Mold Awareness Month - Equipment FAQs

8/23/2023 (Permalink)

Dehumidifiers and air scrubbers are part of every mold job.

Mold Awareness Month continues! 

This month, equipment is the key. There are two vital pieces of equipment integral to completing proper mold remediation: dehumidifiers and air scrubbers. We want to answer some frequently asked questions that we get about the equipment we use.

Why do we use dehumidifiers?

Mold loves humid places. Before, during, and after the demolition process, large dehumidifiers are used to dry the air and prevent further growth. This creates an environment that discourages mold from spreading. It is especially important to maintain a dry environment once reconstruction begins. The last thing you want is to put materials back in place and lock in moisture! 

What are air scrubbers?

Air scrubbers are specialty industrial machines that only a licensed mold remediator would have. The average mold kit you can buy online or in a store wouldn't have anything that can accomplish what they do! They pass air through HEPA filters that catch even the most minute particles. Since mold particles are typically between three and 40 microns in diameter, HEPA filters are the only things that can effectively snatch them out of the air.

Why is it so important to remove spores from the air?

When surface mold is disturbed through demolition, cleaning, or even air currents, it spores into the air. When those spores are inhaled, sensitive individuals could encounter health issues. Additionally, spores naturally want to migrate to another environment conducive to further growth - usually somewhere dark and humid. That is why it is so important to wear respirators and put up containment during a job. However, if you take the containment down without scrubbing the air, the aerosolized spores will still spread to other areas. Thus, air scrubbers run during and after the mitigation process to ensure that the air is clean before containment is removed. 

Why do we test for mold after the job?

After cleaning is complete, air scrubbers continue to run inside the containment zone. After the final scrubbing period, a licensed mold assessor will return to the jobsite to run another round of labs. When the results come back, we know that the mold has been properly remediated if all areas are back to normal mold levels. 

If you have a mold problem, don't try to tackle it yourself with store-bought solutions! Call an expert like SERVPRO to have it taken care of the right way.