What to do if you Find Mold in Your Home

Finding mold in your home can be scary, especially if you have heard of the negative effects it can have on your health. Wellbeing aside, large infestations can also cause huge damage to the structure of your home and run up thousands of dollars in remediation costs if they are widespread enough. In this post we will discuss three tips for you to follow if you are unfortunate enough to find that you have a mold infestation.

Call a Professional Mold Inspector

While many people think the first thing to do when they have a mold problem is call someone to get rid of it, this is not entirely accurate. There are thousands of different types of mold, and each has a unique way of spreading and effecting the health of the people exposed. Since all mold spreads via invisible spores that are carried through the air, it is important to find out what type of mold you are dealing with first, before making the initial reaction to get it removed. We spoke with a homeowner who had discovered he had mold in his basement and opted to call the Buffalo mold remediation & testing company before a removal expert. The company was able to conduct air quality tests and determined that the mold had also spread into the central air ducts, and was being dispersed throughout the entire home. This is a perfect example of why you should always call an inspector first, because had the homeowner not done so, the rest of the house would have remained contaminated.

Hire a Removal Specialist Based on the Inspection Results

The mold inspector will be able to tell you what type of mold you have, how far it has spread, and the extent of the damage. This will leave you open to making an informed decision on how to proceed. In almost every case, mold remediation or removal will be necessary to ensure the building is decontaminated and the infestation is eradicated. At this point, you should call up a mold removal company to come in and take care of the remediation process. Depending on the extent of the growth however, you may also want to consider getting a damage estimate, which will help you determine the estimated renovation and demolition costs associated with remediation. This is only needed when the mold is so widespread that the remediation team will need to alter the structure of the building to effectively complete their job.

Determine the Cause and Fix that as well

Determining the cause of mold growth is just as important as eliminating the mold itself. Mold thrives in dark, damp, and oftentimes difficult to access places such as basements, attics, inside of walls, in vents, and under floor panels. If you do not effectively determine the cause of mold growth, chances are incredibly high that it will come back in full force. The remediation company used in step 2 should take care of this for you, but it is important to mention so that you know that it is a step that needs to be taken.