How does mold remediation work in a residential property?
Mold may be microscopically small, but its impact on your home and health can be monumental.
Often prevalent in hard-to-see places and damp areas of your house, mold can spread quickly once it takes hold. After you have identified a mold infestation in your home, you must take the necessary steps to remove it, treat the affected surfaces and prevent it from returning. One of the best ways to do this is through a process called mold remediation.
This guide by Rhode Island Restoration provides an in-depth look at what you need to know about the mold remediation process, including the steps involved when hiring a specialist.
What Is Mold?
Mold is a microorganism and type of fungus that can spread easily in moist conditions and grows primarily on organic materials, such as wood, food and paper.
Mold grows when microscopic particles or spores land on moist organic materials, germinate and grow into multicellular structures called hyphae and mycelia.
In natural environments, mold plays an important role in the ecosystem, breaking down dead organic matter and returning essential nutrients to the soil. Some types of mold are even used in the production of certain foods, such as cheese and soy sauce, to create distinctive flavors. When present in buildings and homes, however, this natural decomposer poses a threat to structural integrity and health.
How to Identify Mold in Your Home
It is important to recognize the signs of mold in order to catch the infestation quickly and prevent it from escalating.
You can identify mold in your home in a few different ways:
- Visual signs: These include material discoloration, stains, water damage, condensation, fuzzy spots of color and peeling wallpaper or paint.
- Smell: Mold tends to have a musty or earthy odor, which can help you identify it before you can see it.
- Allergic reactions: If someone in your household is persistently sneezing, coughing or suffering from other allergy symptoms with no apparent cause, mold could be the culprit.
- Dampness: If any surfaces feel damp, such as flooring, walls, cabinetry or upholstery, your home’s humidity levels are likely high enough to encourage mold growth.
If you suspect your home might have a mold infestation, there are some common mold-prone places you can check:
- Areas with high moisture: Closely inspect your bathrooms, sinks and basements, as well as spaces around sinks or pipework.
- Beneath or behind surfaces: Mold often grows in hidden spots, such as underneath carpets, behind curtains, below bath mats and behind wallpaper.
What Is Mold Remediation?
Mold remediation is a comprehensive restoration process that involves identifying the mold’s source, removing it and taking steps to prevent it from recurring.
This extensive process includes multiple steps, including mold assessment, isolation, removal and abatement. Remediation does more than eliminate the presence of mold — it helps you identify the cause of mold growth and understand the measures required to ensure it does not come back once removed.
Generally, mold remediation must be completed by certified, licensed and experienced professionals, usually a restoration or remediation company. For affected areas that exceed 10 square feet, it is challenging to treat and contain mold contamination without specialized equipment and experience. Additionally, most insurance companies do not cover DIY remediation — in order to benefit from qualifying coverage, you need to enlist the support of professional contractors.
Why Is Mold Remediation Important?
Residential mold remediation is a crucial process if your home has a mold infestation. Many types of mold and exposure to their spores can cause damage to both your health and the structural integrity, safety and appearance of your home.
To reduce the risks posed to your health and home, mold must be effectively eliminated from your house and prevented from recurring.
What Are the Health Effects of Mold Exposure?
Depending on the type of mold, the severity of its growth and the health of the individuals involved, mold can cause a wide range of health issues, ranging from mild to potentially life-threatening.
The related health effects can be separated by mold type — allergenic, pathogenic and toxigenic molds.
Allergenic
Allergenic molds are the most common type of mold. They primarily affect those who are immunocompromised, have existing allergies or suffer from asthma.
Examples of allergenic molds are:
- Penicillium
- Cladosporium
- Alternaria
Health issues associated with allergenic molds include:
- Typical allergy symptoms: These include itchy or watery eyes, sneezing and a runny or stuffy nose.
- Worsening of asthma symptoms: Exposure to mold spores can increase shortness of breath, chest tightness, coughing and wheezing.
- General discomfort: Common general symptoms include fatigue and headaches.
Pathogenic
Pathogenic molds can cause more serious health issues for humans, even for individuals in perfectly good health.
Examples of pathogenic molds are:
- Cryptococcus neoformans
- Some species of Aspergillus
- Histoplasma capsulatum
Health issues associated with pathogenic molds include:
- Infections: Types of infections include fungal and lung infections, ranging from mild to severe.
- Diseases: Exposure to pathogenic molds can lead to chronic lung conditions, like bronchitis and pneumonia.
- General issues: Pathogenic molds can cause fatigue and malaise, both of which can impact an individual’s day-to-day life.
Toxigenic
Toxigenic mold is the most dangerous type because it can create by-products called mycotoxins, which can trigger a toxic response in animals and humans alike.
Examples of toxigenic molds are:
- Fusarium
- Stachybotrys chartarum, commonly referred to as black mold
Health issues associated with toxigenic molds range from mild to life-threatening, and include:
- Respiratory issues: These range from shortness of breath and coughing to severe lung damage.
- Neurological problems: Mycotoxins can cause headaches, dizziness, memory loss and more extreme neurological disorders.
- Irritation: Areas of possible irritation include the skin and eyes.
- Immune system suppression: Exposure to toxigenic molds can weaken the immune system and increase susceptibility to illness.
- Other issues: More general health issues include nausea, vomiting and fatigue.
The Mold Remediation Process
There are multiple stages involved in the mold remediation process, each with a specific purpose and an important part to play in ensuring your personal safety and that of your home.
Inspection and Assessment
The initial phase of the mold remediation process has three distinct goals — identify the type of mold, establish its source and understand the severity and extent of mold growth.
