You may have stumbled upon this portion of our site looking for someone to remove mold from your home. Here at ETG- Environmental Testing Group we only do mold inspection and testing for the Chicago area. But before you continue your search for a mold removal company in Chicago, please read and educate yourself on the remediation process so you know what to expect and can make sure that whatever company you do hire does the job correctly.

Before we go into what is involved in the mold removal process, let us tell you how you could benefit from an inspection regardless of how obvious the problem is or not. We can save you money in a variety of ways. For one, we can tell how far the problem has spread. In most cases the area can be quarantined as the work is being done. The less area the company has to do work in, the smaller the bill will be. Secondly, if you are trying to make an insurance claim or have a landlord cover the costs; our inspection and report provides clear evidence that a problem does indeed exist. Our mold inspector can be an expert witness in the unfortunate event a issue has to be taken to court.

When it is time for the remediation process, here is an example of a complete job. If any of these steps are skipped, it can leave elevated mold levels in the air or even cause the mold problem to come back.

Step #1: Control of Exposure

• Vacating people from the adjacent spaces is not necessary but is recommended for individuals with reduced immune systems, elderly, infants, recent surgery patients, people with chronic inflammatory lung disease or individuals with respiratory health concerns.

Step #2: Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)Full-face respirators are to be worn.

• Gloves are to be worn to remove all infected building materials.
• Disposable Tyvek coveralls covering both the head and shoes shall be worn.

Step #3: Containment of Basement Area

• Complete isolation of the work area using plastic (6 mil poly) sheeting sealed with tape.
• Sealing with plastic sheeting (6 mil poly) all ventilation, ducts/grills, fixtures and other openings.
• Use an exhaust fan with a HEPA filter to generate negative pressurization (ventilating to the outdoors). Use the appropriate sized unit for the space. The air exchange rate must be six times per hour.

Step #4: Applying Biocide

• Apply biocide to visible fungal growth prior to removal of material. Wait thirty minutes before removing the material. This provides sufficient time for the biocide to disinfect the material and reduces the dust generated because the material is wetted.

Step #5: Removal of Contaminated Materials

• Remove infected drywall or building material least twelve inches past any visual mold (wood paneling and drywall in laundry room area will need to be removed atleast 2 feet/past any visual water marks).
• All debris should be double bagged in 3 mil contractor bags twisted, goose necked and sealed with duct tape.
• The sealed bags are to be wiped clean with the appropriate disinfectant in the containment before transport to the disposal area.
• There are no special requirements for the disposal of moldy material. Moldy materials that are bagged can be disposed of with other general waste.

Step #6: Cleaning the Basement Area

• The contained area is to be HEPA vacuumed, starting at the ceiling and working down to the floor.
• If any visual mold is seen on studs HEPA sand affected area.
• The contained area is to be wiped down with a biocide and/or detergent solution.
• The contained area is to be HEPA vacuumed again.

 

Step #7: Final Inspections

• Prior to containment removal and re-occupancy of the space a certified mold inspector should do a visual inspection and air sampling. Air sample should be taken both within the containment and in an adjacent area to insure spores have not spread to other areas.
• After passing post remediation testing you may choose to apply a sealant around studs.
• Containment removal and re-occupancy shall occur when space passes appropriate verification testing.

Step #8: Containment Used During Reconstruction

• After the containment has passed clearance testing, the enclosure can be used to contain the dusts generated by sheetrock sanding and taping activities. This is done to reduce the clean up when reconstruction is complete.

********FINAL STEP*******

In order to make sure that whatever company you hired took all the necessary steps and completed the job; a mold inspection company in Chicago should be hired for a clearance test. This is done to make sure that the indoor air quality is back to normal and safe for you to be breathing. We recommend doing this step prior to putting up new drywall.

 

Having a home or business that requires mold remediation is not a death sentence for the value of a building. If the problem is addressed accordingly, your indoor environment will go back to normal and it will not return. A good mold removal company should do the job in a way that it seems like it never happened. If you get an inspection and find there is a problem with a piece of real estate you were thinking about purchasing, know that it can be fixed. These sort of problems are usually not deal breakers but sometimes the price should be adjusted accordingly because of the issues.