Charleston, WV's #1 Mold Removal & Remediation Experts

The most common signs are visible growth, a musty smell and recent water damage. Look for dark or fuzzy spots on walls, ceilings, window sills and closets, and check under sinks, behind toilets and in the basement or crawl space. A smell that lingers after cleaning is a strong clue that mold is growing somewhere you can't see. If you've had a leak in the past few months, have the area checked even if it looks fine. We use moisture meters and thermal imaging to find hidden moisture.

For a very small spot on a hard surface, maybe, but bleach is not a fix for real mold growth. Bleach doesn't reach mold that has grown into porous materials like drywall and wood, and it leaves moisture behind on the surface. Scrubbing or spraying mold can also release spores that settle in other rooms. Most importantly, cleaning doesn't stop the moisture causing the growth. If the area is larger than a small patch, or keeps coming back, it needs containment, proper removal and a fix for the moisture.

Containment is how we keep mold from spreading while we remove it. We seal off the work area with plastic sheeting, cover doorways and vents, and use equipment to create negative air pressure, so air flows into the containment instead of out into the rest of the house. Removing mold disturbs it and releases spores, so without containment, a remediation job can spread the problem to clean rooms. It's one of the biggest differences between professional remediation and a homeowner with a spray bottle.

It filters the air in the work area while we remove the mold. A HEPA air scrubber pulls air through a high efficiency filter that captures very fine particles, including mold spores and dust, and exhausts the filtered air. We run them inside the containment so the particles stirred up during removal are captured instead of drifting around. We also use HEPA vacuums on framing and surfaces after removal, so the area is clean before the containment comes down.

Because it's warm and humid, and mold loves both. Summers in the Kanawha Valley bring muggy air that keeps basements, crawl spaces and closets damp, and it slows down how fast wet materials dry on their own. When a leak or small flood happens in July or August, wet drywall, framing and carpet dry more slowly on their own and can stay damp long enough for mold to take hold. Fast drying after water damage and dehumidifiers in damp lower levels make a big difference here.

Crawl spaces sit right on the ground, so moisture from the soil rises into them all year. Many have bare dirt, a torn or missing vapor barrier, or vents that let humid summer air in, where it condenses on the cooler floor joists. Hillside lots add runoff that drains under the house during heavy rain. We remove the mold from the joists and subfloor, take out wet insulation, and show you what needs to change, like a new vapor barrier or better drainage, to keep the space drier.

We treat it like any other contained remediation, with a little more demolition. Mold in a finished basement often grows behind drywall, under carpet pad and on the bottom plates of framed walls, where water from the foundation or a past flood sat unnoticed. We contain the area, cut out the affected drywall and insulation, remove wet carpet and pad, and clean and dry the framing. We also look for the water source, like a crack, a window well or a downspout draining against the wall.

Usually a roof leak or trapped moisture from the house. Bathroom and kitchen fans that vent into the attic instead of through the roof push warm, wet air up there all year. In winter that moisture condenses on the cold underside of the roof deck and can lead to staining and mold. Blocked soffit vents and poor airflow make it worse. We contain the attic, remove or clean the affected wood and insulation, and point out what needs to be fixed by a roofer or other contractor.

Not always. When mold is visible and the moisture source is known, testing usually doesn't change what needs to be done: contain it, remove it and fix the moisture. Testing can help when you smell mold but can't find it, or when someone in the home has a specific concern. Some homeowners hire an independent indoor environmental professional for testing so the results come from a third party. We inspect with moisture meters and thermal imaging to find where the problem actually is.

Removal is one step, and remediation is the whole job. Mold spores exist naturally almost everywhere, indoors and out, so no one can make a house completely free of them. Remediation means containing the area, removing the growth and affected materials, cleaning the remaining surfaces, filtering the air and fixing the moisture that caused the problem. The goal is to bring the area back to normal conditions, not to promise a spore free house. Anyone who promises that isn't being straight with you.

Not if the moisture problem is solved. Mold needs water to grow, so the remediation only lasts if the leak, condensation or ground moisture behind it gets fixed. That's why we spend as much time finding the source as we do removing the mold. We tell you exactly what caused it and what needs to change. Keeping indoor humidity in check, especially in summer, and fixing leaks quickly afterward go a long way toward keeping the area clean.

In most cases it has to come out. Drywall is porous, and mold grows into the paper facing and the gypsum core, so surface cleaning won't reach it. The same goes for carpet pad and most insulation. We cut out the affected drywall plus a margin around it, bag it inside the containment and remove it. Hard materials like framing, concrete and many subfloors can usually be cleaned and kept, which helps keep the repair smaller.

No. Paint over mold doesn't kill it or stop it from growing, and the growth will usually come back through the new paint as stains or bubbles. It also hides the problem from the next person who looks, including a home inspector. Even mold resistant primers are only meant for clean surfaces after remediation is done. The mold needs to be removed properly and the moisture source needs to be fixed before anything gets painted.

Most residential jobs take a few days. A small area in one bathroom or closet might take a day or two, while a whole crawl space, a finished basement or a large attic can take several days, depending on how much material has to be removed and how much drying is needed. Repairs like new drywall or insulation come after remediation and depend on your contractor. We give you a realistic timeline after the inspection and keep you updated as we go.

Usually, yes. Because we contain the work area and keep it under negative pressure with HEPA air scrubbers, most families stay in the house and simply avoid the containment area. For larger jobs, or when the work is in a main living area, staying somewhere else for a few days can be easier. If anyone in your home has health concerns about mold, talk with your doctor about whether to stay elsewhere. We'll explain the setup and what to expect before we start.

It depends on what caused the mold and what your policy says. Many policies consider mold that results from a sudden covered water loss, like a burst pipe, while excluding or limiting mold from long term leaks, humidity or poor maintenance. Some policies cap mold coverage. Your insurance company makes the final decision. We document the mold, the moisture readings and the cause with photos and a written scope, and we help with the paperwork so your adjuster has what they need.

Color alone doesn't tell you much. Many different molds look black or dark green, and you can't identify a species by looking at it. We don't make health judgments about mold, and if you have health questions, your doctor is the right person to ask. What we can tell you is that any mold growing indoors should be contained and removed the same careful way, no matter its color, and the moisture that caused it needs to be fixed.

Yes. We handle mold remediation for landlords, property managers and businesses as well as homeowners, including apartments, offices, retail spaces and warehouses. We contain the work area so tenants, staff and customers can often keep using the rest of the building, and we work around your schedule where we can. You get photos, readings and a written scope for your records. Call (304) 395-3925 and we'll set up an inspection.