If your home has been damaged by a water leak or flooding, one of the biggest obstacles you’ll face is dealing with mold. This group of microorganisms takes advantage of wet environments to grow large colonies that release toxic or allergenic chemicals and spores. To get rid of mold completely, it’s essential to follow the correct process for the sake of both safety and effectiveness.

How to Remove Mold From Your Home

1. Get Professional Testing

If your home has seen water damage or you have a mold problem for other reasons, much of it may be invisible, growing through or behind walls, carpeting, and other materials. A professional can test the types of mold growing in your home and also identify the extent of the areas affected.

2. Cut Off the Water Source

Mold is only a symptom of the original problem, which is excessive water in a certain area—and if you don’t find the source of the leak, mold treatment is only a temporary fix. Have a plumber examine your pipes, or hire a roofer to repair leaking or missing shingles.

3. Create a Plan

Based on the results of your professional testing and your examination of the affected area, you’ll need to decide whether to handle the mold remediation yourself or leave it to experts. The smaller the mold problem, the easier it is to handle on your own with ordinary cleaning supplies—but large infestations require more labor-intensive remedies.

4. Section Off the Affected Area

If you’re handling the cleanup yourself, your first step should be to ensure that mold spores and fragments from the treated area don’t contaminate the rest of the home. Tape up tarps or plastic sheeting to cut off the area, with fans to direct the airflow outside. As you do this, if it feels like the problem is too large to handle yourself, it’s best to call in professional help, as they’ll know how to effectively secure the area and prevent more mold from spreading. 

5. Use the Right Equipment

If you’re needing to remove any affected drywall, wood, flooring, or insulation, the mold problem is likely too big for you to handle. In these cases, professional mold remediation is needed. Experts will have all the necessary equipment, including goggles, gloves, and masks or respirators for protection. They’ll also know the right steps to take for effective remediation, including using negative air chambers to isolate contaminated areas, negative air pressure to keep spores from spreading, and powerful “air scrubbers” and HEPA vacuums to further prevent spread. Professionals will also use antifungal and antimicrobial treatments to remove infestations and prevent new ones from forming, as well as remove any affected materials like drywall or flooring from the home. They’ll also clean and sanitize any of your belongings that may have been affected by mold. 

If your mold problem is extensive or you aren’t sure you can handle it yourself, contact Hudepohl Restoration, serving Louisville, KY, and Cincinnati, OH. For over 30 years, they have offered responses to water and fire damage in homes throughout their service area and provided general renovation services. To schedule a visit, call (502) 873-5744 for Louisville and (513) 398-9691 for Cincinnati. You can also send them a message online.