Frequently Asked Questions
Mold Basics
Mold is a microscopic version of fungus. Mold is a tiny plant that isn’t visible to the naked eye until it has grown into a forest of millions of mold plants. The role of mold in life is to break down organic material—plants, animals and other organisms. It is always around no matter where in the world you are but it’s only when it starts growing indoors that it becomes a problem
for people.
There are over 100,000 know variety of molds and funguses in the world, and scientists estimate that there are 3-10 times that amount still not categorized. In the US we have about 20,000 variety of mold and about 2,000 of those can grow indoors.
Because molds are microscopic and tend to be green, black or brown in color it is not possible to identify the type of mold growing by sight. The type of mold can only be identified by laboratory tests.
Mold spores are the microscopic seeds of mold. They are so small that you can fit billions of them on the head of a pin. They blow through the air finding new places to grow and establish themselves. In a home the air conditioner can help them spread throughout the entire home from a single small colony.
Some people are allergic to molds, often because of prolonged or repeated exposure to molds and their spores. However, many people are actually not bothered by the mold itself. They are affected by the things that molds produce to feed or protect themselves. Find out more here.
Mold requires food and water to grow. It can feed on anything organic, from wall board and wood to carpeting and even dust. Of the two, water is the most important factor you can control in your home that will prevent mold from taking hold and growing. It is important to immediately fix leaks, such as water from a plumbing or roof leak, and to dry out any materials that got wet within a day or two of their getting wet. Also, if the humidity in hour home reaches 65% or more it provides enough water for mold to take hold. Since your air condition is the largest dehumidifier in your home, it is important that your air conditioner is working properly and that you set the temperature low enough that the air conditioner is able to maintain the humidity below 60%.
General Remediation
Mold has been a problem for thousands of years. Instructions for handling mold were even mentioned in the Old Testament. Mold remediation has been virtually the same for thousands of years, you rip out everything that has been affected by mold and rebuild. The primary improvements in the last 2,000+ years are protective equipment for workmen, power tools and air filtration devices.
Click here to learn more about traditional mold remediation and our more modern Dry Fog technology and the advantages of each.
Remediation is the action of counteracting or eliminating something undesirable; in particular of reversing or stopping environmental damage. It comes from the Latin word remediare to “heal or cure”.
Mold Remediation is the action of correcting or setting right an undesirable situation with mold in a building or home. There are two primary approaches:
Traditional Remediation: has been around for thousands of years.
Dry Fog Remediation: is a more modern approach to mold remediation.
Dry Fog
Dry Fog Remediation is a more advanced technology that solves many of the limitations of traditional remediation.
Dry Fog is a two step process that, 1) uses a disinfectant called InstaPURE to kill mold and neutralize the toxins it produces, and 2) EverPURE which is a formulation that provides a microscopic coating on surfaces that helps kill new mold spores that may enter your home.
A primary benefit of our Dry Fog process is that you do not need to tear apart your walls and do not need to replace your furniture, curtain, carpets and clothing. It is EPA certified as 100% non-toxic and is safe for you, your family and pets.
InstaPURE is a disinfectant that was created in the 1940s to sterilize medical equipment, operating rooms and the insides of dialysis machines between uses—which it is still used for today. The first step of our Dry Fog process is to vaporize, so that it is as small as mold or smaller, so that it can go everywhere that mold can go and kill the mold where it lives. It is EPA certified as 100% non-toxic and is family and pet safe.
EverPURE is the second step of our Dry Fog process. It provides a protective barrier that actually attracts new mold entering the home and kills it on contact. It is EPA certified as non-toxic and is family and pet safe and is FDA approved for contact with food. Learn more on our blog.
Traditional “tear it out and rebuild” remediation has been in use (and essentially unchanged) for thousands of years so is well known.
The disinfectants used in the Dry Fog process have been around for nearly 80 years. They are still used for disinfecting operating rooms and medical equipment and have stood the test of time. However, the Dry Fog process itself was invented by two scientists about 20 years years ago. They have been licensing the process as a franchise but have not aggressively extended the network until recently. Mold Bros opened our first office in the tri-counties in mid 2018. Since we have an exclusive license, we are the only company able to deliver the Dry Fog process in the area.
Mold Bros offers a full one year Warranty on residential properties and a 90 day Warranty on commercial properties. If your property does not pass the air quality test at the end of our treatment we will retreat your property for free. There are some limitations but you can read all about it on our Warranty page.
Yes. We are licensed with the State of Florida. Our Mold Remediation License number is: MRSR2751
Mold is a microscopic plant and like most plants it produces seeds (spores are mold’s seeds) to grow new plants. The air conditioning system in a home spreads mold spores throughout a home and with enough water mold can take hold in multiple areas in a home. Plumbing and roof leaks, wet foundations and high humidity in the air from improperly functioning air conditioning units can provide enough water for mold to take hold. We treat the entire home to make sure that all mold in the home is killed, not just the mold that may be visible to the eye.
Our process is so effective that we offer a full one year Warranty on properties that we treat.
Since we treat the entire home — including the living area, garage, attic, basement or crawl space under the home – it depends on how many rooms or spaces there are in the home. The average home can be treated in about two to four hours. The disinfectant we use is not-toxic but it can be irritating to the eyes so we suggest you wait an hour or two before returning home. Many clients have us Dry Fog their home while they are away at work.
Both InstaPURE and EverPURE are non-toxic and have been FDA approved for food contact, but to retain the fresh taste of your produce you may want to place it in a zip lock bag or refrigerator.