Mold Removal vs. Mold Remediation
What is Mold?
Before we can talk about Mold Removal vs. Mold Remediation, you must first understand what mold is. Mold is just another word we use for fungi. Fungi are found relatively everywhere and have many different kinds that can thrive in various locations within your home. Mold mostly grows in moist and dark places but can also be in dry areas. Once in a dry location, the mold won’t reproduce spores, it instead becomes dormant and stays there until removed. Spores can easily travel into your home through the air. It won’t be a problem if your house is dry, but any spores will become fungi in humid weather.
What is Mold Removal?
Mold exists everywhere as spores, so complete mold removal isn’t possible. Cleaning a patch of mold will get rid of the mold but not the spores. A simple, one-step cleaning procedure won’t solve the problem. If the place where the mold was thriving is still damp, the mold will continue to grow back no matter how many times you attempt to remove it. Since you can’t eliminate mold, the key is to control its growth. You’ll want to keep the living conditions in your home clean and dry to stop the mold from growing. Spores will exist, but they’ll stay dormant. The right way to deal with mold is remediation and restoration.
What is Remediation?
The main difference between mold removal vs. mold remediation is that mold remediation is a several step process that effectively controls the fungi spores. Remediation also addresses the causes of a mold outbreak to help stop it from happening again.
1. Inspection
The first step of remediation is to inspect the mold. Mold Remediation experts will take air samples to figure out what type of mold is in your home. They can do this because the airborne spores have been triggered to reproduce and are no longer dormant. The kind of mold will tell our experts how they can cease the outbreak.
2. Containment
The areas that the mold was found in is then sealed off from the rest of the home. The mold is contained in that area to help prevent its spread into other areas. Some containment areas may have physical barriers with negative air chambers and negative air pressure. All heaters, fans, and cooling systems within the home must be shut off, as they will move spores around and make it more likely for mold to continue to thrive in other places.
3. Air Filtration
After the areas are contained, the next step is to use high-efficiency air purification. These are put into the home’s HVAC unit to clear the house of any active spores. This will help prevent the spores from remaining and turning into fungi. If the active spores are bad enough, the mold experts may also use a special vacuum to pick up any spores that could have settled onto a surface.
4. Mold Clean-Up
Anti-fungal substances are used to clean the existing areas of mold. This type of cleaning mold will help prevent more mold from growing. However, the method chosen to clean the mold depends on where the fungi are growing. Non-porous surfaces or hard-to-reach locations such as a bathtub or sink are cleaned by wiping the area and adding a biocide. Since mold can travel into porous locations such as wood floors and walls, it can cause a larger problem within these places. Once the porous area is infected, the ones with deeper mold growths will have to be removed and replaced.
5. Sanitize
The last step of the mold remediation process is to sanitize your house. Fogging equipment is used to deodorize both your belongings and the air.
Understand the difference between mold removal vs. mold remediation to help you know what you need for your mold outbreak. Remember that complete mold removal doesn’t exist. Mold remediation is the best decision when dealing with a mold outbreak in your home. Steps will be taken that prevent the mold from returning, and the remediation service will address and fix what created the perfect home for fungi.