There are multiple processes involved in this first phase:
- Visual inspection: Your chosen contractor will complete a visual inspection of your home to locate any visible signs of mold, excess moisture and water damage.
- Moisture detection: Remediation experts use specialized tools, like moisture meters, to check the moisture content in walls, floors and other materials, even if they appear dry on the surface.
- Air quality testing: In extreme cases, or if an individual has certain health concerns, your contractor will measure the air quality and determine the airborne mold spore count.
At this stage, it is important to start documenting every step of the process and ensure you have contacted your insurance company to claim qualifying coverage.
Isolation
The second phase of the mold remediation process is all about controlling the spread of spores during their removal. When the removal process begins, the mold infestation will be disturbed, which risks more spores being released into the air. Containing the affected area is crucial to ensuring nearby spaces do not become contaminated during the next phases of remediation.
Isolating the affected areas of your home includes the following steps:
- Use a HEPA-filtered negative air machine: This specialized device uses a fan to pull the air from the affected area or room and redirect it outside the property, using tubing or ducts. This helps initiate the removal of mold spores from the air, and will likely remain in situ until the end of the remediation process.
- Install physical barriers: Generally made from heavy plastic, physical barriers must be used to isolate the affected area from the rest of the house. This includes covering and sealing all doorways, HVAC systems, electrical outlets and light fixtures to prevent the spread of mold spores.
Once these steps have been completed, the isolated area should have negative air pressure. This means that the air pressure within the isolated area is lower than that of the surrounding spaces, and any new airborne particles can be easily controlled and redirected.
Removal and Cleaning
During this key stage of the remediation process, all affected materials are removed or thoroughly cleaned to eliminate as much mold as possible.
The processes involved in this stage include:
- Removal of all necessary materials: The materials that will need to be removed are primarily porous materials, as mold embeds deeply under their surfaces and is incredibly difficult to eradicate completely. Common porous materials include drywall, insulation, carpets, upholstered furniture, tiled ceilings and other fabrics, such as curtains.
- Deep cleaning remaining surfaces: Many affected hard and nonporous materials may not have to be discarded. After being HEPA vacuumed, surfaces will be scrubbed and cleaned using specialized antimicrobial solutions, biocides, fungicides and more, until they are as mold-free as possible.
- Antimicrobial coating: To complete the cleaning process, contractors usually cover all freshly cleaned surfaces with an antimicrobial agent or cleaner to seal them and prevent future mold contamination.
Air Purification
Once all surfaces have had time to dry after the cleaning stage, the contractor will likely swap out your HEPA-filtered negative air machines for one or multiple HEPA-filtered air scrubbers.
HEPA-filtered air scrubbers draw air from the contaminated area, pull it through a filter and recycle it. They release the filtered air back into the space and repeat the process until as many of the mold spores as possible are trapped in the filter.
This process can take anywhere from 24 hours to several days, depending on the size of the affected area and the extent of contamination.
Post-Remediation Inspection
A post-remediation inspection is vital to ensure the process has been successful and prevent mold from returning after remediation. Usually, this inspection is carried out by an independent mold inspector with no financial affiliation to the contractor or team that completed the remediation.
The inspection can be split into three stages:
- Visual inspection: The inspector will visually assess the treated area to determine whether any visible signs of mold or water damage remain.
- Moisture content assessment: This step is crucial, as it ensures the area and salvaged materials are adequately dry to prevent the future formation of mold or recurrence of the infestation.
- Air sampling: The inspector will compare the air within the affected area to the air outside the building, using samples that have been taken at the same time. These air samples determine whether the airborne mold spore count in the affected area has been decreased enough to meet clearance standards.
If the post-remediation inspector is happy with the results of all three assessments, the mold remediation process is considered complete, and the affected area is deemed safe to reconstruct or move back into.
Reconstruction
Once you have clearance from mold remediation experts and the inspector, you can begin the reconstruction process.
Reconstructing your home after a mold infestation requires careful planning, and involves:
- Obtaining a professional assessment: Before starting reconstruction, consult with a structural engineer or professional reconstruction contractor to ensure you understand the scale of the required work, and that your reconstruction meets safety standards and building regulations.
- Applying for permits: Building permits may be required for larger projects that involve major repairs or work on the building’s structure.
- Using high-quality materials: Although the remediation process will limit any chances of recurrence, it is advisable to opt for nonporous and mold-resistant materials where possible.
- Reinforcing structures: The mold infestation and remediation processes may have weakened the structural integrity of certain areas, and it is vital to reinforce these structures to improve the safety of your home.
- Updating insulation: Insulation may have been removed or damaged and should be replaced with mold-resistant insulation materials.
- Reducing humidity: Reducing the humidity in your home to 30%-60% can decrease mold growth. You can do this by installing dehumidifiers, seeking dehumidification services, using exhaust fans when cooking or redirecting ventilation systems to the outside.
- Improving ventilation: If any HVAC systems were affected, or if the mold was partly affected by a lack of ventilation, improve your home’s ventilation to reduce the risk of infestation recurrence.
- Redecorating: All replaced walls and ceilings will require some finishing touches to make sure they match the aesthetic of the surrounding areas.
Protect Your Home and Household With Mold Remediation
Mold infestations can be detrimental to your home and health, and without proper remediation, the problem is likely to worsen and recur. While your mold problem may not seem serious, not all mold is visible, and most insurance companies do not cover DIY mold remediation attempts.
Mold remediation is the most effective way to eliminate mold from your home and prevent it from returning. It involves thorough removal and cleaning processes, and incorporates preventive measures that enable you and your family to feel safe in your home once the remediation is complete.
This story was produced by Rhode Island Restoration and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.
