Mississauga Mold Removal Services

Performed by licensed, certified and experienced mold remediation technicians.

Utilizing state of the art equipment and protective wear, our Mississauga mold removal crews follow strict remediation and safety guidelines and use non-toxic, environmentally friendly formulas to safely and effectively treat even the most extensive of mold infestations. Our company has invested in the latest mold remediation technology to enhance both accuracy and time efficiency. This allows us to achieve a quicker turnaround for Mississauga homeowners, without compromising safety or work quality. We are fully equipped with the highest grade air HEPA vacuums, industrial sprayers, air scrubbers, commercial dehumidifiers, air movers, and containment barriers.

Attic & Basement Mold Removal

Using only safe, non-toxic, environmentally friendly formulas. We never use bleach.

  
 

Kitchen & Bathroom Mold Removal

Using only safe, non-toxic, environmentally friendly formulas. We never use bleach.

  

What is Mold?

We hear a lot in the media these days about the dangers of exposure to mold, but what is mold exactly? Mold is not a plant or an animal, but a type of fungi. We eat some types of fungi, like many kinds of mushrooms and the yeast we use to make bread rise. Some types of mold are even used to make medicine, like the type of mold that is used to make penicillin, a life-saving antibiotic. Other types of mold can be harmful to our health, however. There are hundreds of different kinds of mold found both indoors and outdoors. Mold grows in damp, dimly-lit areas. Indoors, it can often be found in places like attics, basements, crawl spaces, and bathrooms. Mold is also common in other areas if there is a leak in the roof, leaky windows, leaky pipes, or seasonal flooding. Some molds commonly found indoors include aspergillus, chaetomium, cladosporium, penicillium, and stachybotrys (sometimes referred to as black mold, although many types of mold are black in colour). Mold thrives in areas that are moist and warm. Sometimes the mold growth can begin after an area has been wet, and it never dried completely. For example, if a basement is flooded and the carpet is never pulled up to allow the carpet and the padding to dry completely, then mold may start to grow under the carpet. Common places for mold to grow include the bathroom, basement, or any area that may be exposed to moisture from a leak, such as under the sink, in the attic, or under a waterbed.

What is Mold Related Illness?

Because mold spores are very tiny and very light, they easily become airborne. Once floating around in the air, mold spores are easily inhaled by anyone in the vicinity. It's not healthy to inhale any type of mold spores, but some types of mold actually produce toxins, known as mycotoxins, that frequently cause a variety of health problems.

Not everyone exposed to mold develops mold related illness, and some people are more susceptible than others, including the elderly, the very young, those with respiratory problems like asthma, and those with immune related disorders. Everyone, even healthy young adults, is at risk for mold related illness if you have a mold problem in your home, however. Even your pets can get sick from too much mold in the home.

Some of the illnesses caused by mold include aspergillosis, blastomycosis, histoplasmosis, coccidioidomycosis, paracoccidioidomycosis, sporotricosis, and systemic candidiasis (a yeast infection). Symptoms of mold related illness are wide-ranging and include:

Headaches - Sore throats - Trouble breathing, wheezing, and shortness of breath - A runny nose or stuffed up nose - Coughing - Sneezing - Red, itchy, watery eyes - Asthma attacks or asthma-like symptoms in people not previously diagnosed with the disease - Infections in the lungs, such as pneumonia and bronchitis - Chronic sinusitis (sinus infections) - Rashes or hives - Fatigue - Depression - Depressed immune system, causing you to get sick easily.

If you have mold in your home and have symptoms of mold related illness, you should see your doctor for a diagnosis and treatment. However, symptoms will likely continue, even with treatment, until all of the mold is removed from your home.

What is Mold Remediation?

Mold remediation is the process of removing mold and repairing mold-related damage in the home. It's a complicated process and must be done carefully in order to prevent further exposure to potentially harmful mold spores. Mold can be cleaned from some materials, like bathtubs and tile, and the surfaces disinfected. Some materials, though, like drywall, wood, and carpeting, are impossible to clean thoroughly and instead must be removed and replaced.

Mold remediation is challenging in part because mold can grow in so many out-of-sight places, including inside walls, under carpeting, above ceiling tiles, and inside heating and air conditioning ducts. Just locating all the mold can be difficult, and if you miss even a little bit, it will just continue to grow and spread. Soon you'll have a full-blown mold problem on your hands again.

Mold removal is also challenging because the process disperses many more mold spores into the air, increasing the risk of mold related illness. Due to safety concerns, we recommend hiring a mold remediation professional for the job, though it is possible to tackle the task yourself if you're only dealing with a small amount of mold (such as a surface area covering no more than ten square feet) and you have no pre-existing health issues that would increase the risk for you. If you're experiencing symptoms of mold related illness, you should not attempt a mold remediation job yourself, though, because you'll end up exposing yourself to more mold and making your symptoms worse.

