What is Mold Remediation

1/26/2017 (Permalink)

People often ask the question, what is mold remediation? Those who do not work in the mold industry may not know what mold remediation is or the procedures needed to properly get rid of mold.

It is first important to know that mold spores exist naturally just about everywhere. If you have an industrial hygienist come to your property to complete mold testing, they will test the air outside and in different areas inside your property. When the hygienist performs testing, they are looking to see what the spore count is in certain areas and what types of mold are present. Based on the testing, it can be determined what exactly needs to be done in order to remediate the mold in your home or business.

When performing remediation, it is important to follow proper procedures. First, you want to make sure the underlying problem causing the mold growth has been stopped. If your property has a moisture problem, you can remove the areas of mold that are currently present. However, the mold will continue to grow and further remediation will be necessary.

The affected area should be contained. Often to contain an affected area we set up a plastic containment barrier specially created to keep mold spores from exiting the affected area. Containment barriers should be set up around any openings in the room such as closets, hallways and doorways that lead to unaffected areas. Vents should be covered so that the spores to not get into your duct system.

Proper air filtration is necessary. SERVPRO uses air scrubbers to filter the spores out of the air while work is being completed. This step is important because while contaminated materials are being removed or cleaned, mold spores are being thrown into the air. The air scrubbers draw air in from the nearby surroundings and pass it through filters to remove contaminants.

What type of materials the mold is growing on determines the methods taken to remediate the mold. Some of the methods used for remediation are:

• Removal of the material
• Dry ice blasting
• Mold stain remover
• Mechanical steel grinding

Should you have any questions regarding mold, please call our office at 315-457-3432.