Sustainable Mold Remediation
Serving Alexandria, VA and Washington D.C. area since 1986
When it comes to indoor air quality, there is no longer a conflict between the ethical choice and the affordable one. Advances in technology allow us to practice sustainable mold remediation, which means less time, less money, less disruption. With over 30 years of experience, we offer solutions and processes that cost effectively address this issue.
Toxic Mold
Toxic mold causes a wide variety of health effects and they are different for each person due to their age, genetics, health, extent of contamination, types of molds, mycotoxins, amount of exposure, etc. From a 2007 joint study conducted by the EPA and Berkeley National Laboratory:
“Building dampness and mold raised the risk of a variety of respiratory and asthma-related health outcomes by 30 to 50 percent.”
“Of the 21.8 million people reported to have asthma in the U.S., approximately 4.6 million cases are estimated to be attributable to dampness and mold exposure in the home.”
“The national annual cost of asthma that is attributable to dampness and mold exposure in the home is $3.5 billion.”
The World Health Organizations (WHO) 2009 Report stated that “Indoor air pollution – such as mold, chemicals and other biological agents – is a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide.”
Mold Removal
Traditionally, mold removal has been a process of “demolition and physical removal” of affected building materials. As a result, millions upon millions of cubic feet of building materials are being placed in our landfills annually. Additional costs of labor and replacement materials compound the waste that is currently used.
Recent technological advances now make sustainable practices for mold remediation possible. We currently are saving 72% of affected materials, reducing costs, time and improving the air quality for all indoor environments. Meeting our goals of 85% savings is within reach as we continue to search for best practices and implementation.
Even more than water damage, the presence of fungal elements in a home or building was cause for the removal and disposal of most affected materials. For many years this was necessary; the chemistry didn’t exist which would allow the mold colony to be destroyed independent of the building material on which it grew. This in turn meant that tons of drywall, plaster, sheathing, acoustic tiles, and other materials were piled up in landfills and that any remediation project, no matter how small, was guaranteed to cost thousands in reconstruction costs and weeks of delay. This is no longer the case; ServiceMaster NCR uses a topical solution that allows us to completely break down the mold spores and hyphae (the roots of a mold colony), without resorting to demolition.
We are now saving over 80% of the impacted structure that we encounter and wrapping up projects in mere hours rather than days. Using the same sampling process described above, final air samples are taken immediately and the results sent via email to the responsible party. No delay for mailing, lab assessment, and error-prone interpretation. We’ve reduced the average downtime on mold projects by at least 70%, with a similar reduction in overall costs.
Mold is a problem on many fronts – potential health concerns, cost and time for remediation, testing, psychological factors, a host of “mold experts”, fear mongering, and on and on. Technological advances in recent years have provided the opportunity to greatly reduce costs and time and verification. In addition, these advances have opened the door to practicing sustainability. Last year alone we salvaged approximately 54 tons of drywall that would have been put in a landfill.
Sustainable Mold Remediation
In the last year alone, we have kept over 54 tons of drywall out of our landfills by providing a safe, sustainable approach to restoration. By harnessing the newest in optical fluorescence technology for air sampling and a proprietary chemical solution, ServiceMaster NCR is changing the way water and mold damaged buildings are restored, saving countless hours of lost time and thousands of precious dollars. If you’re looking for the catch, we can save you some time there too – there isn’t one.
For sustainable mold removal services in Alexandria VA and Washington DC area, call the mold remediation experts of ServiceMaster NCR at (202) 318-2245!
