Mold Remediation & Removal

Where does mold come from?

Mold exists naturally, both indoors and outdoors; a certain level of mold present in an environment is considered normal. It is not possible to totally remove mold from your home, as the airborne microscopic spores can enter through windows, doors, your HVAC system, even on your clothing or attached to the fur of your pet. However, when exposed to moisture, mold spores can grow into colonies in as little as 48 hours, causing property damage and endangering your health. Mold grows well on paper products, cardboard, ceiling tiles, and wood products. It can also grow in dust, paints, wallpaper, insulation, drywall, carpet, fabric, and upholstery. All it needs is moisture and a nutrient source. The warm, humid climate of Lee, Collier, Charlotte, and Sarasota Counties encourages the growth of mold, so you must be diligent when it comes to preventing moisture in your home. Mold remediation is often needed following water damage.

What does mold affect?

Mold damage is observable, as streaks or splotches of white, black, yellow, blue, or green appear on surfaces. They can also have a velvety, fuzzy, or rough texture. But the real danger in mold damage is an invisible one. As mold grows, it can produce allergens, irritants, and mycotoxins. These result in a host of respiratory ailments, which, while uncomfortable for a healthy person, can prove to be life-threatening for someone with an immunocompromised system — the young, chronically ill, and elderly. Mold remediation, then, needs to begin at the first sign of mold growth in your home.

Fireservice Mold Removal & Remediation

How Does Fireservice Remove Mold?

When we refer to mold removal in Lee, Collier, Charlotte, and Sarasota Counties, we are addressing established mold colonies and the damage they inflict. Remember that it is impossible to totally remove mold from an environment (read “Where does mold come from?” above)
We take several steps to remediate mold in your home or business:

Sample the air quality in your home as a baseline.
Discover and repair the moisture problem. No amount of mold cleanup will be effective without first eliminating the source of the moisture which feeds the mold colony’s growth.
Isolate the contaminated area. We will cover doors and windows with polyethylene sheeting, sealing all seams with duct tape. We will create slip openings for our technicians to enter the contaminated area and keep them sealed as well. We will build this containment structure without disrupting your household.
Suppress dust by misting the contaminated area.
Remove all wet and mold-damaged porous materials and discard them according to EPA regulations.
Clean all non-porous surfaces with effective, environmentally approved detergent solutions.
Dry the cleaned area and materials, using fans and dehumidifiers to encourage the evaporation of any moisture remaining from the cleaning.
In the case of building materials that have been removed, such as drywall, ceiling tiles, etc., we are licensed general contractors and able to rebuild your damaged structure.

What should you do to prepare for mold remediation?

There are several things you can do to prepare your home for mold remediation before we arrive:

Resist the urge to clean the mold yourself. We identify mold by specific traits and many of the clues are found just on the surface of the mold colony. Wiping them away may make identification more difficult.
Also resist moving furniture and other objects from the area until we arrive. Moving things around will spread the mold spores.
Avoid moving through affected rooms as much as possible, as you risk spreading more spores on your shoes and clothing.
If there is clothing in an affected area, remove it, wash it in hot water and detergent, dry and then bag it to prevent re-contamination.
If you have pets, find a safe place for them to stay until the mold remediation is complete.
Move cars out of the garage and driveway, clearing a wide access from the outside to the affected area
It may be necessary for you and your family members to stay elsewhere during the mold remediation. We will help you make that decision after inspecting your home.

What can you expect after mold remediation?

While we will perform a post-remediation inspection ourselves, you are welcome to bring in a third party to do one as well. Also known as a verification survey or clearance testing, a post-remediation inspection will include a visual inspection, a moisture assessment typically using a moisture meter and an infrared camera, and air quality testing. It should be performed no sooner than 24 hours and preferably 48 hours after your mold remediation is completed. During the interim, your doors and windows should remain closed to preserve the integrity of the air quality testing.