In Toronto, mold removal services can cost from anywhere between $500 to as much as $30,000 depending on the scope of work to be done. Many homeowners, because they want to save money, take the risk of attempting a do it yourself mold removal instead of calling in the pros.
In cases of small amounts of mold growth, like the black spots in the grout lines in your shower, it does make sense to handle the problem yourself as you can easily remove them with ordinary household cleaning products. In fact, it is highly recommended that you stop small infestations of mold yourself before they get big and do more harm.
However, disturbing big infestations of mold is a whole other matter. It’s no longer as simple as wiping the mold away with a wet cloth and a spritz of bleach, vinegar or borax.
There’s a level of contamination to consider that makes the removal of large amounts of mold complicated to handle. Inhaling mold spores can be bad for your health. They can cause allergic reactions such as sneezing, itching, runny nose, congestion and dry, scaling skin. They can get into your lungs and trigger asthma.
Here’s how to tell if mold removal is too big a job for you to handle on your own and you need to call in the pros:
- Mold covers an area greater than 10 square meters - As stated in the Mould Guidelines for the Canadian Construction Industry which you can find at the website of the Canadian Construction Association, you should consult a mold specialist if you find indoor mold growth that is larger than 1 square meter, and you should not attempt to remove areas of mold that are greater than 10 square meters.
- Mold forms after flooding with water – There is very high possibility of contamination with sewage or other potentially hazardous substances.
- Mold is hiding in vents, ducts, air conditioning and heating systems – This requires specialized equipment to contain the spores and effectively suction out all the mold spores lurking in your HVAC systems, and most homeowners just don’t have the right equipment to do this type of mold removal properly.
- Mold removal requires structural work – For instance, if there is mold that is growing deep inside the wall cavities where there are pockets of humid, moist air. These are practically hidden from sight and will need invasive structural inspection and testing that requires parts of the wall to be cut down or knocked down. Another is when there is mold on the ceiling, which is usually a humidity or condensation problem caused by a water leak above the ceiling and so some plumbing and water damage repair work is needed. Moldy wood also requires professional assistance as it will need to be sanded and encapsulated properly.
- You have a medical condition – If you have an existing medical condition, such as asthma, allergies or an immune system disorder that might be exacerbated by exposure to mold, then you cannot risk doing any mold cleanup of any sort.
A surface treatment will not be enough to completely and properly remove large amounts of mold. To get rid of a bona fide mold problem, your best bet is to call in professional mold removal services in Toronto to handle the job properly. Only trained technicians will know the right steps to take to accurately test, totally remove, thoroughly cleanup, vacuum and sanitize and then fully restore any areas that mold has infested.