Common Myths About Mold

Myth #1: Only messy or filthy houses have mold problems.

Mold spores are so minuscule that more than 250,000 can fit on the head of a pin. Millions of these spores travel through the air everyday and can enter almost any environment in seconds.

Mold spores tend to congregate in moisture-rich environments. Moisture from water damage such as floods and leaks can get inside ceilings, walls, carpets and other household staples. This means that even the cleanest house on the block can be a breeding ground for toxic mold.


Myth #2: There is only one type of black mold, and it's very bad.

In actuality, there are a lot of molds that look black. The type of black mold that made the news years ago, associated with a lot of ill health effects, was called Stachybotrys. However, there are many other molds that look black, and are fairly common and generally not of concern.


Myth #3: Only black molds are bad. Other types shouldn't be worried about.

A lot of people aren't even aware that mold can be white, or orange, or blue, for instance. The shape, size and color of mold are dependent upon the species of mold, the nutrient source and the conditions under which it formed. The color has absolutely no bearing on whether it is dangerous or not. There are some white molds that grow on walls and other surfaces that can be just as bad as some harmful black molds.


Myth #4: Bleach removes mold.

Bleach is generally not recommended as a fungicide (mold killer). It works by dousing the mold in toxic levels of a chemical. The problem is twofold: not only are humans just as susceptible to bleach''s damaging properties, but the bleach is generally a water-based solution. In the long run, this often means that water penetrates the surface, giving moisture to the roots of the mold, which happily begins to grow again. In the case of small patches of mold, ordinary household detergent will suffice. It is important to make sure that the area dries quickly (ideally within 24-48 hours) so that any small bits (too small to see with the naked eye) of mold left over don''t get the chance to start growing again.

However, just removing the mold without fixing the water problem will usually result in the mold coming back. Also, mold can grow behind walls in addition to just on them, so it is important to determine whether you''ve only dealt with a portion of the mold, or the whole thing.


Myth #5: I can just paint over the mold to seal it up.

Actually, mold can eat the paint. Many people attempt to paint over mold only to discover that in a few months the mold has either poked its way through the paint, or the paint has started peeling off. The mold really has to be removed before painting can be done, even if you''re using "mold-resistant" paint.


Myth #6: Mold and mildew are totally different things.

Mildew is mold. It''s a word that is used generally to refer to a few specific types of molds, but it''s still all mold.


Myth #7: Once a house has been treated for mold contamination, it is impossible to maintain its value.

The difference between a home that loses value because of mold contamination and one that doesn''t depends on the remediation approach.

Mold spores are airborne particles. While they may congregate on moist surfaces, the particles in the air remain there if they''re not treated. Any remediation approach that fails to decontaminate an entire structure simply fails altogether. If an effective and conclusive remediation plan is implemented, as well as proper moisture maintenance is employed post-remediation, you and everyone else concerned can breath easy because your home's indoor air quality is clean and free of toxic mold..

Indications That You May Have a Mold Problem

If you have a mold problem, you will most likely be able to smell it. Any musty or earthy odor is probably an indication that mold is growing somewhere in the building. Occasionally, you will see discolored smudges and/or blotches that look like mold and sometimes you may see actually mold.

In some cases, indoor mold growth may not be obvious. It is possible that mold may be growing on hidden surfaces, such as the backside of dry wall, wallpaper, or paneling, the top of ceiling tiles, the underside of carpets and pads, etc. Possible locations of hidden mold can include pipe chases and utility tunnels (with leaking or condensing pipes), walls behind furniture (where condensation forms), condensate drain pans inside air handling units, porous thermal or acoustic liners inside ductwork, or roof materials above ceiling tiles (due to roof leaks or insufficient insulation).

Some building materials, such as dry wall with vinyl wallpaper over it or wood paneling, may act as vapor barriers, trapping moisture underneath their surfaces and thereby providing a moist environment where mold can grow. You may suspect hidden mold if a building smells moldy, but you cannot see the source, or if you know there has been water damage and building occupants are reporting health problems. Investigating hidden mold problems may be difficult and will require caution when the investigation involves disturbing potential sites of mold growth.
For example, removal of wallpaper can lead to a massive release of spores from mold growing on the underside of the paper. If you discover hidden mold, you should revise your remediation plan to account for the total area affected by mold growth.

You should be concerned about the growth of mold if your home has had any of the following: a flood, a sewer back-up, an overflowing toilet, leaking pipes, a leaking roof, leaking windows, condensation on windows, malfunctioning appliances, humidifiers, any other serious water-related problems.

