Mold Remediation

Mold is not a cleaning problem, it is a moisture problem. Spores are already present in the air inside every home, and they only need a damp surface and a day or two to take hold. That is why wiping visible growth off a wall with bleach tends to be temporary: unless the water source is found and the material is dried, the growth returns in a few weeks in the same spot, often worse because the moisture has had more time to spread.

Kentucky homes give mold plenty of chances. Humid summers push indoor humidity into the sixties and seventies, crawl spaces stay damp year-round, and clay soils in many parts of the state keep water against foundation walls long after a storm. Add a slow supply line leak under a sink or a roof flashing failure that only shows up during a hard rain, and you have a moisture source that can feed mold for months before anyone notices a smell.

Remediation is the process of removing the growth, cleaning the surfaces that can be saved, and correcting the moisture so it does not come back. Work in an occupied home calls for containment and negative air pressure, so spores disturbed during removal do not settle into the rest of the house. Porous materials that are heavily colonized, such as drywall, insulation, carpet and ceiling tile, generally cannot be cleaned and are removed instead.

What Mold Remediation Covers

• Locating the moisture source with thermal imaging and moisture meters
• Containment barriers and negative air pressure to protect the rest of the home
• Removal of mold-damaged drywall, insulation, carpet and other porous materials
• HEPA vacuuming and antimicrobial cleaning of framing and hard surfaces
• Air scrubbing with HEPA filtration to capture airborne spores
• Odor treatment for the musty smell left behind
• Drying of the structure once the source is corrected
• Moisture-control recommendations for crawl spaces and basement humidity
• Post-remediation verification readings before containment comes down
• Repairs and rebuild after clearance

Warning Signs That You Need This Service

• A persistent musty, earthy or damp-basement smell in one area
• Dark gray, green or black speckling on drywall, trim or grout
• Peeling paint or a sagging ceiling under an upstairs bathroom
• Allergy-like symptoms that ease when you leave the house
• Visible staining around a window frame or along a baseboard
• A damp crawl space, or plastic vapor barrier that is wet underneath
• A leak that was repaired but never dried, such as under a sink or behind a refrigerator
• Condensation running down interior window glass or cold-water pipes
• Drywall that sounds hollow or feels soft when tapped

How the Work Is Done

1. Call and describe the smell or growth

   Note where you see or smell it, roughly how large the area is, and whether there has been a leak or flood in that part of the home.

2. Find the moisture source

   Technicians use moisture meters and thermal imaging to trace where the water is coming from, because remediation that skips this step usually fails.

3. Contain the work area

   Plastic barriers and negative air pressure keep dust and spores inside the work zone while materials are removed.

4. Remove and clean

   Colonized porous material is bagged and removed. Framing and hard surfaces are HEPA vacuumed and treated, and the air is scrubbed throughout.

5. Dry, verify and rebuild

   The structure is dried and re-checked with readings before containment is removed. Repairs follow once the area is clean and dry.

When to Call Immediately

Call when you can see growth larger than roughly a square foot, when it returns after cleaning, when the smell is strong enough that visitors notice it, when anyone in the home has asthma or a weakened immune system, or when a crawl space or basement has been damp for a season. Also call if a leak was repaired weeks ago and the area was never dried, since the growth is already there even if it is hidden behind a wall. Do not run a fan across a visibly moldy surface and do not dry-sweep it, because both spread spores through the air.

Mold Remediation Across Kentucky

Frequently Asked Questions