What is the most effective way to treat [and remove] Mold?
Pure Air Nation has a proprietary approach to mold removal and remediation that will leave your place cleaner, faster. Having suffered from mold damage myself, I understand how important it is to have the situation remedied quickly so you and your family (or business) can get back to a normal schedule.
Below I detail our unique process which has allowed us to reduce the average job time and the chances of mold returning to the infected area! A win-win. I compare our process each step of the way to what other companies may provide and how our process is simply faster and more effective.
A lot of my motivation for starting Pure Air Nation was the lack luster methods used by other mold companies – some of which I was even employed to years ago. I know mold from all angles, and I told myself I could do better. Here is how…
1. Containment
What is it:
First, we contain the area to isolate the source of the mold from the rest of the house. Is mold harmful? Potentially. First thing we will do is try and isolate the area to stop the spread, identify the mold and rid your house of it.
What others do:
Other mold companies will try to save money during this step and reuse the poly tents (pictured above) from previous jobs. This can bring mold and other bacteria from other jobs into your house worsening the problem. Other mold companies fail to cover all HVAC supply vents and returns to prevent the spreading of mold to other parts of the home or business.
What Pure Air Nation does:
We guarantee a brand-new poly tent and to cover all HVAC supply vents and returns. Our first step in our six-step process is to contain the mold and we take this seriously.We spare no expense in containment as we have found taking this step to the max has actually reduced the average job time and the chances of mold reappearing. A win-win for everyone.
2. Negative Air and Air Scrubbing
What is it:
It is the process of putting the containment area under negative pressure which then brings in fresh air while also preventing any contaminated air from escaping. Negative air is accomplished by using an Air Scrubber (pictured above) and attaching lay frat tubing to the output. Then forcing the contaminated air into the machine.
What others do:
Other mold companies fail to filter air on the HEPA level and may even circulate the air throughout the room (not just the contaminated area).
What Pure Air Nation does:
We always filter at the HEPA level and force air through the machine and out of a window which is partially sealed to create a seal around the tubing. This prevents contaminated air from leaving our containment area from step one. A HEPA filter, which we use, filters out 99.97% of particulates at a diameter equal or great than 0.3 microns!
3. Removal of Building Materials
What it is:
Literally removing infected building materials such as drywall, carpet, carpet padding, insulation, rotted framing, drop ceiling tiles, loose paint, etc.
What others do:
we jokingly say what other companies do is “spray and pray”. That is, other companies will not remove infected materials, but rather spray them with a disinfectant and then sealant in hopes of killing the mold and protecting the area. Unfortunately, this approach does not work and just seals the mold into the building material causing long lasting mold which can lead to long-term health risks for you and your family.
What Pure Air Nation does:
We remove as much of the infected building materials as possible in order to best combat the mold and clean the area. There is no ‘magic’ spray but trust me we are trying to create one! In the meantime, we’ll do the work required to eradicate the mold from your living/workspace.
4. HEPA vacuuming
What it is:
HEPA vacuuming is the process of using industrial grade vacuum cleaners that are outfitted with HEPA filters to extract mold spores from surfaces such as carpet, dust, bedding and any other porous material that could potentially have mold spores trapped in it. This would only be done on surface level mold infections where we would not need to remove the building materials. HEPA vacuuming can also be used on wood flooring and drywall.
What others do:
Sadly, other companies reuse HEPA filters or do not even possess an industrial grade HEPA vacuum at every job! Some companies even SKIP this step as they feel their ‘spray and pray’ approach is enough.
What Pure Air Nation does:
We guarantee HEPA vacuuming at every job with brand new HEPA filters to extract the mold spores to the best commercially possible ability. This is another step in our process that we have found to decrease our overall time on a job and the chances of mold returning to the infected aera.
5. Thorough Cleaning
What it is:
A simple cleaning in order to hunt down any remaining mold spores that can be trapped in dust, grime, cobwebs, etc. This extra step kills and removes any surface level mold that may be remaining. The purpose of this step is to eliminate as much of the mold prior to our final sixth step.
What others do:
Skip this step and trust their disinfectant they spray will get into all the nooks and crannies of your living or work area. Failing to clean, HEPA vacuum and properly contain the area makes the effectiveness of the disinfectant much less.
What Pure Air Nation does:
We go the extra mile and added this thorough cleaning step as a crucial step in our process. We found the extra cleaning to make our treatment significantly more effective. It allows the disinfectant in the sixth step to target the deep rooted, potentially toxic mold at a higher effectiveness.
6. Fogging
What it is:
Fogging a commercial grade disinfectant, which is rated to kill mold/bacteria/viruses/etc., to kill the remaining mold. The fog is actually 1/8th the size of a human hair and is roughly the same size as a mold spore. This fog is able to mimic a mold spore’s path and get to them deep within the cracks and crevasses where a human hand could never reach!
What others do:
Many others use non-commercial grade disinfectants as this is a major short-term cost savings for a mold remediation company. Other companies may also use outdated foggers (old machines) to save on costs because they’re too cheap or too lazy to replace them. Both issues can cause major stress to you in both the short and long-run. Older equipment may not be able to produce enough fog in a reasonable amount of time or powerful enough to reach high spaces. This means these other companies will have to run their equipment in your house/workspace for longer which can create more short-term stress than necessary for you. In the long run, their decision to use outdated equipment and non-commercial grade disinfectants does not produce the long-lasting clean you desire and you might wind up needing to pay for the same job twice!
What Pure Air Nation does:
We purchase new foggers constantly and always use commercial grade disinfectants. This helps us ensure our fogging will mimic and track down the remaining mold. The attention to details is another step that has also tested very well in both reducing our average time on the job as well as the chances of the mold returning to the affected area. This is a win in both the short and long-run which is what we strive to deliver.
A note from the owner:
Mold can throw your life off track. Whether it is the fear of being around the infected area or the serious life-threatening effects from extended exposure to toxic mold. I understand the importance of how to quickly and discretely identify and get rid of mold. The six-step process outlined above is the best most reliable process to get your life back on track and to hopefully never have to think about this again! Yes, even in rainy Pittsburgh!
