Hi there, are you dealing with a mold problem?
Wondering when is mold remediation required?
The Good News is… understanding the common signs you need mold remediation is simple. But let’s start from the beginning.
What Is Mold Remediation?
Remediation means “the action of remedying something, in particular of reversing or stopping environmental damage.”
Homeowners commonly mistake mold remediation for mold removal. Yes, it’s true that the mold is going to be removed, but ‘mold remediation’ is a process. It takes hard work and meticulous attention to detail.
How long the process or project takes depends on a variety of factors. One of these factors is the location of the problem.
The key takeaway here is to contact professionals sooner rather than later. Don’t play with mold. As soon as you spot any of these signs, reach out and get professional help!
What is musty? It’s stale. It’s dank. It’s damp and distinct. Most of us recognize the smell as alarming, even if we can’t yet see the mold. The smell can change and become more intense as the mold grows and evolves. And no, simply ventilating the area doesn’t remove the odor.
One of the core needs of mold is water and moisture. Whenever water is in an area of your home, it shouldn’t be; mold is likely to start appearing. Here in our part of the country, we see upticks in calls for mold inspections after major storm systems roll through.
The internet is filled with pictures showing people’s basements and crawlspaces filled with water and mold after major weather systems hit. Here’s an example:
Does the existence of water always mean mold? No. But there are certain thresholds and environments where it’s a sure thing.
Whether we’re talking about your bathroom, attic, or both, whenever an area reaches then sustains 60% humidity without proper ventilation…mold!
As a general rule of thumb:
“Mold can be any color. While most mold growth is often black, grey, or greenish, it can be brown, purple, orange, pink, yellow, red, white, or even a combination of colors. The color of mold can be influenced by food source and humidity level, even light.”
For homeowners, it really doesn’t matter what color the mold is; it needs to be remediated.
One of the more common signs are leaky pipes which homeowners have chosen to procrastinate on. Why?
Often it’s because they a) don’t know much about plumbing and b) are hesitant to call local plumbers. They figure they’ll just leave the area alone for now and clean it with some bleach down the road. Unfortunately, this isn’t a wise approach.
Guess what one of the most common causes of mold growth in ventilation areas is? Improperly installed bathroom exhaust pipes! They collect moisture, attract mold, and spread it from there.
If the ventilation in your roof isn’t doing its job properly, the mold will take root. Always pay special attention to ventilation around more moist areas of the home like attic, kitchen, basement, bathrooms, and crawlspace.
Unfortunately, this is still one of the most common ways people find out they have mold in their homes. Over time, occupants realize they feel much better outside than inside! Why does it take a while to figure out? Because the reactions to mold are extensive and vary widely, so the symptoms of mold allergies are confused with other ailments.
If you’ve got a mold issue, or suspect you have one even though you can’t see mold yet, don’t hesitate to call the professionals. Mold is dangerous. And mold is NOT something for amateurs to mess with. 99% of the time, all that happens is the problem because 10x worse!
For homeowners in the Charlottesville and Washington DC areas, along with parts of Northern Virginia and Southern Maryland, contact Valor Mold. We’re your local family-owned mold remediation company with a reputation you can trust.
We remove mold the right way… and it would be an honor to hear from you.
Your home is in the best hands—our chemical-free remediation has the highest success rate in the industry.
You get the answers you need—our special mold testing provides 99% accurate results on the spot.
You can trust our process—we’ve performed over 300 successful projects since we opened in 2006.
Fill out this form to contact us. We’ll follow up with 24 business hours.
Valor Mold Removal is a certified and experienced mold testing and remediation company. We are fully insured and fully licensed. We also provide crawl space encapsulation, soda blasting, humidity control, and air quality cleaning.
