Restored with Premier Restoration of the Carolinas

Beyond Bleach: Professional Mold Abatement Explained

• Tim Rhoades • Episode 4

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 What Is Mold Abatement And How Does It Work?

The hidden dangers lurking in damp corners of your home might be affecting your health more than you realize. When moisture meets organic materials, mold quickly follows – and with it comes a host of potential health problems that simple cleaning can't address.

Tim Rhoades, restoration expert and owner of Premier Restoration of the Carolinas, pulls back the curtain on what professional mold abatement really entails. Unlike quick surface treatments, proper remediation tackles the root cause: moisture control. By maintaining indoor humidity below 60% and addressing leaks, you can prevent mold's unwelcome return. The process involves specialized equipment like HEPA vacuums and professional-grade antimicrobial treatments that penetrate porous surfaces where mold hides.

What many homeowners don't realize is that mold's health impacts vary significantly between individuals. While respiratory problems are most common, those with asthma or other pre-existing conditions face greater risks. More concerning is that effective treatment often requires removing affected materials completely – including drywall, flooring, and insulation – because mold typically grows in hidden spaces between structural elements. Timeline expectations depend entirely on the scope of contamination, ranging from a few days for small areas to several weeks for extensive remediation projects.

Before hiring just anyone to address your mold concerns, verify their IICRC certification – this industry credential ensures technicians understand proper remediation protocols and safety procedures. Your home's health directly impacts your family's wellbeing, making professional assessment and treatment an investment in both your property and your peace of mind. Have you noticed musty odors or unexplained respiratory issues in your home? It might be time for a professional mold inspection.

To learn more about Premier Restoration of the Carolinas visit:
https://www.PremierRestorationoftheCarolinas.com
Premier Restoration of the Carolinas
888-847-2214

Speaker 1:

Welcome to Restored with Premier Restoration of the Carolinas, where we turn floods, fires and moldy mayhem into clean slates and fresh starts, hosted by Tim Rhodes, the guy who's been knee-deep in disaster, so you don't have to be. If your home or business has been through it, don't panic, tim's here to talk recovery, restoration and everything in between. Let's get things restored.

Speaker 2:

Mold isn't just ugly it's unhealthy. In this episode, tim Rhodes breaks down what mold abatement really means, how it's different from a quick cleanup and why trusting a pro could save your home and your lungs. Welcome back everybody. Skip Monning, co-host, slash producer, back in the studio with Tim Rhodes, owner of Premier Restoration of the Carolinas. Tim, how's it going?

Speaker 3:

It's going good. How are you Skip?

Speaker 2:

Doing just fine. And you know I mentioned to you earlier that mold is a special concern for me, because I've had some episodes in my house where there's a lot of water in places I didn't want it to be, and so I'm concerned about that, as a lot of people are, because when it shows up you need more than bleaching a prayer. So, tim, from your perspective, what is mold abatement and how does that work?

Speaker 3:

Mold abatement is a process of safely identifying, removing and preventing the return of mold by controlling moisture. Moisture is the root cause of mold. It involves addressing and fixing leaks, improving ventilation and lowering indoor humidity below 60%. Once you get all that in check, you can normally keep control of mold.

Speaker 2:

Very good. Now what's the difference between just mold removal and mold abatement? What exactly does that mean?

Speaker 3:

Well, I don't think there's a difference. I think it's the same. I'd say everybody's got their own process of the way they do things. It involves a lot of HEPA vac and a lot of scrubbing. You know it involves a lot of HEPA vac and a lot of scrubbing. You know we HEPA vac a lot and we use chemicals that pulls it out of porous materials and then HEPA vac it and wipe it and brush it.

Speaker 2:

Repeat that process Now. How do you assess the severity of a mold issue before starting treatment?

Speaker 3:

Just look at it, really you can, you can look at it, see how bad it is. But I mean, you know we, we have mold tests, we we can do. But uh, you can, uh you, you get in there, start crawling around, you can see where all it's growing, you kind of see how bad it is and can you tell the different types of mold that there are no black molds?

Speaker 2:

big evil thing you got to test that.

Speaker 3:

That's what the mold tests, for. They can break it down okay, gotcha, gotcha.

