Something doesn’t seem right. It might be a strange smell, or noticing that the air quality is worse. What could it be? Do you have mold in your house? Here’s everything you need to know about getting rid of mold in your house, and if it’s better to take care of the problem yourself or hire a professional.
We’ve compiled some pros and cons of each choice and also what to be cautious of and what to expect.
Why You Need To Take Care of Your Mold Problem Immediately
Arguably the most important mold fact that you need to take away from this article is the speed that it spreads. Mold spores spread extremely easily and quickly. This is not one of those problems that you can afford to say “oh I’ll just take care of that next week.” The longer you wait, the bigger the problem will be.
Some people are naturally more sensitive to mold than others. Just because you have mold in your house, doesn’t mean that everyone in the house will be affected the same. Mold can cause a lot of allergy symptoms in those that are heavily affected, as well as leading to coughing, eye irritation and even skin irritation. Some people that have a hyper sensitivity to poor quality air, or frequent lung problems, can get serious infections in their lungs if they become exposed to mold.
It has also been shown that there is a very strong link between indoor exposure to mold and upper respiratory tract symptoms even in very healthy people.
This article isn’t meant to make things sound worse than they actually are, far from it. It’s just important to understand the risks involved and why it is so important to take care of the problem as quickly as you can.
Can I Just Take Care Of the Problem By Myself?
For a lot of people, their first thought will be “Can I just get rid of the mold myself and save money not hiring a professional?” On the surface you might think you’ll be saving money, but let’s dig a little bit deeper and see if that is actually the case.
How To Remove Mold DIY
The most important step in the entire process of mold removal, is locating every square inch of the problem area. This is also the number 1 reason that I recommend going the professional route, but let’s save that for later in the article. This isn’t very easy to do on your own, but if you want the problem to go away you need it ALL gone. So even if you remove what you think is all the mold, if you miss some it will come back just as quickly as the first time.
The best way to get rid of mold yourself is by scrubbing the mold stains from all surfaces with a mixture of water and bleach. You can do this using a soft brush until the signs of the mold begin to disappear. But how often does bleach really do the job? OSHA recently stopped recommending bleach as a good way to get rid of mold, this is because “the use of chemical or biocide that kills organisms such as mold (chlorine bleach for example) is not recommended as a routine practice during mold cleanup”. Bleach can be dangerous in itself and does not always kill all the mold. Maybe DIY is not the best route.
When Is It Time To Hire The Pro?
There’s plenty of reasons to go the professional route when it comes to removing mold. The first reason that stands out is time and effectiveness. It might take you weeks to eventually get rid of your problem, and even then there may be spots of mold that you missed. If you find a trusted and experienced mold removal company, it should be a fairly quick process (as long as the mold problem isn’t extreme) and you can sleep safe at night knowing that all of the mold has been taken care of.
Also there are certain places in your home or business that if you find mold, it would be much better for you to have a professional come in and take care of the issue. Places like your HVAC systems or inside materials and places that are difficult to repair or replace, you should call the pros.
Obviously it will cost you money to buy the right tools for the job, that (hopefully) you only need to use one time. You also don’t want to be the person in your home that is getting affected by the mold and also be the person that has to fix the problem.
If the mold problem has already gotten out of hand, it’s important to call a licensed professional to make sure it gets taken care of, the right way.
Maybe the most important reason of all, a mold professional will give you the best chance to eliminate the problem once and for all. Mold is not something that you want to be continually dealing with time and time again.
Call The Guys At Silver Environmental
If you or anyone you know are dealing with a mold problem and have gone the DIY route and failed, give Scott a call over at Silver Environmental. Even if you never tried to DIY and just want to skip to the part where a pro comes in and does a great job, Scott is the guy to go to. As a top leader in mold removal in Boston or Southern New Hampshire, Silver Environmental and get rid of your mold issue once and for all. Don’t hesitate, give us a call for a free consultation about your mold problem and we will get you the immediate help you need.