Black Mold Removal

Complete black mold removal is essential, especially if the problem is in your home or a place of business where people spend much of their time.  Even if the affected building is unoccupied though, black mold, when left unchecked, can run rampant and it will begin to affect the air quality of the surrounding areas.  In some cases, due to the economic downturn, houses are being abandoned, and they either have had, or have developed black mold and this is causing concern with nearby neighbors as they can often smell the mold on hot and humid days, and they fear for their families' health and well being.  Swift removal of both the mold, and the root cause of the mold is necessary.

In order to eliminate black mold from your home, you must take proper precautions and use products designed specifically for this purpose.

Black Mold Removal Products

Black mold removal products have a dual purpose in that they both kill and remove the mold completely as long as it is used on any affected surface. Many people incorrectly believe household laundry bleach is effective in this capacity, and this is true to a degree. It will work well on non-porous surfaces like tile and glass, but the real problem areas for mold - wood, drywall and other porous materials will continue to harbor the mold. Bleach will appear to clean the mold, and it will kill the surface mold, but it doesn't penetrate to the roots of the mold. The mold will merely appear to be taken care of only to return as soon as the right conditions are met again. This is why you must take care when reading the labels for products that claim to be for the removal of black mold, because they will often use misleading language, or the small print will be that they are for non-porous surfaces only. You don't want these products; you want the real deal that will work where molds thrive best - wood, drywall and other porous building materials.

Removing black mold completely is essential, as any trace of the mold left behind, whether or not it's alive or dead, will still contain mycotoxins, which are the toxins that make black mold hazardous to human health. The presence of the spores alone may be enough to set off allergic reactions in some.

Killing and removing black mold is only part of the problem. Another crucial step in keeping the air in your home clean is detecting and eliminating the source of the mold. This can be anything from a leaky pipe, to an area of unusually high humidity within your home. In the case of a leaky pipe, the fix is quite easy - fix the leak. You can do this yourself, or call a professional, depending on how handy you are with plumbing. Solving the humidity issue is also rather simple, in that all you have to do is improve ventilation in the area, and possibly make use of a dehumidifier. You might also want to make sure the area gets more sunlight, if it happens to be in a room with a window, as this will help prevent the return of mold.

Dehumidifying, ventilating, and applying sunlight are not solutions to a mold problem though. Some people believe that it works in eliminating the mold because in the presence of these conditions, the mold will seem to go away. The truth is, it's lying dormant, and the spores are still able to spread through contact, or on air currents. This will cause the mold to return throughout your home once the right conditions are met again. The reality is, you're going to have to take all the necessary cleaning and removal steps in addition to finding the root cause, and taking precautions to prevent its return.

Black mold removal can be difficult because it is persistent and is a lot more patient than your typical home owner. While do it yourself black mold and mildew removal is possible, the problem might end up becoming too overwhelming. For example, if you find that the mold is within the walls of your home, and spreading rapidly, then you might have to end up calling in a professional mold remediation surface.