Mold Remediation Cost – Mold infestation is a nightmare for homeowners: it can affect the resale of your home (in cost and liability in some jurisdictions), cause a pretty bad stink that permeates the house, but most importantly can cause very serious health problems for your family.
This includes exacerbating asthma and other chronic illnesses, weaken immune response (especially in children and seniors), cause chronic fatigue syndrome, learning disabilities, and serious lung infections.
If you suspect a mold problem in your house, do yourself a favor – act fast and work with professionals to have it removed quickly and properly. Mold cleanup cost can be reasonable.
What is Mold?
Mold is a living organism – a fungus – that needs water and oxygen to grow. Sometimes it has a fuzzy texture, but often it’s recognized as large collections of dots of color – red, green, white or black (Stachybotrys), which is the most serious. Small superficial mold infestations can be cleaned up yourself by scrubbing with detergent and water and then thoroughly drying the area. You can also try mildew and mold removal products available at your local hardware store.
The EPA suggests that you can clean surface area mold so long as it’s confined to no more than 10 square feet (about 3 feet by 3 feet). If you have a larger infestation you should call a professional.
When the mold infestation is larger and/or beneath the surface here’s what you should do:
- Hire a certified mold inspector. As much as it may pain you, knowing exactly what you’re dealing with is very important and certified inspectors have completed specialized training and bring special detection and sampling equipment. A professional will have necessary safety equipment (respirators and white suits) and will have negative air machines for filtering the contaminated air in your home. These inspectors send samples to labs for confirmation of species of infestation which will alter the cleanup recommendations. This alone can make it worthwhile paying for Mold Remediation Cost. They also know all about air quality issues and health effects of mold exposure. In many cases the initial inspection is free if you choose to accept their quote.
- Mold removal costs vary by type of mold, area – in terms of size – of infestation and location in your home. The cost for professional mold removal from a crawl space generally runs between $500 to $4000 for black mold infestation (according to Charter Oak Environmental of Connecticut). Overall, a typical mold remediation cost to remove mold from the ducts, crawl spaces, walls and attic of a house runs around $2,000 -$6,000. And if the mold has caused widespread structural damage, repair costs after the mold removal prices are factored in can increase the total to as much as $10,000 -$30,000 or more. (Reference)
- Be sure to budget for possible plumbing and other home upgrades too, as mold cannot grow without a steady water source. This might mean a leaky pipe, roof or foundation. You won’t get rid of the mold until your stop the flow of water.
- Toxic mold removal should only be done in an empty house, and you will need to find other accommodations during removal. As well your contractor will need to prepare for removal by blocking off air ducts so spores don`t migrate through your home.
- Check your insurance coverage, your Mold Remediation Cost may be covered.
- Just because you can’t see it doesn’t mean it isn’t there. After a flood inspect carefully as mold might be growing behind your wallpaper or below your linoleum.
- And remember: Doing nothing just isn’t an option.
Black mold is like today’s plague. Black mold infestation can tank your property’s value. There are a growing number of homes having to be demolished and rebuilt as a result of mold damage. In some areas you must disclose a mold infestation if you ever sell your home. And your health – and that of your family’s – just isn’t worth the risk.
