Almost every home or building gets some form of mold. It is very common in damp or wet areas, at some point it could get so bad do-it-yourself YouTube videos and Wiki articles won’t be enough to help completely fix this mess. You may need to call in the professionals to get the job done right!
Mold professionals usually use expensive equipment for the job. Some examples of the tools they might use could be air scrubbers, HEPA vacuums (High Efficiency Particulate Air), or commercial strength dehumidifiers. Mold spores produce contaminants in the air, air scrubbers remove the particulates and gases caused by mold from the contaminated area. HEPA Vacuums can trap and filter a big amount of super small particles from surfaces and keeps them contained inside for later disposal. Dehumidifiers help reduce the humidity level in the air. Air movers are another common tool used by mold remediation professionals. Air movers are essentially industrial grade fans. mold remediation professionals also use the proper protective equipment like plastic containment barriers and specialized suits not only to keep themselves safe but to help make sure mold isn’t tracked throughout the business or home. The actual mold remediation process looks something like this.
First they will usually send out a specialist so they can determine what kind of tools and materials they might need for proper mold removal. Then they will inspect the property to find any visible signs of mold. Mold can sometimes be completely hidden from plain view, some tools are used to find mold in hard to see places. A Borescope is essentially a camera attached to a tube, letting you see in tough places for any mold that could be hiding. Particle counters determine the exact quality of the air by counting the number of particles in the air, using that found knowledge to determine how clean the air is in the environment. Next the contaminated area is properly contained by using physical barriers and negative air pressure to keep mold spores from spreading further during the cleanup process. Fans, cooling systems, and heating systems are usually turned off to prevent the spread of mold. Then the HEPA vacuums, the air scrubbers, and specialized filtration equipment are brought out. Microscopic mold spores are captured out of the air using the filtration equipment and are prevented from spreading by using the air scrubbers and HEPA vacuums. Depending on the amount of mold and the surfaces that the mold appears on some anti fungal and antimicrobial treatments might be used to eliminate mold and help prevent new mold from growing. After you might have some furniture, clothing, or other items that could possibly be saved. A variety of cleaning techniques are used to clean, sanitize, and remove odors on your belongings.
Depending on how bad the mold damage was, you may have to go through a restoration process to get things back to normal. Some minor repairs might be done like drywall or painting. You may also have to do more major repairs like reconstruction of various areas or rooms. The whole process broken down is contacting the professionals, inspection, and assessment. Then containment, filtration, and removal of the mold itself. Finally cleaning belongings and restoration.