About Mold

Mold can be dangerous and/or harmful.

One of the problems with mold is that different people have different tolerance levels. There are many different species of each of the different types of mold. Each of these can have different degrees of toxicity, etc., and it’s difficult to know if it’s bad for you or not. One person may have no visible reaction whereas another person may have a severe reaction, such as nose bleeding, severe headache, allergies, etc. If the mold type and species is of a toxic or carcinegetic nature, then it is dangerous, but you may not see the effects until after you’ve been harmed! Some mold types will cause no more than an allergic reaction, still not fun. More recent water intrusions which have started a mold problem are typically not as bad as long term water intrusions, like a leaky roof, leaky window sill, or leaky pipe.

Can I just wipe it off with bleach?

I hear this a lot. I’ve even heard people in the mold testing/remediation business say this. There is a problem with this statement. Let me first say that mold species/types are biocide specific. There are many different types of mold, and one type of biocide will not kill all types!  Bleach is just one type of biocide.
The other issue with bleach is that the biocide in bleach is made inactive when it comes into contact with organic material! Put bleach on a rag and wipe onto moldy wood, and you may not be killing the mold, because wood is organic.

The other issue which should be addressed is that mold is harmful if breathed whether it is alive or dead. So if you kill it and it’s still present in the environment it could become airborne and harm you.

So what is the answer? How do you solve this problem?

The contaminated material must be removed from the property, and properly disposed of. Removal is achieved by cutting it out, or wire brushing, or sanding while HEPA vacuuming. We accomplish proper removal while using special suits, gloves, and respirators to protect us while working, and we protect your home or business with air scrubbers which filter the air and help us create a negative environment with-in our containment. Yes, we have to isolate the part of the structure with containment walls or doors so as to not allow the mold to cross contaminate the rest of your house during remediation.

If you leave mold without doing anything about it, it can harm you. Don’t wait until you see ill effects! We have had customers who called us after being hospitalized for respiratory problems and such, and this is too late. Let us help you solve this problem immediately with our knowledgeable and highly trained staff.

What is the proper way to remediate mold?

What is the sequence of events to accomplish successful remediation, and why is it so important to the value of your property? When mold is remediated properly, professionally, there is nothing to hide. If you ever want to sell your property there is a disclosure statement you must sign stating yes or no to the property having had a water damage or mold problem. If you don’t want to put yourself at risk (and possibly huge liability), then you will disclose the truth. If you handle the water damage or mold with professional help, you can sell your property with confidence.