Whether you know it or not, mold is a universal blessing and curse to mankind. In nature, mold and mildew break down dead wood and organic material turning it into a kind of compost. In your house, school, or office building, it is a nuisance that creates a foul, bleach-like smell usually found in the dark and damp areas of forgotten storage areas. Mold spore are found in the air in nearly every building. They are only waiting for the opportunity to make your home their home as well.



Getting rid of mold is sometimes as simple as throwing out the infected furniture or material and cleaning the area with a bleach solution. Unfortunately, if the mold is found in the walls, floors, and hidden areas of your facility, the remediation of the problem is going to be costly and uncomfortable.

Reports by the EPA and other health organizations have determined mold a serious health hazard. It is unwise to ignore the mold problem because it will only get worse over time. Those individuals with allergies and other health issue will be more powerfully affected, but mold will have an adverse affect on all inhabitants of the building. Don't forget that the HVAC system recirculates the mold spores throughout the building. Mold is an unseen health problem that will not go away without professional action to remove all infected material in the building.

Mold is always the product of a water leak or serious humidity issues. Mold cannot be permanently removed unless the water source is found and corrected. This is where most solutions fail. Water leaks means a structural issue must be addressed before the real cleaning program can solve a mold issue.

Building owners are encouraged to avoid mold remediation services that only offer an application special of paint or simply pray the area with a fungicide product. We have seen far too many mold programs that charge a big fee to do an inadequate clean up of the mold infected area. Professional mold remediation is nearly always a bigger job and more costly project than most people imagine. Serious mold problems call for trained mold professional to inspect and remediate the affected areas.

Mold remediation is not generally covered under an insurance policy under "Water Damage." Broken pipes, natural floods, and storm damage may be covered events in a policy, so do not neglect the real source of water invasion. You might be lucky and get the insurance company to cover the cost of the repair.

If you have a flood, it is vital that you understand that mold will appear within a 24 to 48 hour period. Mold will make the clean up problem a more difficult task. It is important that you not wait for the insurance company to respond. Start by pumping out the water and remove all material from the site right away. When the water is out of the facility, drive fresh air into the area to dry the area as quickly as possible. It is also important to set up vapor barriers between the affected areas and non-affected areas.