Mold Remediation – Mold Removal – About.com Home Renovations

You hear a lot about mold remediation nowadays. But is mold remediation a worthwhile project or just a big scam? In fact, one leading mold remediation company, in trying to sell itself to potential franchisees, advertises mold remediation as the asbestos business of the 21st century. Mold remediation is often used as a scare tactic and a bargaining chip on real estate property inspections. Mold Develops Because of Water More than likely, any mold you have growing in your house is the result of water incursion. Attics, crawlspaces, wall interiors, and basements are all key candidates for water incursion. However, an excessive amount of humidity and condensation in a house can also cause mold. Mold Remediation Need Not Always Be Done by a Contractor There's mold...and then there's mold. The scary mold in popular imagination--the mold that attacks entire towns--doesn't really exist. It is often the same benign mold that you see growing in your shower that you spray with Tilex.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) even advises that any moldy areas less than 10 square feet (about 3 feet by 3 feet) can be remediated by the homeowner. Beyond that, you may want to talk to a mold remediation contractor.

This is not to say that mold cannot produce health issues. Indoor exposure can cause coughing and wheeling in healthy people and severe issues for people with asthma and upper respiratory tract problems.

David L. Edwards Sr. of Fungus Fighters, Inc., a mold removal and remediation company in Central Illinois, with locations in Ohio and Indiana, notes the following:

"Mold problems that we see today are problems that we unknowingly created ourselves and they are not problems we had 20 years ago or more. Since 1978 the government has been requiring us to become more energy efficient in our construction. The more energy efficient we are, the tighter we seal up our homes, the less natural breathability our home has. This is why we can easily address questions when people ask 'If mold can be dangerous to our health, how come it's only been a problem for the past couple of decades? Mold had been around forever so why is it only a problem now?

"Mold remediation by definition is the act of removing infected materials and if done properly will require more than 2 steps. Most reputable mold professionals will be quick to tell you that killing mold has nothing to do with remediation and technically they are correct. Mold doesn't need to be killed for successful remediation...

"The first step, and arguably the most important, is setting up containment and ventilation. The use of proper ventilation and air filtration devices (AFDs) such as air scrubbers is required to ensure that mold spores that are disturbed and become airborne are not spreading to an uninfected area. Cleaning and disinfecting is the next step and this is the stage that includes the actual remediation and disposal of infected materials. After the cleaning and disinfecting, then we apply our biocide/fungicide/moldicide solutions. The next step is where we address any moisture or humidity concerns we may have before applying an encapsulant. This outline would not be enough for us since we actually have to honor a true lifetime warranty on our work but this is considered a complete remediation process.

"Too many so called mold professionals try to use the scare tactics. We try hard not to but sometimes it's difficult to get accurate information out there without causing concerns over health. Many times the health issue is severely downplayed. If a person is not sensitive to or allergic to mold, they can become sensitive after repeated or prolonged exposure to mycotoxins. Although there has been credible research over the past couple of years linking some types of cancer, brain damage, early onset of dementia, Alzheimers and other serious conditions besides asthma and breathing and respiratory issues, we try not to focus on these concerns unless the individual is a resident who is at high risk for developing a problem due to exposure to mycotoxins.

"...People should be educated with a clear understanding but not made to cause panic or undue alarm. There are some very serious health issues associated with mold mycotoxins but most people will never have the need to be overly concerned with them."

Ian Shapiro of Nv Environmental stresses two additional points: containment of the mold and making sure that the remediation company does not do inspections or sampling, and "making sure they are completely independent and do not write scopes."

Read more:
Mold Remediation - Mold Removal - About.com Home Renovations