Mold Remediation

Start With the Moisture

Mold needs water to grow, so every mold job starts with finding where the water is coming from. It might be a slow leak behind a wall, a basement that stays damp, a bathroom fan that does not vent outside, or an old water loss that was never fully dried. If the moisture source is not fixed, removal alone does not hold.

Mold on a surface usually points to what is happening behind it. A stain on a ceiling under a bathroom, or along the bottom of a basement wall, tells you where to look for the water.

If you see a stain or notice a musty smell, text a photo to (815) 585-1750. It helps us tell what we are looking at before we come out. You do not need to scrub it or spray it first. Leave it alone and keep the area closed off if you can.

How We Remove It

We set up containment around the work area so the rest of the house stays separated from it. Negative air machines pull air out of the contained area, and HEPA air scrubbers clean the air while we work. Then we remove the affected materials, clean and treat what stays with antimicrobial, and haul the debris out. Containment stays up until the removal and cleaning are done, which keeps the work area ready for the independent tester.

Fixing the source might mean repairing a leak, venting a bathroom fan outside or drying out a damp space. Whatever it is, it gets done before the walls close up, not after.

• Containment around the work area
• Negative air, so the work area does not spread into the house
• HEPA air scrubbing during the work
• Removal of affected drywall, insulation and other materials
• Cleaning and antimicrobial treatment of what stays
• The moisture source found and fixed

Why We Recommend an Independent Test

We do not test our own work. When removal is done, we recommend an independent tester confirm the area is clear before anything gets closed up. A separate tester has no stake in the answer, so you get a result you can trust and keep with your house records.

Ask for that result in writing. If you sell the house later, it is the document that shows the work was checked by someone other than the company that did it.

Billing and Paperwork

Containment, negative air machines and air scrubbers are billed by the day, and you see the daily rates in writing before setup. The equipment is checked every day, and drying equipment comes out as soon as the readings show the area is dry. The estimate and invoice are itemized line by line, and you get copies of the photos, the readings and the estimate. Removed materials are photographed before they go.

If the mold came out of a recent water loss, the drying and the mold work are on the same estimate, line by line, so you and the adjuster see the whole job in one place. Whether insurance applies usually depends on what caused the moisture, so check your policy or ask your agent. If there is a claim, we write the estimate in the pricing format carriers use and meet the adjuster at the house if they want. We cannot promise coverage.

Then We Rebuild

Once the area is clear and dry, we put it back: insulation, drywall, paint and trim, plus flooring, cabinets or a bathroom when the mold reached them. If a bathroom fan was part of the problem, we can vent it outside as part of the rebuild. Any change to the scope is priced in writing and approved by you before it is done.