In order to understand Mold Remediation, you first must understand mold. Mold is a living organism, called a fungus, that is neither animal nor plant. It does not require sunlight to flourish like plants. All mold needs to grow is a food source and moisture. Food can be anything organic. Indeed, the main purpose of mold in the world is to dissolve and decay organic matter. Without mold in our world we would soon be buried in fallen tree limbs and dead possums. As it is, those things decay and enrich the soil underneath them.

The life cycle of mold follows a regular pattern. Mold spores are always in our air. These spores are like microscopic eggs with very hard shells. They are very lightweight and are carried about by air or water movement. These spores can survive for many years in a dry environment, but if they encounter a moist surface they will begin to grow. Under a microscope the mold organism for many mold species looks like a stalk of broccoli. These “stalks” produce rootlike structures called hyphae which grow into the moist organic structure. The hyphae produce the acids which dissolve materials and allow the mold to absorb nutrients. As the mold grows, the number of stalks increases, and the stalks produce spores. The spores are the mechanisms fungi use to reproduce themselves. Air movement or physical contact with objects can cause the spores to drift into the air and start the reproductive cycle again.

No one is really sure how many different types of molds exist. Some estimate the number to be between 100,000 and 200,000 different species. As you might expect, different species look different. Spores may be larger or smaller, heavier or lighter. Some species grow faster than others and are therefore more commonly seen in mold remediation. You may have heard people talk about “black mold” and how dangerous it is. Well, many species of mold are black. Others are red, green, brown, or other colors. The “black mold” legend started from a flawed study years ago in a Chicago public housing project with damp basements. Several babies died from respiratory problems, and a mold species called stacybotrys was discovered growing in the basements. Stachybotrys, like many other molds, can produce mycotoxins and it was initially blamed for the babies’ deaths. Today, if even one stachybotrys spore is discovered after a mold remediation the area must be recleaned. A characteristic of stachybotrys is that it takes a much longer time to grow than some other molds. Therefore, when it is found, the area probably has been damp for a long time. The bottom line is this: any excess mold in a building must be removed for health reasons. Remember, though, that mold outdoors is normal.

If mold is necessary to life on this planet, then why must we remediate it? One characteristic of growing mold is that it can sometimes produce mycotoxins (poisons). While we are not certain why this happens, many people believe that these mycotoxins are used by molds to “stake out a territory” on a wet surface to prevent other mold species from sharing the food source. The poisons can be harmful to humans as well as molds, however, so we must be mindful of them. In addition, many people are highly allergic to mold. Even the presence of excess spores in the air can trigger allergy reactions. While there are always some mold spores in our air, even in a sterile operating room, when the level becomes excessive it can cause health problems.

Mold growth most commonly comes from moisture trapped in an area with very high humidity, low air circulation or both. We typically see customers that have mold damage from:

· Slow leaks such as cracks in pipes, loose plumbing connections or cracks in the foundation cause the area to be wet most or all the time creating an ideal environment for mold. It is very common to find mold growth where there was a slow leak in the hot water heating unit or the AC unit which live in utility closets in the basement, garage or attic and have poor ventilation. Other slow leaks commonly seen are plumbing under counters in kitchens and bathrooms where the water cannot easily escape and there is little air circulation.

· Sudden water losses such as plumbing fixture or appliance overflows, HVAC failures, water heaters or pipes bursting, roof damage during a heavy storm, rainwater flooding a basement, etc. This category is not immediately going to grow mold, but it is common when the affected area has not been dried out properly preventing trapped moisture from escaping. Mold begins to grow within 24 to 48 hours.

· Living or working in an environment that has a naturally high humidity level and poor air circulation. Attics, basement, and crawlspaces are prime areas for this condition. People generally do not have air circulation for areas in the home that are not common living areas, and anywhere in Georgia is naturally high in humidity for most of the year.

· Rooms that have regular water use and poor ventilation or are not properly sealed in the areas the water is used. Examples of areas that have regular water use are bathrooms and laundry rooms. Areas in those rooms that typically see poor ventilation to help with drying of the constant moisture are cabinetry under sinks, behind toilets and showers, etc. During water losses, we can find mold growing behind baseboards and decorative trim, underneath or behind the cabinets as well as inside them, under plumbing seals such as the base of the toilet or around the tub or shower seals and in the exhaust fan duct in rooms where it was installed but not regularly used.

The person who does mold evaluations is called an Industrial Hygienist. If you find or suspect mold, you should get a mold inspection right away. We can recommend a hygienist to inspect. Mold spores can be hazardous to your health and are especially dangerous to anyone with allergies or respiratory conditions. In addition to health concerns, mold can cause damage to furniture and personal contents as well as structural damage to drywall, flooring and even the framing of your home or business. If the inspection reveals mold, a mold remediation will be recommended.

