Mold is a serious problem. As one of the most common contaminants on earth, it can grow almost anywhere as long as it has a source of water, organic material (like wood) and a lack of direct sunlight and air movement. If it finds its way into your home, it can cause significant harm to you, your family, and your house. If you notice mold in your home, don’t try to simply wipe it away with a bit of bleach and an old cleaning cloth. Only trained professionals from restoration companies like nationwiderestorations.ca are equipped with the gear and know-how to properly remove mold from your home. Let’s break down how they do it.
Test First, Remove Later
There are so many different species of mold on our planet, we don’t even know for sure how many there are, but it’s at least 100,000! The weird thing is that not all mold is toxic, and not all toxic mold behaves the same way. This is why it’s extremely important to get the mold tested by professionals before the mold is disturbed in any way. Testing for mold requires samples to be taken from the surface, the air, and surrounding dust in the area. These samples are then usually sent off to a third-party lab to determine the exact type of mold that has made its way into your house. Some restoration companies will even use infrared thermal imaging to detect moisture and damage in areas that are difficult to test with conventional means.
Safety First
Any professional worth their salt will make sure their safety and yours is their number one priority. To protect themselves from harmful toxins and chemicals, mold removal professionals wear high quality, high filtration face masks and vinyl or neoprene gloves. For more heavy-duty jobs, they might even need to wear a full-body protective suit. Before beginning the actual mold removal process, the pros will seal off the work area with plastic sheeting to ensure mold spores aren’t spread throughout the building. It’s in your best interest to ask the restoration company you are working with about their safety practices before you decide to hire them.
Bring In the Big Guns
Once the mold has been tested and it’s time to start the removal process, restoration companies will bring in heavy-duty equipment that only trained mold professionals should be handling. The equipment used for professional mold removal includes:
- HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Air) air scrubbers
- HEPA vacuums
- Commercial strength dehumidifiers
- Antimicrobial chemicals
Once the cleaning process begins, the first thing taken care of is the physical removal of mold right from the source. But since mold spores can be airborne too, this is when the HEPA air scrubbers are used to remove the dirty mold-filled air. Next, new fresh air is brought into the area via basic air ventilation. Larger, more complicated jobs may require additional airflow management, but most restoration companies will be able to handle it.
Cleanup & Mold Prevention
Since mold can spread quickly and doesn’t need much to get started, it’s critically important to dispose of contaminated materials in the home safely. Mold removal professionals will usually take care of your moldy building materials like drywall and insulation.
Finally, when the mold has been safely removed from your home, and contaminated materials have been disposed of, the final step is to use a sealer or encapsulant on the treated areas. The sealer’s purpose is to make the sites more resistant to water damage, future mold growth, and bad odour.
Mold removal can seem extremely complicated, but in reality, if you can find a trustworthy restoration company, there isn’t much to worry about. If you think your home might be contaminated by mold, get it tested and removed the right way to keep your home and your family safe.