The mold remediation process we follow on every job

Inside each step

Step 1: Test

Every project starts with questions only testing can answer. What kind of mold is growing, and where? Is it in the air, in the settled dust, or both? Are mycotoxins present? How far has contamination spread beyond the stain you can see? We use air sampling, dust-based testing and, where it matters, a mycotoxin panel. Lab results usually come back in 24 to 48 hours.

Testing also includes the part many companies skip: finding out why the mold grew. We check moisture levels with meters and thermal imaging and look at plumbing, drainage, grading, ventilation and humidity. Mold is a moisture problem first. If the water source isn’t corrected, no amount of cleaning will last. The findings go into a written plan that spells out what will be removed, what will be cleaned in place and what the clearance target is.

Step 2: Contain

Disturbing moldy material releases spores, fragments and toxin-laden dust. Containment keeps that inside the work area. We build sealed plastic barriers, cover vents and doorways, and set up HEPA-filtered air machines that pull air out of the space so it stays under negative pressure. If a barrier leaks, air flows in, not out. The size of containment matches the job: a small enclosure around one wall, or full isolation of a basement or wing of the house. Our guide to mold containment goes into more detail.

Step 3: Remove

Removal means two things. First, porous materials that are too contaminated to clean, such as some drywall, insulation or carpet pad, are cut out, bagged inside containment and carried out. Second, everything that can be saved is cleaned. That includes HEPA vacuuming, detailed wiping and treatment of framing, subfloors and cavities with plant-based enzyme products designed to break down mold and mycotoxins rather than just kill the mold.

We tear out as little as the evidence allows. Most homes don’t need the kind of demolition people fear. When something does have to go, we explain why before it goes. You can read more about how and where we use enzymes on our enzyme mold remediation page.

Step 4: Clean the air

The particles that cause the most trouble are the ones you can’t see. Mold fragments and the dust mycotoxins cling to are small enough to stay airborne for a long time and to settle on every surface in a room. HEPA air scrubbers run for the length of the project. Before we take containment down, every surface inside it gets another round of HEPA vacuuming and wiping. When testing shows the HVAC system is involved, cleaning the ductwork and air handler becomes part of this step, so the system stops recirculating contaminated dust through the house.

Step 5: Prove it

This is the step that gives the method its name. Clearance testing repeats the sampling from step one, in the same areas, so the before and after results can be compared directly. On mycotoxin projects, that includes a repeat mycotoxin panel. If the results aren’t where they need to be, the job isn’t done: we clean again and retest. See how clearance testing works for what the samples measure and how to read them.

You get the full lab report. It’s the document your family, your doctor, a buyer or an insurer can rely on, and it’s the difference between “we think it’s gone” and knowing it is.

How the method changes for mycotoxin projects

The five steps stay the same. What changes is the depth. On mycotoxin remediation projects, testing includes toxin panels from the start, the cleaning step reaches further into dust, ductwork and belongings, and clearance has to show the toxins are down, not just the spore count.

We remove mold and mycotoxins from buildings. We don’t diagnose or treat medical conditions. If you have symptoms, please work with a doctor. With your permission, we’re glad to share test results and our plan with them.