Mold Removal Near Me, 11 Things To Know

Searching for ‘mold removal near me?’ There are some things you should know before hiring someone to remove the mold. Be sure to hire a company you can trust!

If you are searching for ‘mold removal near me,’ you may have already found mold in your home and are wondering how to get rid of it. You suspected mold all along. Perhaps it was the musty smell. Maybe you or a member of the family was suffering from chronic, allergy-like symptoms. Maybe the mold was already visible. Regardless of how you found it or why it’s there, you want the mold gone! Come read and learn everything you need to know about mold removal and remediation.

Home Mold Remediation

Mold remediation is the technical term for mold removal. Here at Branch Environmental, we know mold remediation can be overwhelming, we are here to walk you through it. Though every home and circumstance is unique, we follow a proven process to not only remove mold contaminants, but keep them from returning

Whether you are located in our service area (Oconee, Clarke, Barrow, Walton, Green, Morgan, Jackson, Oglethorpe, and Madison County, Georgia) or not, we want everyone to know what mold removal should look like.

Mold Inspections – Why it’s important NOT to go with a ‘Free’ Inspection

You may have already had or need a thorough Indoor Air Quality Assessment. Some of our competitors don’t charge for a mold inspection, so we’re sometimes asked why our mold investigations aren’t free of charge. The primary reason that we charge for our mold inspections at Branch Environmental is the time and resources that go into each one. Some of our competitors offer “free” inspections, which basically means that the inspector shows up and hands over a price to fix a symptom, without truly knowing the nature of the problem.

Our process is far different. In addition to the questions we ask over the phone, once we arrive we ask many more. We treat every inspection like an investigation, and we’re on the case. If there is mold in your home we will find it. If there isn’t, we may be able to help you discover if you have a different kind of air quality problem.

Check out our post: Do You Have Mold? How to Choose Between a Paid or Free Mold Inspection to learn about a problem we solved for a homeowner that was NOT mold.

Define The Scope

This begins with an Indoor Air Quality Assessment. Your inspector will define the extent of the necessary work and what may or may not need to be done. The inspector should talk you through all your options and tailor a plan that fits your needs and your budget.

Protect The People

Keeping your family and the work crews safe is top priority. This means preparing your home for the work that needs to be done. Branch Environmental uses methods such as containment walls and negative air to keep your home safe, and we’ll let you know if you can or cannot be in the home during the work. Check out our post Branch Environmental Keeping You Safe to learn more.

Remove The Mold

The work will start by removing and discarding non-salvageable material. Next, the materials that can be saved are cleaned. At Branch Environmental, we always use safe and environmentally friendly products. There is no reason to replace one environmental toxin with another, such as bleach. Be sure to ask your mold remediation contractor questions about the chemicals they use to remove mold and if they are environmentally friendly.

Correct Moisture Problems

Removing or correcting the source of moisture is a vital part of the remediation process to ensure mold does not return. This may be handled by a contractor outside the scope of the mold remediation. Once walls or floors are opened up, now is the time to address plumbing issues and other leaks. Leaks are problems that can be remedied quickly if routine maintenance checks are performed on your home. The longer a leak is present, the more mold will grow. Prevention is worth nine tenths of the cure they say!

To learn how to prevent water leaks and where the most likely spots for leaks in your home are, check out our posts: Top 6 Types of Water Damage and How to Avoid Them and Top 10 Ways to Prevent Water Damage.

Restoration

If walls or floors were removed during the remediation, the final step will be reinstalling what was taken out. Drywall, carpet, and other soft materials are the most likely materials that will have to be replaced. However, even framing or complete floors may have to be replaced depending on the level of damage.

Will You Have To Gut My Home?

Every effort should be made by the mold remediation team to remove only the material necessary. If you only have surface mold, the area might be able to be cleaned without removing anything. However, if mold is inside walls or under floors, the materials may have to be removed to clean it properly.

If mold is in your crawlspace it may be necessary to remove insulation in order to clean floor joists and apply an antimicrobial agent. Our process includes containing the work area and pumping the air outside, to keep you and your family safe.

Navigating an Insurance Claim

If you do find mold in your home, the thought of dealing with the mold and navigating an insurance claim can be overwhelming. The fact is that some insurance companies do not cover the cost of mold removal. It depends on your individual policy and the circumstances surrounding the problem. The good news is that you don’t have to go it alone!

At Branch Environmental, we deal with insurance claims every day. As your mitigation and restoration contractor, we consider it part of our obligation to remove as much of the insurance burden from you as possible. We’ll help you through each step of the process, often communicating and negotiating on your behalf. To learn more check out our posts: How To Navigate an Insurance Claim and 5 Expectations about Mold vs. Eye-Opening Reality.

If you only find a small area of mold that is less than 10 square feet, you may be able to clean it yourself. To be safe, you do need to know more about what to wear and what to use when cleaning mold. Check out our post A Simple Guide To Cleaning Mold to learn more.

This Sounds Expensive!

Most people rarely plan for the expense of mold removal, so here at Branch Environmental, we are careful to help control costs and manage your expectations from the beginning. With a clear understanding of the problem, we can work with you to create a remediation protocol that fits your needs.

The best place to start is with an Indoor Air Quality Assessment. This step will give you all the information you need to move forward. You will discover exactly how extensive your problem is, and what is necessary to solve it.

Know When To Clean And When To Call

It’s easy to take care of mold as a homeowner, but it’s also a good idea to know when to call in the pros. Mold is great at hiding in hard to detect locations such as in drywall, under sinks, and in carpet. If the area of mold covers more than about 10 square feet, there is a good chance the mold problem is more than an isolated issue.

To read a great example of how Branch Environmental helped a homeowner discover and remediate mold check out our post: How Does Mold Affect Your Health? In this post, the homeowner was suffering from severe health issues, and his doctor suggested his home be checked for mold. Check it out to learn just what was causing his health issues.

We’re Here When You Need Us

Call Branch Environmental. We’re experts not only at mold removal, but at determining and remediating the underlying causes. From hidden mold sources to major contaminants, we can identify exactly what is going on in your home and rid it of environmental toxins, often for good.