Toxic clack mold could be in your home without you knowing it. The most common places for black mold to accumulate and grow are in damp crawl spaces, and nooks throughout the house.
Your basement is a potential oasis for toxic black mold. If there is any black mold in the house, then you will need to have a mold remediation done. Mold remediation simply means the removal of mold from the home.
If it is determined that your home is in need of mold remediation, you will need to hire a professional. Mold remediation can, at times, be a simple process however; even the simplest task in mold remediation can be toxic to you.
Your first step in mold proofing your home is a home assessment. To properly assess your home for mold, you will of course need to know what you are looking for.
Black mold will either be a dark green, or, as the name implies, black. Although you should never touch black mold, it does have a slimy texture. If you are doing the assessment yourself you will need to be thorough, and this could mean some inconvenient damage to your home.
You will need to pull up the carpeting in any room you determine to have higher than normal moisture. Be sure to wear a full compliment of safety gear. This means goggles, gloves, rubber boots, and a disposable jump suit.
As well as the carpeting, look for discoloration around any light fixtures or light switches. If you have furniture in a moist room, you will need to fully inspect it to ensure it does not contain any black molds.
After your assessment, the next step in mold remediation is the containment of the black molds. This step is the latest step you will want to bring a professional mold remediation company into. A mold removal specialist will be able to assess your home for molds, however, if you can outfit yourself with safety gear, you may find that you can do a more thorough, and safer job.
Your contractor will quarantine the entire room where the black mold was found. This is important because human infection arises when the black molds release their spores into the air. By quarantining the room, your contractor will reduce the harmful levels of mold spores throughout the entire house.
The quarantine process includes a full plastic seal throughout the whole room.
Now that the room is quarantined, your mold remediation specialist will be able to begin the filtration process in the air. Your contractor will be fitted with a HEPA machine that will filter the air, removing all spores, and other harmful particles.
After the air has been filtered (or during), your mold removal specialist will begin the full removal of the black mold. This can sometimes cause loss or damage to the house, however, the very nature of mold is to grow in obscure places to prolong life. If your black mold has gotten deep into a wall or floor, it may mean removing a piece of the home.
When the repair is complete, any good mold removal contractor will then work on fixing the root cause so you never have to deal with black mold again.
