Mold Remediation in Louisville, KY

It is important to know that mold remediation is typically an achievable goal.  Most mold problems can be taken care of for not too much expense, keeping in mind that you want to first eliminate the source of the water intrusion and then remediate the mold.

Broadly, there are two types of surfaces in the home that mold can grow on: porous and non-porous substrates.  Porous substrates include wallboard, carpet, and wood, and non-porous include tile, windows, plastic or plasticised coatings... you get the picture.

Non-porous can be addressed in several ways, but to be blunt, the veyr best way is to remove and replace the non-porous surface.  If that is not possible or feasible, it may be possible to treat the area and then seal it.  Non-porous surfaces simply need to be cleaned, but most homeowners do not have the expertise or the correct cleaning solutions to effect such a fix.  My best advice, after seeing more than my share of owner-induced disasters, is leave it up to the professionals!

One of the best companies we have worked with is AdvantaClean.  As always, check them and others out, get multiple quotes, do your own homework, etc.

Their website in Louisville is

http://www.advantaclean.com/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=177:mold-removal-|-air-duct-cleaning-|-water-damage-repair-|-louisville-ky&Itemid=66

They serve Louisville, Oldham county, and southern indiana (Kentuckiana).

HomeTeam does mold tests in that same area.

Next week- lead based paint testing, and what you need to know about it.

Mold testing- Louisville

If you have ever been in a damp home you know what it smells like and feels like.   Often during a home inspection we will enter a home and almost immediately get the indications that something is growing, and it's not just the tomato plants.

Mold testing is pretty straightforward, and there are several ways to accomplish it.  The question often is, "if I know (or think I know) the smell and the grey spots are mold, why should I bother testing?  Why not just go straight to mold remediation?"

The answer is complex, but it revolves around the fact that there are thousands of different mold spore types, and each of us is affected differently by those spores.  Some mold spores seem to have a more detrimental effect on people (remember the stacybotrus, or "black mold" hype several years ago?).  So the answer to the question is dependent on whether you want or need to know not only the presence of mold, but also the spore type.  If the samples come back as elevated for hyphae, for example, it's probably not as alarming as if it comes back for, say, stachybotrus, aka, "black mold".

Next week- what do I do if my mold sample comes back elevated?

Radon basics- Pt 3- Mitigation

 

These photos are from my home's radon mitigation system

The very good news with radon:  mitigation is a straightforward process that has come down in price over the last several years.  Take a look at this video to see one mitigation system:

http://www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/video/0,,20046344,00.html

As you can see, it's not rocket science (or as my former T-38 instructor pilot used to say, "It ain't rocket surgery).  The simple principle is to transfer the negative pressure from inside the home to outside, and the fan does that pretty easily.

In Louisville and southern Indiana, a reputable radon mitigation company will do the work for around $1,000.  Prices vary based on the configuration of the home and the aesthetic impact, but to do the basics it is usually less than $1,000.

At HomeTeam we always have a home inspector on each inspection who is also a Certified Radon Measurement Professional.  We can do radon tests in conjunction with a home inspection or as a stand-alone radon inspection- just let us know what your needs are and we will serve you.




Next week: do you smell that?