Mold is nothing to fool around with. Although it’s a common problem in businesses and homes, it’s one that needs more than an average solution.
The crux of how this problem should be solved can be found in a common debate. Which is better: Mold remediation companies or mold removal companies?
In simplest terms, mold removal companies simply just remove the mold you have whereas mold remediation companies typically provide a more comprehensive approach to mold removal and treatment.
Mold remediation companies offer better long-term solutions that are needed to properly address what is often a recurring problem. In fact, mold will likely return if it is not properly taken care of from the beginning. Simply removing mold offers a quick fix, but doesn’t actually solve your problem.
That’s why choosing to offer mold remediation that includes a well-thought-out plan of execution settles the debate of which is better, remediation or removal. Here are the main differences between mold remediation and mold removal, as well as what you should look for in a mold remediation company.
Mold Remediation Vs. Mold Removal Service
Mold remediation companies implement long-term solutions to mold problems found in buildings today. These long-term solutions include applying protective coats and dehumidifying affected areas to ward off future growth. After all, mold is extremely common, with up to 5 million species of fungi in the world.
Despite being a natural occurrence, mold can cause several health problems, especially in those who have severe mold allergies or have preexisting lung conditions. Other symptoms individuals can experience from mold exposure include watery eyes, a recurring dry cough, sinusitis and skin rashes.
Mold can also grow just about anywhere. Even if you boast a clean facility, there are plenty of places for mold to hide if the right levels of moisture are present. Frequent causes include flooding and leaks in roofs, windows or pipes. Mold also grows well on paper products, cardboard, ceiling tiles and wood products.
The best remediation companies implement a multi-step process that keeps fungi at their natural levels, putting a plan in place to keep a mold outbreak from happening again. This includes treating the toxic mold problem, protecting the area from future growth and working with certified hazardous waste disposal partners to responsibly remove any toxic substances from the property.
On the other hand, mold removal simply takes the fungi from the surface. While removing mold may seem like a very adequate solution, you’re not getting to the root of the problem and implementing preventative measures to ensure the mold outbreak does not happen again. This can be a costly mistake in the long run.
If a mold issue is recurring, and the problem is not fixed through remediation procedures, you’re leaving yourself and your employees with a false sense of security. Once mold grows back again, and again, you’ll continue to experience the problems associated with mold growth and will need to enlist the services of a mold removal company once again.
What A Mold Remediation Company Offers
So what may a mold remediation specialist’s plan of execution
include? Here is an example of what a mold mitigation plan may look like once contacted by a client needing its services:
- Perform a mold inspection, identifying and repairing the source of the problem that is leading to mold growth, such as water damage
- Dehumidify the affected areas so that they return to levels that will not promote future mold growth
- Contain the area to prevent mold spores from spreading to other areas
- Remove any materials not part of the structure that have been affected by mold
- Treat the mold with an agent that lifts it off any structural surfaces
- Vacuum the area with a HEPA vacuum that captures the mold
- Apply an antimicrobial agent, which offers a final protective coat
There are two additional steps that the best mold remediation companies take that place them a cut above the rest: Testing and disposal, which we’ll explore in the next section.
A Cut Above The Rest
The best mold remediation companies will take additional steps to reduce the risk for future mold growth through testing. They will also regularly partner with specialized disposal services to protect the interests of their clients and the communities they serve.
Mold Testing
Mold remediation companies should always test and identify other areas of the property where mold growth may not be visible yet, but where the conditions are right for mold to develop. This added service sets them apart from not only mold removal companies, but some other mold remediation companies as well.
This is completed through air quality testing, which ensures that the mold issue has been properly addressed. This simple test can go a long way in securing your trust because it’s impossible to know whether a mold issue has been properly addressed unless an air quality test has been performed. Mold can hide in little crevices, in air ducts and behind walls. Air quality tests will detect a problem that cannot be seen.
An air quality test is extremely accurate and can provide you with information like the type of mold found on the premises and how much mold remains. Make sure the mold remediation company uses a third-party provider for its air quality test to ensure no appearance of impropriety.
Specialized Disposal
Federal, state and local laws require the safe removal of hazardous materials from a property. During the course of mold removal. Chemicals and mold-contaminated materials may also need to be properly disposed of according to regulations.
Mold Remediation and Mold Removal companies must follow environmental regulationsin order to protect their customers, business and the environment.
When a mold remediation company partners with a specialized service like a hazardous waste company that is licensed in black mold removal, you can rest assured that any dangerous waste that is removed from your property is legally and safely disposed of.
When a mold remediation company routinely works with a hazardous waste disposal company, you know it is prepared when you have a job that requires the removal of a significant quantity of mold. What may begin as surface mold can quickly spread to other areas of a building, and you’ll need to be able to rely on a hazardous waste company to transport large amounts of compromised materials.
Regulations are constantly changing, and a hazardous waste removal company that is well versed in environmental laws can help to ensure that a mold remediation business and your company are compliant … allowing the mold remediation process to go as smoothly as possible.
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