Every homeowner is bound to experience a mold issue at one point during their time at home. When you discover mold in your home, the first thing you should do is consult a professional. Mold experts will help you diagnose your mold problem and guide you through the removal process. If you currently have a mold problem on your hands, you might be wondering what you can do to make the removal process easier so you can go back to living in peace. Keep reading to find out how to prepare your home for mold removal to ensure the removal process is efficient and successful.
Find a Home Restoration Service
First, you’ll need to find a home restoration company that offers mold removal services. During your search, make sure to look out for a well-established and trustworthy company. You don’t want an inexperienced or shady contractor coming into your home and making the situation worse. Look for a remediation company with positive reviews and plenty of experience and customer testimonials to back up their work. For example, here at Aloha Restoration Co., we’ve offered mold remediation services in local communities for over 10 years. Finding yourself a trustworthy, experienced mold remediation service will help save you from headaches during the removal process—plus, you’ll have a company you can count on for future remediation projects as well.
Isolate the Mold Growth
Mold can be particularly tricky to treat and remove because of how easily it spreads. When you disturb a mold growth, it releases tiny spores that are invisible to the naked eye. These spores can then spread to other areas of your home, especially through ventilation systems and natural air flow. When mold spores land in an area with ideal conditions, another mold growth may start to form. To prevent this spread, it’s critical to isolate the original area of mold growth. If you discover mold in a certain room, close the door and seal off the room. Make sure to shut off air flow or moisture sources to the affected area as well. This will help prevent further mold spread and growth so that you won’t need removal in multiple areas.
Schedule a Mold Inspection and Air Quality Test
Before you can proceed with the mold removal process, you’ll want to schedule a mold and air quality inspection. A professional mold inspection will help you determine what type of mold is common in your home. This process will also help identify areas in your home where mold is more likely to grow due to the right conditions. Mold inspections identify humidity levels throughout your home, which can help you better understand your home’s air quality as well. Air quality testing is what helps identify the types of molds in your home through airborne spores. With these testing procedures, you’ll have a better idea of the severity of mold in your home and how to prevent it in the future.
Address the Moisture Problem
Once you have completed the mold inspection process, you’ll have a better idea of any moisture issues present in your home. Addressing these moisture problems is key to preventing further mold growth and even water damage in the future. If you’ve discovered mold in a bathroom or other space with lots of plumbing access, consider hiring a plumber to fix the leaky pipes or appliances. Sometimes mold originates in hard-to-reach areas such as your attic or crawl space. In these cases, moisture issues can be more difficult to stabilize. Try to regulate the humidity levels in these areas with the use of a dehumidifier to remove some of the excess moisture.
Leave Contaminated Furniture and Other Items
When preparing for a mold removal project, you might be tempted to move furniture and other items out of the contractor’s way. However, it’s crucial that you don’t disturb furniture, carpeting, or any other items or belongings in the affected area. Moving these items can cause mold spores from the current growth to spread to other areas of your home. This is another great reason to completely isolate the area where you discovered the mold growth. Isolating this space will help eliminate the urge to clean the area or remove any contaminated belongings.
Make Temporary Relocation Plans
Most mold removal services will require you to stay away from the removal site to protect your health. This goes for the humans and pets inhabiting your home alike. The mold removal process can be dangerous without the right protective equipment to keep you and your pets safe. Being exposed to mold can cause respiratory problems in humans and animals. You might start to suspect mold exposure when you have trouble breathing or notice allergy-like symptoms at home. To protect your family and pets from these conditions, you may need to make alternative housing plans over the course of the removal. Consider staying at a neighbor’s home or at a pet-friendly hotel during the removal period.
Document Your Home’s Condition
Finally, one last thing to accomplish before your removal date is to record your home’s state before the removal process. Consider taking pictures of your home, including the affected area and any spaces that the removal experts will need access to. Taking pictures helps you record the current state of your home to prepare for any damage that could occur during the removal process. This way, you’ll have the materials you need in case you need to file an insurance claim during or after the restoration process. Sometimes, damage is inevitable, but working with a trustworthy and well-rated remediation company can help prevent the need for a claim.
Knowing these tips for how to prepare your home for mold removal can help you get your home ready for a successful mold remediation. By following these steps and trusting the rest to the professionals, your home will soon be mold-free. And if you’re in need of a trustworthy mold remediation service in the first place, you can trust all your home restoration projects to Aloha Restoration Co. Our home restoration professionals use only the most high-quality equipment and expertise to diagnose and restore your home to a healthy state. Browse our available services for mold removal in Arlington Heights and the surrounding Chicagoland area.
