Mold is certainly a serious problem. Not only does it cause many health problems ranging from respiratory issues, skin irritation to, potentially, lung inflammation. Mold is natural to our outdoor environment, but it has no place in our homes, offices and other indoor spaces.
Removing mold is necessary, but doing it correctly so as to ensure your own safety (as well as the safety of your occupants) and guarantee that it doesn’t return. In some cases, such as large (e.g. more than 10 square-feet) mold removal projects, you need professional help.
Granted, mistakes can be made during the mold removal process, but avoiding them generally requires you to know when you need professional help and, in turn, where to get it.
We’ve outlined the three most common mistakes people make when trying to deal with mold.
Prevention
Removing mold can be a difficult and expensive process. However, an indoor mold infection is an entirely preventable problem provided you take the right steps to limit moisture build-up and reduce humidity levels. Yes, this could cost time and money, but it’s significantly less than the cost of even the smallest mold remediation projects, which start at hundreds of dollars.
Basically, the risk of a mold infection is highest in moist, damp and humid areas. Thus, priority for mold prevention should be placed in areas involving water, such as kitchens, bathrooms and showers, to name a few. You must ensure that your humidity levels stay from 30% to 50% while also keeping these areas as dry (including moisture) as possible.
If your property suffered from a plumbing leak or some other kind of water damage (e.g. flood), then you need to take preventative measures, immediately. Mold can emerge as early as 24 to 48 hours of such damage. Pay special attention to wooden structures, drywall and fabric – such as carpet – as potential originating points for a possible mold infestation.
In a sense, suffering from a mold outbreak is a common mistake in of itself. However, preventing it through simple and relatively low-cost moves – such as buying dehumidifiers and cleaning wet areas (i.e. keeping them dry) – will save you on the high-cost of repair in the future. Granted, this becomes more difficult in large properties, such as condominiums.
Not every tenant can be trusted to pay special attention to preventing mold outbreaks. Hence, it would be a good idea to include coverage for mold and mold damage repair into your property’s insurance plan. This is to protect you from the worst-case-scenario (which you couldn’t prevent).
Removing Mold Yourself isn’t Possible
If your property is affected by mold, your first step should be to determine if the infection is either contained enough – or too large – for an in-house project. If the infection exceeds 10 square-feet, then it’s strongly advised (if not legally required in some cases) to get professional help.
Those unprepared to handle Type 2 (10-100 square-feet) or Type 3 (100+ square-feet) projects are at risk of making many common – and major – mistakes.
These include: not fitting workers or themselves with Personal Protective Equipment (PPE); not using High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) vacuums; not taking properly preparing the worksite (to prevent contamination or mold spore spread) and other precautions.
It’s a bad idea to assume that a mold removal job can be done alone or with internal resources. In fact, the starting point to a proper mold remediation project would be to start with a thorough – i.e. professional – examination of the site to fully understand the extent of the damage.
This also includes understanding the kind of mold in play; toxic mold is a hazardous substance that could legally require workers to have PPE and HEPA vacuums. In other words, your mold project could come under the scope of government regulations.
The Ontario Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) requires those handling hazardous substances (such as mold) to wear PPE and have access to HEPA vacuums. In addition, the remediation team must also apply industry best practices, such as using antibacterial agents and polyethylene bags, during the remediation project.
Dealing with mold is an inherently dangerous job. Not only can mold negatively affect the health of your workers, but poor preparation can be a violation of the OHSA and endanger others, such as occupants and those in the surrounding area. Moreover, a poor mold removal job could also put your property at risk of further damage and, potentially, a worsened mold infestation.
Not Finding the Right Mold Removal Companies
You might look to get others to support your mold remediation job, but in doing so, you’ll need to ensure that you’re speaking to the right mold removal company.
Don’t fall for promises of low prices or quick-fixes. Professional mold removal companies will not hide the facts of your situation; rather, they will detail the full-extent of your problem and provide a full outline of the services you need to safely and permanently remove the mold. However, it’s important to understand that Type 2 and Type 3 projects will not be cheap.
We Remove Mold So That You
Can Add Tenants and Increase Revenue
In addition to effectiveness, Type 2 and Type 3 projects will likely involve regulatory issues as well. When speaking to professional mold remediation companies, you must ensure that they will equip their workers with PPE and HEPA vacuums while also adhering to best practices in terms of cleaning, preparing and decontamination.
Some make the mistake of not inquiring about training, precautions for black mold, preventing mold spores from spreading to other areas as well as worker insurance and health checks.
For Type 3 operations, a professional mold remediation company will also be upfront about the issues such as you requiring decontamination sites and/or reconstruction work. Not only is this an honest approach, but it ensures that you will get mold removal and restoration work.
Not only will a professional mold removal contractor provide you the full price of resolving your mold problem, but they will also offer financing options. These companies understand that mold isn’t easy to deal with or low-cost, so they will try to accommodate where possible.
Start By Contacting Professionals
If you’re working to remove mold, then you should start by contacting an environmental contractor with experience and expertise in removing mold and other environmental remediation services.
Proving its commitment to mold removal best practices, FERRO Environmental is a member of the Environmental Abatement Council of Ontario (EACO). Contact us today to fully understand your mold problem and set-up a complete plan for its safe and permanent removal.
Learn More about Mold Removal:
- How Property Owners Must Deal with Mold in Condo Buildings
- 7 Symptoms of Mold Exposure You Should Be Aware Of
- 5 Mold Exposure Symptoms in Adults
- 6 Key Stats About Mold in Commercial Buildings
- Laws and Solutions to Mold in Schools
- What is Attic Mold and How is it Harmful?
