop quickly and are often hidden. Mold can grow as fast as 24-48 hours, especially after a water damage event. With the right conditions like the presence of moisture, ample food, and temperature between 40 °F – 100 °F, mold will begin to grow.
Mold is a sign of water damage. After experiencing a recent flood or sewer backup, you have the reason to suspect water damage in your home. If you see patches of mold or musty smell in some areas of your home, carefully inspect and find the source of the moisture.
Mold can affect your health. This includes asthma, allergic reactions, respiratory issues, skin irritations, and even neurological issues.
Mold is hard to get rid of. You can find molds everywhere and may be difficult to eliminate them completely. DIY mold removal methods can only solve mold issues temporarily. Because not all household cleaners are strong enough, they can’t eliminate the fungi.
What is Mold Remediation?
Mold remediation is a multi-step process that gets uncontrollable fungi back to natural levels. In addition, remediation also addresses the causes of a mold outbreak to help stop it from recurring or happening all over again. It protects your home from mold damage.
The Basics of Mold Remediation
Molds should be removed by a trained professional accredited by organizations such as IICRC. Just in case that mold growth occurs inside a homeowner’s property which requires larger immediate removal or mold remediation, it is necessary for the homeowner to know the basics of mold remediation.
The following are basic mold remediation directions:
Find out the size of the area that will need to be contained. Use zip walls and 6-mil poly sheeting in putting up your containment.
Identify the size of air scrubber needed (4-6 air exchanges per hour).
Put the air scrubber into containment, duct clean air from the scrubber out of the containment area to keep the containment under negative pressure.
Use a HEPA vacuum to vacuum all surfaces in the containment area.
Get rid of all porous surfaces (drywall, carpet, etc.) with mold contamination. The material that is being removed should be put in contractor bags and disposed of in normal garbage receptacles such as dumpsters. Seal the bags before leaving the containment area.
Vacuum all surfaces using a HEPA vacuum.
Physical mold removal:
Using a cleanser, scrub or sand all surfaces with visible mold to remove some of the mold stainings. Without heavy sanding, some of the stains might not be removed.
Using a disinfectant, wipe or spray all surfaces to make sure that the remaining (hidden) mold is dead. This will not prevent any health problems from the mold, but it will keep it from further growing.
8. Vacuum all surfaces again in the containment area using a HEPA vacuum.
9. A mold-preventative coating can/may be applied to further make certain that there will be no future mold growth.
10. For larger jobs (over 32 sq ft of contamination) it may be required to:
Have a controlled exit area, an independent hygienist writes a protocol, and an independent hygienist does post clearance testing.
The Process of Mold Remediation
1. Fix the moisture problem.
The first step of mold remediation is to identify the cause of mold growth and fix it to lessen moisture build-up. The steps involved in the remediation process are similar to all types of mold.
2. Seal off the affected area.
Seal off the affected area to contain possible dangerous mold spores and prevent them from spreading in the other places of your home. Professionals use plastic sheets and tape to cover air vents, doorways, and other entryways. This will also suppress dust because spores can easily stick to dust and move to different areas of your home.
3. Remediate Mold.
After the area has been sealed off, professionals will use various methods to remediate mold. They can use a wet vacuum or high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filtered vacuums. This will pick up spores that could have settled onto a surface, remove any standing water, clean up mold-damaged and even water-damaged surfaces.
4. Eliminate Mold.
Professionals will apply antifungal and antimicrobial substances to clean the existing colonies of mold. This method of cleaning mold will help get rid of mold and prevent more mold from forming.
5. Clean Thoroughly.
This step may include scrubbing, scrapping, removing dust, debris, and contaminated building materials and furniture. The ones with deeper mold growths will have to be removed and replaced once the infected porous area is inspected.
6. Dry Out The Area
Materials and surfaces that are clean should be fully dried. Well-ventilated areas will prevent mold from reappearing. Professionals will use industrial fans and proper dehumidifiers to completely dry out the area. Thus, preventing mold occurrence.
Hire A Mold Remediation Team
Mold remediation is a complicated process. For that reason, hiring a mold remediation team is necessary because they are the best people to work on it. They have the knowledge and training as well as the right tools and equipment to remove mold effectively.
When dealing with mold issues in your home, our mold remediation team at Superior Restoration is available 24/7. Trust in our Temecula Mold experts to get your home back in its healthy and safe condition. Call us today.
