Common Mold FAQs

What is Mold?

Mold is nothing but a microorganism that lives everywhere in the environment. It is the common type of fungus that thrives in the moist, warm conditions. Only once mold spores reach elevated levels and given the right conditions, can it grow and pose a threat on our health and in our properties. There are various issues which are being caused by mold, so to avoid those issues, we at Canada's Restoration Services Edmonton provides professional remediation to keep your home a healthy living environment.

Why is Mold Removal important?

As mentioned above, there are various issues caused by mold. Not only structural damage to your home or property but it affects ones health as well. Here is a list of the few side effects & symptoms that mold can cause to our health;

• Headaches
• Asthma attacks
• Allergic reactions
• Burning or irritation of the eyes, nose, throat or lungs
• Skin irritation
• Breathing difficulties
• Hypersensitivity pneumonitis
• A persistent cough or cold symptoms

There are various potentials to cause health issues, so it is best to contact a professional mold remediation company as soon as you notice the mold growth. Some molds are okay for you to clean up yourself where others are not. There is a wide classification of mold where each one is unique in causing troubles. Mold Testing or Air Quality Testing can determine what type of mold is present to help identify what may have caused the elevated mold spores.

Types of Mold

There are around 100 types of mold that are suspected to affect ones health. Here are a few of the most commonly found mold groups;

• Penicillium
• Aspergillus
• Cladosporium
• Alternaria and
• Stachybotrys

Stachybotrys or also known as “Toxic Black Mold’ is the most harmful. There should be none of this mold found in your home or property. It grows when there is a large water source for it to feed off; if you experience a major flood in your home, then Stachy can grow if not cleaned up properly or quickly.

How does Mold Grow?

First of all, mold can grow in any substance when moisture is present and if once the spores land on a surface which is wet or humid, the visible signs will start to be seen. Mold needs three things to grow;

1. One, as mentioned, being moisture,
2. A proper living environment (typically organic) such as drywall or plaster, wooden studs or sheathing and furniture, and finally
3. It needs an area that has a lack of airflow.

It is very typically to find mold in closets, cold rooms or cold storages and attics, as they provide all three key ingredients.

It is important to keep your home at normal levels of humidity to ensure that no excess moisture exists to contribute to the growth of mold. The property should be between 40-50% relative humidity, anything higher can result in mold growth.

Hidden Mold

Not only can mold grow visible on surfaces, it can be hidden in behind the walls of our home. Many times, the first indication that mold is present is a smell. If there is a foundation or waterproofing issue, leaking pipes and plumbing or roof leaks, water can seep down within the walls of our home and cause the water to be trapped. This gives mold prime location to grow and will if not dried out properly. It only takes 24-48 hours for mold to grow, so as soon as you see signs of possible water damage or leaking, have it checked out.

If the only indication of possible mold growth is a smell, than an Air Quality Test must be conducted. This will let you know if in fact the smell is due to mold, what type of mold and how elevated the spores are.

Mold does not need to be visible to be harmful and sometimes it is never visible. In a case like this, once the air testing is performed, than a mold remediation company such as us, Canada’s Restoration Services, will perform an environmental cleanup to get rid of the elevated mold spores.

Mold Remediation

Canada's Restoration Services Edmonton has the years of experience and expertise in dealing with the safe removal of mold. Not only do we address and remove the mold, we identify the source. Identifying the source and fixing it is the most important part of the process; this ensures that the mold will not grow back. Then removing the affected material and terminating the moisture sources is completed to bring your property back to a safe living environment.

Our Mold Remediation Process

Cleaning with water and bleach does not always kill mold and can actually contribute to more growth. Therefore, contact us at Canada's Restoration Services before attempting any mold removal. If it is safe for you to clean, we will let you know. We want to ensure that all mold is removed properly to eliminate the possible spread of mold to other places in the home.

We will perform a free mold inspection on any visible mold. We will provide you with a detailed scope of work and estimate on the proper mold removal steps. All our work is completed in accordance with the IICRC, the Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration. All our Technicians are certified and experienced when it comes to mold removal.

Be sure to hire a professional mold removal company to complete the mold removal work. We have the specific training to ensure that all affected materials are removed and no cross contamination will occur.

We at Canada’s Restoration Services follow the necessary steps to ensure proper and safe mold remediation;

1. We prepare the assessment of mold presence in your place. A dedicated project manager will be assigned to view the home or property and look at the damages
2. If necessary, a third party involvement will be brought in to test. It is a conflict of interest for a company to test and perform the work.  This will determine what type of mold is present and if other areas of the home have been affected.  
3. If another company needs to come in to fix the source then this should happen before the mold remediation. i.e. A roofer to fix the roof leak, or a plumber to fix the plumbing leak.
4. Our professional teams of technicians will then perform the mold remediation. All areas affected are contained and negative air and air scrubbers are set in place. All affected building materials are removed and cleaned with an antimicrobial. Depending on the scope of work, equipment may continue to run for 24-48 hours after the mold remediation to continue purifying the air, or until clearance is given.
5. If mold clearance is necessary, then a third party will come in to do a final air quality test to ensure that all mold is removed and all is safe. Not until this is complete will the containments and equipment be removed.
6. Once all is complete, you are now ready for reconstruction. Our dedicated construction manager will look at the areas removed and provide an estimate on the rebuild.

Canada’s Restoration Services stands behind their work and will continue cleanup until clearance has been awarded. Once the work is complete, you will be provided with a certificate on the mold removal.

Mold can be unexpected and it can get costly if there are many area’s affected, which is why we are proud to offer FREE in house financing to help! With $0 down and 0% interest, it can make this difficult time less stressful!

If you are experiencing mold or think that there could be a mold issue, act now. Call Edmonton’s #1 Mold Remediation Company, Canada’s Restoration Services. Our dedicated staff work around the clock to serve you! Once you speak with one our experienced customer service reps, and we identify the issue, we can arrange for a free mold inspection.

Call us Today 780-638-1769