Speaker 2:

So what kind of health risks are associated with untreated mold?

Speaker 3:

Well, you know any kind of breathing problems it's going to create all kinds of breathing problems and that's your main one you start. I've had some people you know tell me it gives them headaches, breathing problems. You know it causes a lot of different things to a lot of different people. So not every person's the same. So not every mold, you know treatment's the same. So it just depends on, you know, the customer with their medical problems. Molds, I mean, you know treatment's the same. So it just depends on, you know, the customer with their medical problems. Molds, I mean you know it affects everybody differently.

Speaker 2:

So you know, I'd imagine, if somebody's got asthma or a you know pre-existing condition, that that's going to make it worse.

Speaker 3:

Yeah, it will, I'm certain. I'm no doctor, but I would say it would.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, absolutely will. I'm certain. I'm no doctor, but I would say it would. Yeah, absolutely. Well, can mold abatement or removal be done without tearing out walls or flooring?

Speaker 3:

Depends on the whole situation. That's a big picture right there. Most of the time it's behind sheet rock, it's between hardwood floors and sub floors. So you know, sometimes if it's just in your crawl space, yep, you pull insulation out, you can normally get it out.

Speaker 2:

But if it's between sub floors and flooring behind sheet rock, you know you're gonna have to tear some stuff out yeah, I've had experience with that where I had a bathroom that flooded and had tile in the bathroom floor and at first, the restoration person that dealt with this several years ago or else I'd have been calling you but he said, oh, I think we're not going to have to do much in here, until he figured out that whoever put the tile down this was prior to me owning this house they just put the tile on top of some linoleum and they said, oh yeah, we got to pull the tile out, pull the linoleum out, dry it out, put the tile back, and so I guess, like you said, depends on what's in the subfloor, I guess. So how long does a typical mold abatement process take from start to finish?

Speaker 3:

That's. That's hard to say without you know. Without looking at the whole project and seeing how big the whole project is, you know it could go. You could be in and out of a crawl space, depending on the size of it. In two or three days it could be tearing out a whole house that flooded from top to bottom. You could be there for five weeks.

Speaker 2:

Just depends on the whole situation so it depends on on what's happened, yes, but typically let's say, if it's a, if it's a bathroom that's flooded and you've got to get some mold out of the subfloor and all that I mean is that a pretty quick.

Speaker 3:

Yeah, I'd say, by the time you go in and tear out, you're probably, you're probably going to be there five to seven days probably, depending on how bad the mold is, just the tear out, you're going to be there for a day or two and then you know, you know, addressing the mold and taking care of the mold, removing the mold, you're going to be there for a couple more days, you know, I'd say five to seven days Plus, depending on how much construction you've got to do too I guess.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, wow. Well, what should homeowners look for when choosing a certified mold remediation company? When they're looking, they need help. They think they've got mold in their house. What should they be looking for to find the best solution?

Speaker 3:

Well, I mean, you know they just need to be certified with the. You know the common certifier is the IICRC and that just makes sure that you know. You know what you're doing, you know the protocol, you know how to take care of it, and that just you know. That's make sure they're certified, make sure they know what they're doing.

Speaker 2:

And could you say that again? What was that certification? It's the IICRC, iicrc, so look for that. I would imagine most people make that pretty prominent on their website. I would think.

Speaker 3:

Yeah, I mean, but all you got to do is ask is ask everybody, you know, if they're certified, they have a pocket card with them, they, they give you a pocket card and it shows all your certifications, just you know. That's just protection for you to make sure the homeowner is getting somebody that is certified and knows what they're doing gotcha gotcha well tim.

Speaker 2:

no pun intended, but thanks for clearing the air literally, and we appreciate the much needed clarification. I feel a little bit better about my situation and we'll look forward to seeing you next time.

Speaker 3:

Sounds good.

Speaker 2:

All right, brother, have a great one.

Speaker 3:

You too.

Speaker 2:

We'll see you next time.

Speaker 1:

Thanks for tuning in to Restored premier restoration of the carolinas. If disaster strikes, don't google, call the pros. You can reach tim at 888-847-2241 or visit us online at premier restoration of the carolinascom. We'll bring the tools, the team and maybe even the shop vac, because when things go wrong, we make it right.