Mold Remediation alone without addressing the root cause of the contamination is of little long-term value to the building owners and occupants. We expect that any prudent mold inspector should utilize the following work plan:

• Detailed inspection to identify the complete scope of work
• Isolation and engineering controls to contain contamination
• Source removal of contaminants
• Chemical treatment, when necessary, with EPA-approved products
• Identification and elimination of the root cause promoting contamination
• Proper pre and post monitoring plans
• Comprehensive report of findings

Why MEI, Inc. is the best choice:

• Over 30 years of experience in indoor air quality investigation and remediation
• Knowledgeable staff
• Properly trained, medically fit, and monitored workers
• Professional liability insurance from top rated carriers
• Multi-million dollar bonding capacity
• Complete understanding of customer concerns and expectations
• Utilization of the highest standards in the industry
• Accredited American Industrial Hygiene Laboratories for sample analysis
• 24 hour response capability

THE TRUTH ABOUT MOLD IN PLAIN ENGLISH

Understanding the basic concepts of mold remediation is not difficult and is essential in order to hire the right professional at the best price and highest quality. Every consumer can understand the basic concepts of mold remediation without a PHD in biology, biochemistry or earth sciences.  Here are some basic tips:

If you already see mold, you usually do NOT need to spend money on pretesting.

Plain and simple: You need to remove it.

All molds must be removed the same way regardless of the type of molds identified from professional mold testing. If a “mold professional” insists that you need to spend hundreds of dollars on pre-testing when mold is already visible, our advice is to be very wary because it is simply a waste of money except in the rarest of circumstances.

Below are the five basic principles of all successful mold removal and mold remediation projects.  These Five Basic Principles apply no matter what type or color the mold, including “Black Mold”.

Safety – Protect all workers and occupants.

Assessment – Make preliminary mold assessment, an assessment during mold remediation and an assessment after mold remediation.

Contamination Control – Prevent cross-contamination and the spread of mold from contaminated areas to areas absent of or with less contamination.

Source Removal – Physically remove the mold at its source.

Moisture Control – Eliminate the moisture problem that contributed to the mold outbreak.

 Here are some additional methods, procedures and facts you should know about.

1.       It takes 4 ingredients to make mold; mold spores (they are everywhere); food (anything organic, paper, cloth, dust, etc.), moderate temperature and moisture.  You can never eliminate all mold spores because they are everywhere.  The one factor you must control is moisture.  If you don’t do anything to control the moisture that allowed the mold to grow in the first place, you are wasting your time and money by temporarily remediating the mold.  It WILL come back.

2.       Mold remediation does not have to be expensive. In many cases, minor mold problems (less than about 10 square feet of mold) in places like a bathroom corner can easily be handled by the home owner with a free weekend afternoon and a few basic supplies from the hardware store.

3.       When vacuuming, using air scrubbers or air circulation devices the filters should be HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Air). Only HEPA filters are designed to capture particles as small as mold spores. Regular filters will not work.

4.       Proper safety gear should be worn when dealing with mold. A good quality, HEPA filtered face mask is a must, and vinyl or neoprene gloves. A full protective suit is recommended when using harsh chemicals and for larger mold remediation projects.

5.       Mold professionals will seal off the work area, using plastic sheeting, so that mold spores do not become dispersed throughout the home.  When HEPA filtered air moving devises are introduced, this is known as a “negative air” containment system.  This system will allow clean air into the contaminated space and exhaust contaminated air outside the home.

6.       It is best to discard moldy porous materials such as carpet, rugs, drywall, insulation cloth, etc. These materials are difficult if not impossible to restore to their previous uncontaminated condition.

7.       Most mold professionals use some sort of antimicrobial chemical to actually clean the mold and mold stains.

8.       Mold professionals often use a sealer or encapsulant to make the treated areas more resistant to water damage and future mold.

9.       Depending on the amount of mold, sometimes it is necessary to have your HVAC air ducts professionally cleaned since air ducts can collect dust and mold spores.

10.     If you decide to have final air samples run after remediation, there is no standardized “acceptable” level of mold spores.  Remember this; unless you seal your house completely and never open a door or a window, you can only make the inside air as clean as the outside air.  Final sampling should confirm these criteria.  Anything more stringent is temporary and a waste of money.

Midwest Environmental, Inc. provides free estimates for all mold removal and mold remediation projects.

For further information, we encourage you to visit www2.epa.gov/mold and to read the resources we have compiled for your review.