12 Useful Tips for Prevention and Removal

Even when mold grows in places that you can’t see—behind drywall or under building materials—Harvard’s Harriet Burge points out that there are still “a lot of clues if you pay attention” that you might have a mold problem.

For example, if you find a musty smell when you enter the property or go into a basement, there is likely to be an abundance of mold.

This means that somewhere there is excess water or moisture keeping building materials wet.

It could be plumbing leaks or flooding, poor ventilation, or seepage of ground water through the foundation or walls of a basement.

Check the seals around windows, doors, and roofs, as well as flashings around vents or air conditioner equipment for possible leaks that allow moisture into your property.

Before you start getting rid of mold, you need to find the source of the problem so that you can stop ongoing growth and prevent any future reoccurrence.

In one case, an office manager noticed that there was a musty smell in the office but could not see any evidence of water or water damage.

Air quality equipment showed the spore count was tens of thousands of units above normal, indicating mold growth somewhere in the building.

When the problem was investigated with moisture reading equipment, we found that the air conditioner units had been leaking very slowly for years, with the water accumulating under the carpets and carpet padding. There was now a significant mold problem underneath the carpet.

Once the source of the moisture problem was accurately identified, the air conditioning units were repaired and reinsulated and checked for leakage.

After this was completed the rest of the work could then move forward, including disinfection and removal of contaminated flooring and carpets and removal of all the mold from the office.

Mold will negatively impact the air quality in your property. The EPA estimates that we spend 90 percent of our time indoors, and that the air in our homes and businesses is actually more polluted than the outdoor air.

Having good indoor air quality is an important component of good health. If you suspect or know you have a mold infestation, address the problem as quickly as possible so that health complications can be avoided.

When a leak or flooding occurs, remove the water as quickly as possible to reduce the chance of mold growing in the first place. Once materials have been exposed to water for more than 24-48 hours, mold will start to grow and the materials may no longer be salvageable.

One of the reasons that hurricane damage leads to such rampant mold problems is because the water cannot be removed in a timely manner. It can be days or weeks before the water recedes and drying can begin.

Home and business owners are often not allowed back into the area for many days following flooding. This creates ideal conditions for mold to flourish.

We had a client who had a flood in her basement. Unfortunately, a different restoration company was hired to address the water damage and they did not arrive to begin the drying process until 6 days after the flood occurred.

This allowed time for the moisture to travel up the porous insulation behind the wall. When they arrived, the restoration company did not remove any of the wall or flooring materials, instead electing to drill aeration holes in the drywall and install fans and dehumidifiers.

This is a common water damage mitigation technique that can work if the problem is addressed quickly, but is no longer effective after 72 hours of water infiltration. Unfortunately, that window had long since closed for our client.

As a result, mold had already started to grow inside the basement walls and the fans only served to blow the spores throughout the entire basement area.

Because quick action was not taken, a full-scale mold remediation project had to be undertaken for a job where simple but effective drying techniques would have sufficed.

Improve the ventilation of the area by opening windows and using fans or industrial drying equipment and dehumidifiers to speed the drying process. Remember the faster the drying can occur after exposure to water, the less chance there is for the mold to grow.

Keep in mind that moisture may not necessarily be visible. Porous surfaces like wood, fabric, and even cement, can hold moisture for a long time and it may not be apparent to the eye.

Water travels easily through these materials from one area of a property to another. Use moisture readings to ensure the wood or other building materials are completely dry.

Whenever flooding occurs, remove the standing water as quickly as possible and then use industrial fans and dehumidifiers. This will go a long way to preventing a mold infestation.

In Arizona we have a summer monsoon season that brings high winds and dust storms that can be accompanied by very heavy rains. Our restoration company gets water damage calls with every storm.

We dispatch crews around the clock, 24/7 to begin the water removal process as quickly as possible by installing pumps and siphoning off the excess water. Fans and dryers are set up immediately after that.

Completely drying out all building materials is absolutely essential for effective mold management and elimination.

However, if the growth is bigger than that, the EPA recommends that you have a professional with experience and knowledge in mold remediation address the cleanup.

Likewise, if the mold has contaminated the heating/ventilation/air conditioning system you need to have a professional clean up the mold before you run the HVAC.

Turning on the system before complete and proper cleanup could spread the mold throughout the entire home or building.

And whenever the mold or water damage was caused by sewage or contaminated water, a professional mold remediator with the right tools and expertise in containment and safety needs to handle the cleanup.

Hire a company with experience in dealing with hazardous materials.

If your property has a moldy smell (as mentioned in tip #3) and you suspect but cannot see the source, the mold may be hidden behind building materials like dry wall, wallpaper, tile, paneling, under floorboards or carpets, etc.

Mold may also be hiding in wall spaces near leaking or condensing pipes, in roof materials or attic insulation—wherever there is a hidden water source.

Investigating the hidden mold problem requires careful work because disturbing the building materials can release a huge amount of mold spores in to the air.

If you suspect a hidden mold problem, it is recommended that you hire a professional who can do tests on the air quality and carefully remove the mold without disturbing the spores more than necessary.

To avoid breathing the mold spores into your lungs, wear a respirator.

You can find one at most hardware stores for about $15-20 dollars. Look for an N-95 respirator that is equipped with removable cartridges that trap mold spores from entering your respiratory tract.

Always wear gloves and avoid touching moldy surfaces with your bare hands.

Depending on the surface you are cleaning, you may need to use a disinfectant like bleach, so make sure the gloves are made from natural rubber, neoprene, nitrile, or polyurethane.

