Mold Removal Processes and Recommendations

Systematic Cleaning and Restoration Corporation provides Mold Removal or Mold Remediation restoration services to  Lafayette New Jersey. We are family-owned and operated, fully licensed and insured, IICRC certified, are up to date on the latest techniques, use the best equipment to ensure your safety, and are totally dedicated to  the satisfaction of our clients. Mold Removal and  Mold Remediation restoration projects have to be done carefully to protect the occupants of the home.

The IICRC provides five major principles of mold cleanup that MUST be followed:

1. Make sure safety and health precautions are taken by cleanup professionals and occupants. Mold-contaminated buildings can be associated with a number of health problems. Anyone involved in the mold remediation process must be protected from exposure through a combination of practices and controls.
2. A post-cleanup assessment by an independent environmental expert. An effective mold remediation cannot be developed without first determining the extent of the contamination to be removed. To ensure that remediation work is being properly performed, it is highly recommended that appropriate documentation of the remediation process be kept by project management
3. Control of mold before it spreads further. Eliminating mold at the source of contamination is essential. Once mold spores spread through the air, it will be much more difficult to capture.
4. Oversee the proper physical removal of the mold. The mold must be physically removed from the structure. Attempts to isolate mold or remove signs of mold on the surface are not adequate. Note that bleach alone cannot kill mold.
5. Ensure that moisture is controlled to limit future contamination or re-contamination. Mold growth is virtually inevitable if moisture is not controlled. Moisture problems must be identified, located and corrected or controlled as soon as possible.

Application of these principles may involve multiple disciplines and professionals from a wide range of restoration and indoor environmental fields.

The ANCI/IICRC S520 Is this standard for the removal of mold from homes and businesses that are been contaminated by this organism. It is written for those that are involved in the remediation and restoration and is designed for real life challenges when it comes to improving the indoor environmental air quality and living space of those affected. It is put together by workers, scientists, indoor environmental professionals, industrial hygienists, trade associations and others and provides the best management practices for handling micro-bacterial contamination. These standards are designed to protect the homeowner from not only the health effects of mold but are also designed to ensure that the homeowner or business owner gets the project done properly and safely. We follow the I ICRC standards and are certified in their use. This means that the areas that we provide mold remediation to our typically put under negative pressure and maintained under negative pressure throughout the removal process. In addition if the situation is deemed necessary we will call in an IEP or an indoor environmental professional that will write you a spec independent of our work. They work directly for you and will not only devise a plan but will also check to make sure that the plan was followed and that everything was done according to the specification. It is not recommended that you use a company that writes their own plan and then is responsible for implementation and follow-up inspection. In minor cases this may not be necessary but in cases where mold contamination is widespread this is certainly the recommended practice.

In Lafayette New Jersey we find that moisture conditions are right for mold growth. We seem to have an especially difficult time with homes that are used as vacation homes as well as those homes that have either improper drainage, crawlspaces, and or roof damage from the harsh winters. Unfortunately in New Jersey and Pennsylvania many homes are affected by mold. We can create a program based on the S520 standard that will holistically eliminate mold from your home and in addition we can assist with creating an environment so that no further issues occur. In certain cases that will require excavation, waterproofing, roof repair, grading, installation of dehumidification, crawlspace encapsulation or some other type of physical action that will prevent the re-occurrence. The benefit with Systematic Cleaning and Restoration is that we can provide all of those services to you.

Another benefit of using our company for your mold remediation services is that being IICRC Certified means that if there is an issue with any of the work that we provide to you you have an independent body that will examine the complaint and make sure if anything was not done to code that it is remedied at no further cost. In addition we are also “A” rated with the Better Business Bureau and are fully licensed and insured for mold remediation services in both New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

We are IICRC certified, fully insured and properly trained in the latest and best methods of mold remediation for Lafayette New Jersey.

