What is the difference between mold removal and mold remediation?
Gary Gilman, CMRS Conducts Mold Awareness and Remediation Class for Realtors
Mold spores are everywhere in our environment. As soon as you open up your door, the likelihood of mold spores coming into your home is very certain. Blown together with tiny dust particles, mold spores together with any other airborne substance easily enter your home. Regular maintenance, cleaning and vacuuming cleans these dirt up.
Spores that lands on damp wet materials after a period of time given the right temperature, humidity and food source causes these mold to grow. Left unchecked or unattended, mold thrives. Moisture is the main culprit aided by food source on materials such as drywall, paper, wood and any other organic substances aid and allow mold to continue growing and multiply rapidly.
Moisture Intrusion Problem
The key solution for dealing with a mold problem is to solve the moisture problem first. Stopping the water intrusion is critical in mold removal or remediation. Here is where mold removal and mold remediation is defined.
In mold removal, moisture source is detected, stopped and prevented from occurring. Then the affected material is completely removed and discarded. In the event it involved a room, the affected drywall is cut and removed. The structure around the area is dried and new drywall is replaced, textured if necessary and painted. These of course are done with the right protection using personal protective equipment also known as PPE. In some cases removing mold or mildew in a bathroom is as simple as using 99.9% anti-microbial dish washing soap to wipe out the visible mold on a bathtub or countertop. As long as no new moisture will intrude, you have effectively removed a mold problem.
In comparison with mold remediation, the process still is similar but a little more extensive. The moisture issue still needs to be attended, the affected materials that can’t be saved must be removed but damage to other materials such as the trusses in attics, stud framing and joists in crawl spaces that are part of a structure needs to be remediated with the proper protocol for safety of the workers and occupants when work is being performed.
Mold removal or mold remediation is not a do it yourself project and can have adverse effects on your respiratory and overall health. Unless you are just removing small amounts of mold or mildew (i.e. grout in a bathroom) a professional should be consulted. Serious precaution should be taken when cleaning up mold. SteamMaster is the only company in Colorado with a Council-certified Microbial Remediation Supervisor (CMRS) on staff. The other 5 CMRS in the state are either Industrial Hygienists or Environment Consultants. SteamMaster also has 5 other certified Applied Microbial Remediation Technicians on staff (AMRT). All our technicians are certified with Institute of Inspection Certification Restoration and Cleaning (IICRC) with at least one or several certifications including Water Restoration, Fire Restoration, Carpet Cleaning, Odor Removal and more.
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