Mold is a serious health risk and can cause allergic reactions, illness, and respiratory issues. A type of fungus, mold thrives and grows in environments that are moist. It can be found on many different surfaces, ranging from walls and ceilings to carpets, floors, and insulation. In addition to causing health risks, mold will also damage your property and can reduce the quality of the indoor air in a home or business.
When mold is discovered, you have to eliminate all mold contamination from your indoor environment so you can protect the safety and health of the occupants. Removing mold can also help preserve your building’s structural integrity. Mold remediation involves multiple steps, including identifying, isolating, removing, disinfecting, and drying.
Identifying the Source of the Mold
The first key step of mold remediation is identifying the source and cause of the moisture feeding the mold growth. Mold will not thrive without a source of moisture, so locating and then correcting the condensation issue or water intrusion is critical. Experts use tools like infrared cameras, moisture meters and hygrometers to look for moisture hidden under the flooring or behind walls.
Another key component of this first step in the process is to do a thorough property inspection. Where necessary, surface and air sampling should be done to help determine the extent and type of mold that is present.
Isolating Affected Areas
Once professionals have identified the mold source, the next step will be to isolate the areas that are contaminated. This will help prevent mold spores from spreading to parts of the building that are not affected. Containment using plastic sheeting and negative air pressure may be used.
The remediation team may also use exhaust fans and HEPA air scrubbers to filter out any airborne mold spores and establish a controlled environment in the containment zone.
Removing Materials That Are Contaminated
To assure complete remediation, all of the materials contaminated by mold will then be removed. Porous materials like carpeting, ceiling tiles, drywall, insulation and carpeting are very difficult to thoroughly clean, and may need to be removed and discarded.
Once the moldy materials have been removed, they will be sealed in heavy plastic bags and then taken out of the containment zone. Surfaces like metal and wood may be cleaned and could be salvageable, depending on the level of contamination.
Disinfecting and Cleaning
Once the contaminated materials have been removed, all of the surfaces that remain have to be disinfected and cleaned so any residual spores and mold are eliminated. In addition to scrubbing these surfaces with strong detergents, fungicides or biocides may also be used.
Vacuuming with a HEPA device may also be used to remove any spores and dust prior to and after disinfection. Depending on the extent of the contamination, cleaning multiple times may be necessary.
Drying
The final step for remediating mold is drying. Maintaining clean and dry conditions is key to preventing future growth of mold. All areas that were affected should be dried thoroughly; air movers, commercial dehumidifiers and at times desiccants may be used.
It’s also important to monitor the humidity level both during and after the drying is done. Ideally, the relative humidity indoors should be kept below sixty percent, and in some cases even below fifty percent, to help prevent mold from returning.
