7 reasons you should never treat mold yourself

If you are dealing with mold problems, you should know a few important things before tackling it yourself.

The internet is flooded with many DIYs on treating or removing molds in your home or workplace. As such, many people are convinced that mold issues do not require a professional mold removal service.

Removing mold growth yourself could potentially cause health problems for you and other inhabitants.

The process of effective mold removal can be both tedious and dangerous. It can even become more dangerous when not handled with the right equipment and protective gears.

In this article, we will discuss:

• The 7 primary reasons you should never handle mold yourself, regardless of the size.
• What to do if you find mold in your house.

1. There is a chance the mold growth is worse than you think

Not all molds are visible.

It’s very common to see a little patch of mold and assume it is just a bit of discoloration. You may wonder to get rid of the little patch of mold using bleach or some detergent. Wrong!

Often, the part of mold growth visible on the outside is just the tip of the iceberg. The growth of molds usually begins a long time before they surface.

The process may start within hidden areas like crawl spaces, behind walls, inside panels, and subflooring. Therefore, what appears as a dark crack in your tiles may be some mold growth that has eaten deep into your floor.

Further Reading: Top 10 causes of mold growth and how to prevent them

A professional mold remediation company knows how to detect mold in walls and other hidden areas. Experts will first perform a mold inspection of your home to discover all the hidden molds and their sources. They can also tell if they have molds that are not visible yet capable of causing mold allergies and affecting your health.

2. You could have mold regrowth in just a few days

Cleaning is never enough when it comes to mold removal.

The risk of mold regrowth is one reason you should never attempt to clean mold yourself. No mold remediation is complete without addressing the source of mold growth to minimize recurrence.

If the source is not repaired or replaced, mold is likely to reoccur within a few days. If there is anything worse than having mold in your home is, having a recurrence of it after cleaning.

One minute you think you finally have it all in control, and then the next minute, the harmful fungi are back. To avoid this, it is best to let the professionals handle your mold remediation.

3. Mold remediation needs the right equipment and expertise

Mold remediation is not routine cleaning.

Popularized mold removal DIYs will make the process seem like a walkover but getting rid of molds within any building is no child’s play. Mold remediation requires expertise as well as the use of advanced techniques and equipment.

Before commencing the mold remediation process, several measures would be put in place to prevent the spread of mold spores to unaffected areas. With the right personal protective equipment (PPE), experts can prevent contact with the spores, which may cause allergies.

Cleaning mold without proper equipment and expertise may result in more contamination and end up causing bad air quality within your home.

You may find yourself doing a day’s job for over a week. So instead of spending more time causing more damage, why not hire the services of an expert mold remediation company and save yourself the stress.

Also Read: What is mold and why should you care?

4. You could aggravate the situation

Mold spores spread fast once disturbed.

Mold spores float in the air and may land in other areas to begin growing again. While cleaning, you could cause the mold to spread into areas of your property that were previously unaffected. If you were dealing with a single mold colony at the start, you might end up having several multiple colonies to deal with within a matter of days.

Besides, molds are of different types. While all mold spores are irritants capable of causing allergies, some molds produce toxins that can be very harmful to your health. You may also end up with dead molds, which can still produce spores and toxic irritants.

Molds should be handled by experts who will test to determine what type of mold you’re dealing with and efficiently deal with it.

5. It’s dangerous

Breathing in mold spores while cleaning is a huge deal.

Mold spores are naturally occurring in the air and can be harmful when present in large quantities. Taking matters into your hands in removing active mold growth makes the situation even worse.

Active mold growth on walls, papers, wood, or any substance also releases spores when triggered. So while cleaning mold, you risk breathing in air filled with dispersed mold spores. This could cause mold allergy symptoms like wheezing and coughing. Even worse, it could aggravate the risk of asthma in children and people living with asthma.

Professionals use a process called containment to prevent mold spores from spreading during cleaning. The affected area is sealed using appropriate equipment that stops spread, reducing the risk of contamination.

Further Reading: 10 mold exposure symptoms you should never ignore

6. You need fast and efficient action

Mold should be cleaned as soon as it appears but by experts.

Rushing to clean up any mold growth in the home by yourself may be the quickest but never the most efficient action to take. Professional mold remediation service companies follow specific procedures that guarantee the return of mold levels to the point of healthy fungal ecology. The processes guarantee the efficient removal of spores and clean air after remediation.

Fast and efficient mold remediation procedures include assessment, containment, removal, repair, and filtration. In addition to this, hiring mold remediation experts give you a higher chance of not having to leave your home while they tackle the mold problems.

7. Mold damage caused by sewage or contaminated water

Mold problems are usually caused by moisture. However, suppose the mold growth on your property is caused by sewage or some other form of contaminated water. In that case, it is best to hire the services of a professional for remediation. Beyond mold removal and remediation, the source of the problem also needs to be fixed to avoid mold regrowth and other damage.

Once our experts are done with your home or office, you should be assured of safe space without any risk of adverse health issues. Some companies perform a routine visit in the future to ensure that you do not have a repeat occurrence.

What to do if you find mold in your house

If the infected area is too small, you can try one of these natural ways to kill mold. However, if the area is big enough to handle, then your best bet is to consult an expert mold remediation company with enough experience dealing with mold issues.

At EcoFMR.com, our experts have the right equipment and have dealt with mold problems for over 30 years. We specialize in mold remediation and removal in residential as well as commercial buildings.

With a thorough understanding of the science of mold growth and reoccurrence, our remediation process involved identifying the source of mold growth and repairing it to avoid future growth.

Often, the mold source has to be removed, disposed of, and replaced to stop any chances of having a recurring mold issue. Our experts will also go-ahead to offer customized mold prevention recommendations to help you keep the molds away for good.

Further Reading: Mold myths and facts – Should you believe what is being said?