Why You Should Use Mold Removal Services When Selling Your Home

Selling your home can be a lengthy process. From preparing your home for an online listing to fixing it up for visitors to hosting open houses, it’s a lot to do in addition to finding a new place to live.

That’s why when homeowners see those dreaded black spores in the corner of a room, it’s their instinct to clean it up themselves and move on. But that’s a bad idea. Mold removal isn’t something the average person can effectively do.

Our experts will explain why.

What Is Mold & What Causes it?

The basic needs for mold growth are mold spores, a food source such as organic materials, and moisture.

Mould Spores are microscopic small dormant cells that are found on almost every surface. Mould Spores begin to grow if the right conditions are met. The growth process is called amplification. Mold spores are able to adapt to changes in their environments. So well that the more stressful the conditions, the more spores will be produced. Within a home or building, mold spores can potentially spread out and contaminate other areas. Mold spores can become dormant, producing spores that may be able to survive without moisture, when frozen or without a food source.  These spores can later develop into mold colonies when the right environmental conditions are favorable for mold growth.

Food Source includes almost any organic material for mold growth to occur. Food sources can include building materials such as drywall, ceiling tiles, glues and sealants, wood, carpets, cellulose insulation, cardboard, books, furniture, and draperies. When a wetting event occurs, mold can grow from a small area such as the drywall at the base of the wall to a much larger area such as a significant portion of the drywall surfaces.

Moisture is the main factor that controls mould growth indoors, if the availability of enough water is present. Life requires water. Once the moisture source has been repaired or removed, mould remediation processes should be initiated. Water sources can include rain, snow and ice, too much humidity, surface water such as lakes and rivers, groundwater and aquifers, flooding, freeze and thaw cycles. Building moisture sources can include flooding, pipe breaks, and leaks, toilet and sewer backups, drainage problems, condensation, and deficiencies with building envelopes, roof leaks, HVAC systems, and deficiencies with the exterior cladding, bricks, windows, cement blocks, stucco or wood. Home or building occupants can also have an effect on moisture levels by storing wet materials such as clothes and boots in a place where they cannot dry quickly, or use of too much water for cleaning and maintenance.

The best way to prevent mold growth is to control the humidity and moisture in your home or building, as well as hire professionals when you experience water damage to your home.

How to Get Rid of Mold

If you smell mildew within your property, and it’s in the early stages, all you’ll need are the right household products to remove it. However, when you see mold, it’s best to call in the pros!

While there are DIY solutions on the internet that will claim to help you completely remove mold, the truth is that it is possible for mold to build up an immunity to homemade concoctions. Additionally, DIY cleanups usually only target the mold source, but not the spores that are already in the air and starting to spread to other locations.

For larger areas requiring mold remediation, a plan is required to identify what the objective is and how it’s going to be achieved. You will have to consider whether mold-contaminated materials should be cleaned or removed. The potential for future moisture or water intrusion and mold contamination should be a factor in determining which type of remediation levels are required. Removal of water-damaged and mold-contaminated materials is usually more effective to prevent re-growth of mold. When cleaning or removing mold contamination, the hazard of inhaling airborne mold and other health and safety issues must be considered. Removal is a more costly solution, but this cost must be weighed against the hazard of remediation activities. Prior to commencing any remediation activities, it is recommended to hire a qualified mold remediation company.

Potential Buyers Will Find Out

Mould contamination is a sign of a big problem, as much as you don’t want to face it. Sellers have to go through home inspections, and those results will be seen by potential buyers. Sometimes, potential buyers will see the mold themselves during the open house and head for the door.

Even if the potential buyers aren’t elderly or have respiratory problems, mold is one of the reasons why buyers back out. And it’s not just a health risk – it can threaten the structural integrity of the house as well. It’s an expense buyers don’t want when purchasing a home, particularly first-time buyers.

And if you don’t fix the problem, you may wind up having to accept a very low price after seeing buyer after buyer walk away. Hiring a professional mold removal company will allow you to sell your home at its proper value, protect everyone’s health, and strengthen the house’s structure.

How Certified Asbestos Can Help

Whether you have flood, water damage, or your house’s humidity and moisture levels are just too high, our experts will assist with identifying the source. If you observe mold contamination within your home, Certified will assist with identifying the types of mold that may be present by sampling the mold on either the surfaces or in the air. The samples are then sent to a qualified lab to complete the analysis and to identify the types of mold. Once mold has been identified, our technicians are available to safely and properly remediate and remove the contaminated building materials. After removal, the surfaces within the work area are treated with an antimicrobial agent which will disinfect and help with preventing further mold growth. Prior to rebuilding an area that has been remediated, adequate drying time will be given to make sure all building materials are dry.

So if you’re selling your home and want to complete the process in short order, keep in mind that the best way to do that is to eliminate any and all mold-related problems completely and professionally as possible. Why leave it to chance?

Get in touch with our Calgary professionals to learn more or schedule an appointment now!