Mold Treatment

Removing mold goes well beyond simply applying a mold treatment. Special considerations must be made to contain the area, remove the mold, and prevent it from returning.

Effectively Treat and Remove Mold For Good

Mold treatment is simply one part of the mold removal process. In order for mold remediation to be effective, the mold must be physically removed, the area thoroughly cleaned and treated to inhibit future mold growth, and everything must be done in a safe, contained environment to limit the spread of mold spores to other areas.

And no mold remediation project is complete without addressing the conditions that allowed the mold to begin growing in the first place.

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You can count on our mold removal experts to follow all industry standards and best practices.

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Always know what is happening, what your options are, and feel in control of the decision-making process.

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Locally owned & operated, you can trust Tier Restoration to provide exceptional service.

How Do You Treat Mold?

This is a common misconception for homeowners and property owners. According to the IICRC S520 Standard for Professional Mold Remediation, the mold should not be treated. Mold should be removed, then any remaining surfaces it was growing on should be treated.

You cannot simply spray a “treatment” on mold growth or paint over it and expect the mold to go away. Many DIY mold treatment methods are inneffective and cannot be used on porous materials. For large areas of mold growth, it is always best to consult a professional for help.

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What Does Testing For Mold Tell You?

Do you want to see a good fight? Ask a group of mold inspectors about the proper way to test and what the results mean. In the U.S., we have no standard Threshold Limit Values (TLV) or Permissive Exposure Limits (PEL) for mold. So how much is too much? So the right answer depends on:

If you have hypersensitivity to any elevated levels of particulates, mold in general, or a species of mold
If you have a compromised or weak immune system (sick, elderly, infant, etc)
What kind of mold is found (some are more toxic than others)

What about testing outside “to get a baseline”? Relative to your home or office, outside mold conditions are irrelevant if you plan on opening the door to go in or out. Testing can be useful to tell you if you have a high total count or high counts of more toxic mold.

What is a high total count? In consideration of the above situations, most labs consider a total count of over 1200 spores per cubic meter to be an actionable level. Any level of the more toxic mold spores is too much and needs to be removed.

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Is It Possible To Live Mold Free?

There are very few mold-free places on earth. Examples would be inside a laboratory glove box or inside an operating ISO Class 1 Cleanroom. But, even an ISO Class 9 Cleanroom can allow up to 293,000 particles bigger than 5 microns per cubic meter. Mold sizes range from 3-12 microns and mold spores range in size from 10-30 microns. Mold spores are everywhere, so even if you did create a very clean environment, once you open the door to enter or leave, you can let mold in. So, it’s impossible to live free of mold.

While mold is present always, there are certain established thresholds, the conditions of mold, that can help you determine if the mold is problematic.

Three Conditions of Mold

While there is no mold free place you could live, there is a level of mold we have come to accept as healthy for most people: it is called Condition 1. General maintenance and regular HVAC maintenance should be all that is needed to maintain Condition 1 levels.

Condition 2 is where elevated mold spores have settled on surfaces as a result of active mold growth (Condition 3) somewhere else. The S520 guideline for Condition 2 (settled mold) on surfaces is to clean thoroughly and apply an antimicrobial treatment to the surface it was growing on.

When surfaces (drywall, carpet, upholstery, furniture, clothes, etc,) are supporting active growth, the non-structural items need to be disposed of. Structural surfaces can be cleaned thoroughly and treated with an antimicrobial solution.

Some unscrupulous companies will just spray, encapsulate, or treat mold without removing it. It is probably cheaper than doing it right, but it will not pass a 3rd party Post Remediation Verification (PRV), also a recommendation in the IICRC’s industry standards outlined in S520.

In Tennessee, a Department of Agriculture license C-14 is required to apply an EPA-registered fungicide for the purpose of killing mold.

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