Wear goggles. Many times, when mold spores are in abundance, people complain of eye irritation.

Wear a pair of non-ventilated goggles to avoid getting mold spores in your eyes as you work.

When mold remediation professionals do their work, they usually wear protective suits to cover their clothes and skin.

This reduces the chance of irritation from mold spores and the likelihood of transferring mold spores off-site.

Many of these chemicals work to kill the mold by interfering with the proteins in the cells either by raising or lowering the pH in the environment.

Understand that absorbent or porous materials like carpet, rugs, furniture, ceiling tiles or drywall, may have to be removed and thrown away if they become too moldy.

These materials have lots of empty spaces that can fill with mold, and these items may be impossible to clean completely.

Also, keep in mind that even after cleaning, mold can leave staining and cosmetic damage. While you may be able to clean an item and remove the mold, you may not be able to restore the surface’s former appearance.

You can scrub small areas of mold by yourself with a combination of water, detergent, and household chemicals, depending on the type of material you are cleaning, as indicated in the chart below. Always dry the surfaces completely after cleaning to inhibit further mold growth.

Since most molds thrive in environments with a pH range of 3 to 7, many household chemicals are effective in removing small, mild mold growth. Of all the solutions, bleach and borax are probably the most effective and the most often recommended, but be mindful that bleach does not work on porous surfaces unless combined with a detergent as well.

Carefully monitor the result of your cleanup. Many times, do-it-yourselfers will inadvertently miss spots, fail to kill all the spores, or even transfer mold spores while they are scrubbing, resulting in additional, more serious infestations. Watch the area to make sure that the mold does not reappear.

Remember you need to find the source of the moisture first. Then completely clean and dry the surface before you paint or caulk.

Paint that is applied over moldy surfaces is likely to peel and you will still have the underlying health threat contaminating the air of your property. Out of sight does not mean the problem has been eliminated.

One of our customers was renting a property that had been newly repainted. After a couple of weeks in their new apartment, he noticed the bathroom paint was peeling and there were dark black spots appearing on the walls.

The landlord thought he could just ignore the mold problem caused by a leaking pipe by repainting the apartment after the plumbing repairs had been made.

We removed the drywall with its mold and peeling paint, both hazardous and unsafe conditions. Once we determined that the plumbing problems had been resolved sufficiently, we completely dried the bathroom and restored the damaged wall.

Many times, the cost of cleaning or salvaging the items, far exceeds the actual worth of the item. In these cases, mold remediators recommend carefully discarding and disposing of the item unless it was irreplaceable or had significant sentimental value.

In these cases, you may need to consult a specialist in order to restore the item.

There are organizations and businesses that specialize in the restoration of specific items like art, rugs or furniture, books, documents, or other items.

Always ask for references when seeking the help of specialist to restore your irreplaceable property contents.

This is why calling a professional mold remediation specialist can be so valuable. Mold removal experts set up negative air flow environments with carefully constructed containment areas to ensure the mold spores will not spread.

They are also experts at disposal of containment, cleaning, and unsalvageable items so that future mold outbreaks are avoided.

Especially in cases where the mold may be hidden or the area is larger than 10 square feet, the job should be left to a professional.

But no matter the size or scope of the job, their knowledge and experience of a reputable mold remediation contractor can be invaluable. When you find a mold removal expert with a proven track record, they can give you incredible results and significant peace of mind.

At Titan Restoration we have been eradicating mold from homes and businesses for over twenty years. We have the equipment, knowledge, and expertise, to avoid cross-contamination and completely kill and remove the mold from your property.

The following video will give you an idea of the methods and techniques that we use when getting rid of mold on a property:

First, we identify and resolve the moisture source and then dry the work site completely with efficient, industrial equipment and specialized tools. The work area is completely sealed and contained with plastic sheeting to prevent the spread of spores to other areas of the property.

We run HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Air) vacuums and air scrubbers to clean the air of airborne mold spores and prevent unintended transfer or contamination. Only HEPA filters are designed to capture particles as small as mold spores. Regular filters will not work and can actually make the problem worse.

The affected area is then completely cleaned and sanitized with industrial-strength disinfectants and antimicrobial chemicals, as we simultaneously employ HEPA air scrubbers with the proper number of air exchanges to trap the airborne mold and spores in the HEPA filter.

If any porous materials like drywall cannot be entirely sanitized and salvaged, they are properly disposed of and replaced. We follow industry standards and remove all dry wall 2 feet from the appearance of any mold.

Once the drywall has been removed, we check the inside of the wall, the insulation, and the wood studs for evidence of mold and remove those or sand down as needed.

Titan then uses an industrial hygienist, a third party, to determine if we adequately cleaned and disinfected area before we do any repairs to the structure. If the Hygienist determines that the area is not clean enough or there are too many mold spores, they will have us re-clean the area until they are satisfied with our efforts.

HEPA air scrubbers are put in place for 24 hours to ensure the air is free from mold spores, and then the area is sealed and treated with to prevent any possible future mold growth.

We also schedule regular checks after the mold removal to ensure that no new growth has occurred and all mold and spores have been completely eliminated without cross-contamination.

Throughout the process, the utmost care is taken to thoroughly eradicate your current mold infestation according to the highest safety and industry standards and preventing any and all subsequent outbreaks.

Your health and safety are important to us, and so is the careful restoration of your property. Our training and our technical expertise allow us to provide the very best service as we guide you through the mold remediation process.

Mold can be persistent and pernicious. But our record and our reputation can give you complete confidence in our team’s ability to completely eradicate it from your property with efficiency, care, and meticulous workmanship.