Mold can be a true health hazard if you don’t address the problem head-on. Mold can discolour your drywall and blacken several spots around the house. But it also releases microscopic spores, which cause allergic reactions, sneezing, odors, and irritations.
Mold removal requires superb attention to detail in order for it to be fully effective. Steri Mobile provides you with layered mold remediation to rejuvenate your home. But before you decide on the mold removal techniques for your home, you need to understand how mold develops.
Mold Can Be Found Anywhere
Mold is a type of fungus that grows from tiny spores floating in the air. You’ll find mold growing anywhere moisture is present. Such moisture occurs due to high humidity, water leaks hidden inside the walls, or condensation. Mold build-up is very common in homes, with some mold types easier to identify than others. The most visible type is mildew, which starts out as tiny, black spots before growing into larger colonies.
The key to successful mold removal is getting rid of it before it grows and becomes an eyesore and health concern in your home. Mildew, for example, is the black stuff you’ll see in the grout lines in your shower, on damp walls, or on the surfaces of deck boards. Typically, mildew won’t damage your home. However, other mold types, including decay fungi spores, can cause structural issues.
What Traditional Mold Removal Methods Can You Use?
There are several traditional mold remediation methods you can utilize to remove mold from different areas of your home.
Scrubbing
One of the go-to traditional mold remediation methods is scrubbing mold with an antimicrobial cleanser. The cleanser is available at most home improvement stores and works on concrete and brick surfaces. However, scrubbing on carpet or drywall surfaces will prove inefficient. You must wear a face mask and gloves when scrubbing with this cleanser and use a soft brush.
Sanding
You should use fine grit sandpaper to lightly sand moldy areas. The best time to sand is when the wood is still damp so that you prevent spores from spreading. However, this technique can cause spores to disperse regardless.
Fog and Encapsulation
Some contractors or home experts will suggest that you use foggers to get rid of mold. Fogging involves using poisonous, mold-inhibiting paint to try and kill mold spores, attacking smaller, hard-to-reach spaces. For larger spaces with more invasive mold problems, you may opt for a cold fog machine to do the job.
Though the fungicide is strong, fogging doesn’t guarantee the killing of spores and may not penetrate a wood substrate. Plus, the paint used while fogging can leave dew spots, which can actually invite mold growth between the wood and paint layer.
Dry Ice Blasting
One of the more effective traditional methods of mold remediation across North America is dry ice blasting, which can significantly reduce remediation time between 60% and 80%.
Dry ice blasting gets into deep areas where scrubbing and sanding simply cannot, removing contamination from wood and preserving the material to some degree. It ensures complete mold removal around wiring, plumbing, and other delicate areas without damage. Furthermore, it kills organic contaminants and doesn’t leave behind much secondary waste.
Why is Steri Mobile’s Mold Removal Process More Reliable?
Unlike other techniques, Steri Mobile’s mold remediation process is not abrasive nor labour intensive, and we are never handling the mold at any point.
- Containment: We use containment to prevent mold spores from spreading, with all contaminated material removed in 6 mil double bags.
- Pressure: The affected area of your home will be placed under negative air pressure to ensure no air escapes to other areas of the house.
- Stain Removal: Steri Mobile’s fogging process guarantees the destruction of mold spores, and we remove all remaining mold stains via a spraying process.
- Growth Limiting: We then apply a borate-based inhibitor to reduce mold growth.
- Shock Treatment: A high-level ozone shock treatment is then applied throughout the building to destroy mold spores that are in the air, plus other bacteria.
Your attic gets a full inspection as well to determine the cause of the mold. Our process, in general, from areas inspected to remediation, is a more thorough process compared to traditional means. Mold removal in Montreal doesn’t come more detailed than ours!
If you have any questions about mold removal or think you might have mold and would like to get an estimate for mold remediation, we invite you to contact us today. It will be our pleasure to answer your questions.