To provide correct mold removal requires a certain set of tools as well as proper training to make sure the job is done correctly. It is always prudent to hire a company that is IICRC certified in mold remediation. In most cases containment has to be set up which creates a negative pressure around the areas of mold growth so that mold spores and mycotoxins do not escape into the general environment. The proper health and safety protocols have to be followed. Respirators must always be worn as well as eye protection and full suit to protect you from  mold gaining entrance into your body.

There are some molds out there that actually grow the fastest at temperatures of 98.6° That number may look familiar to you because that is the temperature of a healthy human being. So with some mold organisms our body is the perfect petri dish.

Mold exposure can cause a wide variety of health effects.It is a fact that certain types can even cause death. In most cases if there is mold that is present and or growing an indoor environmental professional should be called in to test the home and find out where the mold is locatedated so that he or she can create a plan that will eliminate mold from your home as well as provide a plan of action and endpoint determination. This way once the mold removal professional has completed their work the conditions can be checked within the home to make sure that it is in balance with the exterior environment.

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Well before we can discuss mold remediation we need to speak about mold assessment.

So what is mold assessment anyway?

Mold assessment is the process of collecting information about where the mold might be in your home or  office. Experts generally come in an look over the structure and determine where the mold is hiding. This is generally done by laboratory testing as well as the use of specialized equipment.Sometimes the mold is obviously and sometimes it’s not. Sometimes you have to dig deep within a structure in order to find the problem. This is where an indoor environmental professional come into play. They will do the testing and then formulate the clean-up process. There is a written specification for mold removal along with followup testing and mold count parameters.  Once the testing and spec is done then the  mold remediation starts. The removing of the mold is necessary and beneficial for many reasons.

Health Effects

You may not think that mold and mold spores actually are a hazard to your health but they are in a big way.  Mold spores are very common within homes and office areas as well as outside our homes or offices. The comparison of interior mold counts to exterior mold counts sets up a parameter of what is called the normal mold count. This measures types and amounts of molds both inside and outside.What can happen if there is sufficient moisture and growing mediums these spore build up. Mold can cause an allergic reaction for many people.  It’s not just the allergies that you need to watch out for, these molds can hinder your health from a respiratory and physical standpoint in some cases even causing brain damage and death! And once it gets into your body it may cause all sorts of problems.

Here is a breakdown of some of hazards of mold and mold spores:

1. Runny nose
2. Itching and swelling eyes
3. Tightness of the chest
4. Difficulty in breathing
5. Coughing
6. Headache
7. Irritation of the throat
8. Mental confusion
9. Skin irritations
10. Sneezing

This is just to name a few, which is another reason why mold remediation is important. Mold can directly affect the health of yourself as well as your loved ones.

There is also another link to mold with health issues and it is Asthma. It’s been proven in studies that mold has major causitive factor when it comes to asthma.  This may be especially apparent in infants or young kids. Infants and young kids tend to develop fungal mold, which is also known as Penicillium. Each time that the infant or young child becomes exposed they become more susceptible to the fungal mold. The Penicillium will increase within the human body. About 20% for every year that the child is infected. For each increase in Penicillin and years infected there are different levels

1. no mold to low mold
2. low mold to intermediate levels
3. intermediate levels to high levels.

Now when it comes to the reaction for the mold it can happen in a variety of ways, depending on how susceptible you are and how much you take in. When you are at a lower level you will have things like running nose and eyes swelling and coughing to deal with. But if you are in extreme and severe categories you will have more prolonged and chronic illnesses to deal with. The longer you have the mold, the more susceptible you will be to the allergic reactions.

There are three things that mold needs in order to grow.

1. Time–anywhere from 48 hours to 10 days
2. Moisture–This is what is needed to begin the process which brings about the mold through presence of spores
3. Nutrients–Cellulose is a common ingredient in the mold build up process-think sheetrock, cloth, wallpaper etc.

Mold removal is paramount to the health and safety of yourself and your loved ones. It is not something to take lightly. There can be VERY serious health consequences from a mold infestation. So if you live in Lafayette New Jersey and you are in need of mold remediation services for your home or business please call us. We’ll be happy to answer any questions you may have, we look forward to working with you.