Signs to watch for that may be indicators of mold growth are:

· High humidity levels which are visible by condensation on glass and metal surfaces

· Allergy or asthma symptoms flaring up whenever you are in that environment

· Dark spots on floors, walls and/or ceilings – Note that not all mold is black so look for dark spots not just black spots

· The best detector is your nose – If the environment smells musty, that is a good sign you have a mold issue

So, what is a mold remediation exactly? ServiceMaster of Gwinnett and ServiceMaster 5 Points are professional providers of mold remediation services. A mold remediation is a specialized process to properly treat an affected area and remove the mold without causing the mold spores to become airborne creating a health risk or regrowth somewhere else in your environment.

Once the hygienist submits a report, we address the areas identified as containing excess mold. The first step is to eliminate the excess moisture so that mold will stop growing. This is done through a water mitigation as described on our Water Damage webpage. Then our goal is to remove or contain, not kill, the mold. Dead or alive, mold spores can cause allergic reactions, so they must be removed from the environment. Some areas will need to be contained within a negative air pressure environment to prevent mold spores from escaping to uncontaminated areas during remediation. Often mold-damaged sheetrock will need to be removed and disposed of properly. Many times, mold-contaminated wood surfaces must be sanded in the presence of a HEPA vacuum to remove the mold. Some areas can be encapsulated to prevent mold spores from escaping in the future. Specific treatments are applied to various materials to properly remediate the damage caused by the mold contamination. Our Mold Remediation procedure is tailored to address the problems in your specific environment, in order to return your property to its pre-loss condition.

You can expect ServiceMaster of Gwinnett and ServiceMaster 5 Points to provide the best customer service possible. We understand that while we treat mold problems frequently, you may have NEVER done this before. The situation is stressful and the potential health risks can be scary, so you need to know what to expect during a mold remediation. Our technicians will walk you through the process, so you know what they need to do in order to remove the mold and to protect you. The office staff and technicians set every appointment and confirm arrival times when the technicians are on their way to your home or business. ServiceMaster of Gwinnett and ServiceMaster 5 Points work with all insurance companies to help the customer with the claims process for the mold remediation. If at any point during the mold remediation you have questions, we encourage you to ask the technician while he is there or call the office to ask right away. It is our goal to make the mold remediation process as easy as possible for the insured or property owner, and keeping you informed is the best way to accomplish this. Once the work is completed, our office staff will follow up with you to get feedback about the service provided and make sure everything is ready for repairs. If you have any questions or need any additional assistance with your mold remediation, ServiceMaster of Gwinnett and ServiceMaster 5 Points will be more than happy to provide answers or return to your home or business to help you complete the mold remediation so you can restore your home to its pre-mold state.

We are on programs with most insurance companies as a preferred service provider. The office staff communicates with your insurance company to upload all documentation required to process your mold remediation services for your insurance claim. The office staff keeps your adjuster informed daily of progress during the mold remediation process to be sure the work performed will be approved by the adjuster. This means you do not have to collect all the photos, reports and forms required by the insurance company for your claim because ServiceMaster of Gwinnett and ServiceMaster 5 Points take care of that for you! By being a preferred mold remediation service provider, we can follow your insurance carrier’s guidelines to ensure that our mold remediation services are covered under your claim. We follow the carrier protocols and adjuster recommendations, which are usually based on the insured’s specific coverage.

If you don’t have insurance, ServiceMaster of Gwinnett and ServiceMaster 5 Points can still help you with your mold damage. Since our technicians are working with you directly, they will review everything with you ahead of time so you can approve services before they begin. The technicians will review with you what needs to be done and how much it will cost to perform the recommended mold remediation services. Once the scope of work and estimate are approved, we will not only perform the services outlined by our mold damage crew chief, but we will also document the mold damage and the remediation process in case a claim is filed later, or subrogation is needed to recover losses from the mold damage. As the mold remediation is progressing, any changes we feel are required to complete work will be discussed with the customer beforehand to get your approval for those changes in process and cost and to keep you informed of what is happening in your home or office.

Why use ServiceMaster of Gwinnett and ServiceMaster 5 Points for your Mold Remediation? Simply put, we are the best mold remediation service around. Our customers tell you about our highly rated customer service on our Testimonials page. They value the attention to detail and the fact that we inform them of the process every step of the way, making them feel safe using our services. ServiceMaster of Gwinnett started in 1991, and ServiceMaster 5 Points followed in 2013. Both companies are run by the founders and family, so we are bringing over 30 years of experience to every job we do!