5 Reasons You Should Not Perform DIY Mold Remediation

7/30/2019 (Permalink)

SERVPRO of East Central Austin Professionals are available 24 hours/7 days a week and will respond quickly to a restoration emergency.

If you have noticed black specs in your home or business, you may have mold. Mold in Austin can be a huge problem. 

Once you detect its presence, your next thought will likely be getting rid of it. While you may be tempted to tackle mold removal yourself, you should take into account the size of the problem. Unless the problem is limited to a very small area, it’s best to leave this important task to the hands of professionals. If you're unsure if you have mold in your household or business, you may benefit from a mold inspection. 

Here are 5 reasons you should NOT perform DIY mold remediation

Reason 1: It’s not just about cleaning up the mold

Mold is a natural occurrence and is part of the natural environment; it can be found everywhere, indoors and outdoors. Mold is not usually an indoor problem — unless mold spores land on a wet or damp spot and begin growing. While removing mold from the surfaces of your home is an important step, uncovering what's causing the mold to grow in the first place is just as critical. If you clean up the mold, but don't fix the water problem, the mold problem will keep coming back.

Mold thrives in warm, moist, and dark environments and can be caused by water damage from flooding or leaks in roofs, windows, or pipes. Professional mold remediation includes both the identification and correction of the conditions that permit mold growth.

Reason 2: A licensed, experienced professional will find hidden mold

Mold has a clever way of growing in hidden areas in Austin…and just because it can’t be seen with the naked eye, that doesn’t mean it’s not in your home. Experts are aware of the spots where mold likes to lurk — behind wallpaper, under paneling, the backside of dry wall, crawl spaces, or the underside of carpets and pads. Mold can also grow in insulation, upholstery, and in the air ducts of your heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system.

Reason 3: Mold Remediation professionals like SERVPRO will protect the health of your family

SERVPRO will ensure the mold remediation is a carefully planned and executed process, with the team's highest priority being protecting the health and safety of your family. Once they’ve determined the cause of the mold growth, our mold remediators take special steps to avoid exposing themselves and others to mold-laden dusts as they conduct their cleanup. This includes the use of personal protective equipment (skin, eye, and respiratory protection) and sectioning off areas where the mold is growing.

Caution should also be used to prevent mold and mold spores from being dispersed throughout the air to other parts of the house. A method known as containment (which includes the use of polyethylene sheeting and a negative air system to keep contaminated air from flowing into uncontaminated areas) is part of this process. 

When large areas of the home are affected, especially after flooding or water damage occurs in Austin, residents are often instructed to temporarily vacate the premises until the remediation process is complete.

Reason 4: The pros have access to the latest equipment

When it comes to mold removal, there are a variety of cleanup methods available to effectively tackle damage to household materials and furnishings caused by mold growth. This includes HEPA air scrubbers, HEPA vacuums, negative air machines, commercial-strength dehumidifiers, moisture meters, and more.

Reason 5: You’ll miss out on useful tips for preventing future mold problems

The key to mold control is moisture control. Our mold remediation team will work with you to find ways to prevent future mold problems. Tips may include:

• Using a dehumidifier in your basement to keep the moisture content down.
• Keeping the humidity level in your home below 50 percent.
• Ensuring your home has adequate ventilation, including exhaust fans.
• Fixing water leaks from plumbing fixtures or pipes as soon as you find them.
• Preventing rainwater from seeping into your home.
• Routinely inspecting your landscaping, gutters, and downspouts that may be directing water into or under your house. Runoff from gutters and downspouts can put your Austin home at significant risk for moisture issues — and especially mold growth.
• Acting fast if your home floods from a burst pipe, roof leak, hurricane, or other disaster. Timing is essential as mold can start to grow on a damp surface within 24 to 48 hours. 

If you suspect that your home has a mold problem, contact SERVPRO of East Central Austin to have your property assessed. It can be very frustrating to deal with mold, so if we find it, we have the training, equipment, and expertise to handle the situation.

Our SERVPRO team is highly trained in mold remediation Austin. This training and required certifications allows us to manage all of your mold remediation needs in Austin and the surrounding area.

We use top of the line, state of the art equipment to treat your home, and we’ll thoroughly examine and detect any possibility of mold that may be hard to find. We can also provide an immediate mold inspection and, we’ll immediately start remediation to stop mold from spreading, so that it doesn’t return and make your home look "Like it never even happened."

If you’ve experienced water damage, and are having problems with mold, then give SERVPRO of East Central Austin a call.