Some of these situations can result in the growth of bacteria, which also can cause musty odors and health problems.

Once materials become wet, mold can begin to grow within 24 to 48 hours. If your home experiences a water-related problem, clean and dry any wet or damp areas as soon as you find them. If you live in a rental property, immediately report water problems to your landlord.

The earlier you can detect the growth of mold in your home, the better a chance you have to control it. Early detection and treatment are very important. If you smell a musty odor in your house, start looking for the source immediately and remove it as soon as you find it. Prevention and early detection may save you from paying much greater cleanup and repair expenses later on. If you own your home, damage from mold and the cost of removing mold might not be covered by your homeowner insurance. (Read your policy or call your insurance agent to find out.).

Common Types Of Mold Found In Homes

There are many different mold types that can be found in homes and different health problems can occur depending on the type of mold to which you are exposed. While there are more than one hundred different kinds of mold sometimes found in homes, here we'll discuss a few of the most common.
Common Types of Mold Found in Homes

Alternaria is often found outdoors, but it also grows in damp places indoors, like in showers or under sinks with leaky pipes. It can also be found in buildings that have been flooded or suffered other water damage. It spreads easily from one area of the home to another. Exposure to alternaria can cause allergic reactions and asthma attacks.

Aspergillus is a type of mold frequently found indoors. It can causes allergic reactions, respiratory infections, and a condition called hypersensitivity pneumonitis, which causes inflammation of the lungs. More about aspergillus mold.

Aureobasidium is a mold often found outdoors, but it can also be found in homes growing on wooden surfaces, wallpaper, and painted surfaces. It's also often found on damp window frames and caulking. It is pink and black in color. Many people are allergic to aureobasidium. Follow the link for more information on pink mold in the bathroom.

Botrytis grows in areas with high levels of humidity, like bathrooms with poor ventilation. It can cause allergic reactions and asthma.

Chaetomium often grows on drywall that has sustained water damage. It produces a characteristic musty odor.

Cladosporium is a type of mold often found growing inside homes. While most types of mold prefer warm climates, cladosporium can grow in cool areas, too. It often grows on fabrics, like carpets, and on wood surfaces, like cabinets and floorboards. It can cause a variety of respiratory problems.

Fusarium is another of the mold types that, like cladosporium, can grow and spread at lower temperatures. It's often found growing on water-damaged carpeting and other fabrics. It causes allergic reactions, asthma, and respiratory infections. People with compromised immune systems are particularly vulnerable to infections due to fusarium exposure.

Penicillium is often found growing on materials that have been damaged by water, including carpeting, wallpaper, insulation, and furnishings like mattresses. It's one of the mold types that spread quickly and easily from one part of the home to another. Exposure to penicillium can cause allergic reactions, chronic sinus infections, and inflammation of the lungs. Usually appears as a blue mold and/or a green mold.

Stachybotrys chartarum is often referred to as "black mold" due to its slimy black appearance. It's sometimes referred to as "toxic mold" although the mold itself is not toxic; it produces toxic compounds called mycotoxins, which cause health problems when people come in contact with them. It can cause allergic reactions, breathing problems, chronic sinus infections, asthma attacks, fatigue, and depression. Stachybotrys chartarum has a characteristic musty odor and usually grows in places that stay damp all the time, like in air conditioning ducts where there is a lot of condensation or around leaky pipes. Learn more about black mold in homes.

Serpula lacrymans is a yellow mold that causes "dry rot" because it feeds on wood.

Trichoderma is often found growing on damp carpet, wallpaper, and other wet surfaces. It produces mycotoxins similar to those produced by stachybotrys chatarum, and it can cause similar health problems. Many people are also allergic to trichoderma.

Ulocladium requires a lot of water, so it frequently grows in areas with extensive water damage, including homes that have been flooded. It's often found growing on wet walls. Many people are allergic to ulocladium.

Efflorescence are salt deposits that are often confused with white mold in basement. To compare pictures of both and see how to tell the difference, read our white mold pages.

A third party mold inspector can test your home for mold and tell you what kind of mold is growing in your home. They can also let you know the severity of your mold problem and locate mold you may not have spotted.

Mold Removal in Mississauga, Ontario

GTA Mold Removal 77 City Centre Drive  Unit 501  Mississauga, ON  L5B 1M5

Proudly Serving: Applewood, Central Erin Mills, Churchill Meadows, Clarkson-Lorne Park, Cooksville, Creditview, East Credit, Erindale, Erin Mills, Fairview, Hurontario, Lakeview, Lisgar, Malton, Meadowvale, Meadowvale Village, Mineola, Mississauga Centre, Mississauga Valleys, Port Credit, Rathwood, Sheridan, and Streetsville.

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