Certified Mold Remediation and Removal

Lara's Services Group is proud to provide professional mold removal, remediation, and cleanup services throughout the Abilene, San Angelo, Houston, and Fort Worth area. Starting with your inspection through to the sanitization and odor removal, we will be with you through the entire mold damage restoration process to restore your home or business to its pre-loss condition.

Mold removal can be done by yourself, although it is wise to contact a mold remediation company, such as Lara's Services Group if it's a large area. It can be extremely difficult to recognize where the mold is coming from and prevent cross-contamination from the affected area, which can further spread the mold.

Why Choose Lara's Services Group?

Locally Owned and Operated
IICRC Certified Firm
NAERMC Certified Mold Hygienist
NAERMC Certified Mold Remedation Technologist
Certified Environmental Home Inspector
Fully Licensed, Bonded and Insured
Comprehensive Estimates
2-Hour Response Time

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Where does mold come from?

Mold has been here for millions of years and can be found anywhere and can grow on virtually any surface. Mold can get into your home, commercial property, or business through doors, windows, HVAC systems and vents, pets, and people. It reproduces through mold spores that travel through the air.

The most common sign of mold is a musty odor when the HVAC system is running. When you smell a musty odor while your heating or air conditioning running, it's time to call the professionals at Lara's Services Group because you more than likely have mold spores in your air ducts, which is a difficult mold problem to ensure proper and complete remediation on your own.

The keys to mold growth are the presence of moisture and a food source, which can be any organic material. Organic materials are abundant in homes and can be found even on inorganic surfaces. This means that the primary determinant of mold growth within a building is the presence of moisture. Common areas mold will start to grow on are common building materials such as paper, cardboard, ceiling tiles, wood, drywall, carpet, fabric and upholstery, insulation, and more.

Health Effects of Mold

The biggest problem with mold infesting a home or business is that it poses serious health risks. Mold is especially harmful to those with weakened immune systems or pre-existing conditions, such as asthma and COPD. The main health issues associated with mold growing in your home or business are both upper and lower respiratory problems.

Common Symptoms of Mold Exposure

Throat irritation
Eye irritation
Nasal congestion and sneezing
Coughing and wheezing
Headaches

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Signs of a Potential Mold Problem

Damp, musty smell
White or black fluffy or slimy spots on your clothing
Spots, odors, or stains on your carpets
Allergy or asthma flare-ups
Fungus on or in the furniture
Warped walls
Dark stains on walls or ceilings
Peeling paint or wall paper
Persistent cough or cold
Funky A/C filters
Tarnished bathroom tiles
Water condensation around any plumbing fixtures or appliances
Previous water damage

Mold Removal Tips

Abilene Area Mold Removal Services

Mold Insurance Claims Assistance

Mold contamination should be taken seriously and reported to insurance as soon as it's discovered. Insurance policies vary significantly with mold, so it's essential to review the policy carefully and understand the coverage. It's also important to determine the cause of the mold, as the source will typically determine coverage. It's always a good idea to hire a professional inspector and remediation company when mold is discovered.

Mold Remediation in San Antonio, Abilene, and Houston

Mold Remediation and Damage Restoration

Lara's Services Group will come out and inspect the affected areas and provide you an assessment and plan to get rid of the mold in your home, commercial property, or business. Whether you have several square feet or hundreds that have mold growth, the first thing we'll complete upon mold detection, is quaratine the area to prevent cross-contamination.

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Our Mold Remediation Process

1. Inspect for Mold

Our mold remediation professionals will visually inspect your home or business to find the potential mold and find the cause of the infestation.

2. Contain the Mold

Our mold removal technicians will contain the affected area and remove any mold, non-salvageable, porous items.

3. Mold Remediation

We will utilize advanced HEPA filtered vacuums to help eliminate mold on non-porous surfaces.

4. Capture Mold Spores

We will use high-efficiency air scrubbers to capture the mold spores that are in the air, while the mold remediation is taking place.

5. Third-Party Clearance Testing

While this step is not required, we highly recommend this step to ensure the mold was successfully remediated.

6. Sanitize

Lastly, but certainly not least, we will clean and sanitize any salvaged items and return them to your property once the mold remediation is complete.

Frequently Asked Questions About Mold

Anytime the moisture levels in your home are at 60% or higher, mold can grow. What's frustrating for many property owners is that they don't see a puddle on the floor or water dripping from the ceiling. When mold grows, the source of the moisture is usually hidden under floorboards or behind walls.

It could be. Because mold spores are microscopic and airborne, you'll end up breathing them into your lungs. Depending on the type of mold and how well your immune system functions, you may develop some serious health symptoms that could end up being the result of mold. That's why a mold remediation company takes mold removal so seriously. The space affected by mold is isolated and contained during cleaning so the spores won't spread to other areas of the house, and the remediation team stays suited up in Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) during the process.

For the majority of surfaces in your home, bleach won't actually get rid of your mold problem. It's the "iceberg effect." Visible mold is usually a small percentage of the actual amount of mold growth. Bleach can't kill mold on porous surfaces like wood, and while tile or fiberglass surfaces can be cleaned with bleach, often the mold has spread far deeper. The reason why mold remediation companies don't recommend DIY cleanup isn't that they want to make more money; they know, in their experience, that a mold problem is usually far more invasive than can be seen with the naked eye. Simply cleaning the surfaces can provide false assurances that you got rid of the mold, only to have it come back time and time again.

Sometimes mold remediation is included if the cause of the mold was a "covered peril" like a burst hot water heater or water damage caused by firefighters extinguishing a fire in your house. Gradual water damage - like from a leaking pipe or hose - will often cause mold growth, but your insurance coverage will usually not cover that by claiming that it was caused by poor maintenance or neglect. If your insurance company denies your claim, you should request an inspection from a mold remediation company that can help you document the source of the mold.

If the inspection/assessment process was able to pinpoint the source and cause of the mold growth, once that source is repaired, you can be relatively confident about the success of remediation. Ask if your restoration technician has the IICRC certification for "Applied Microbial Remediation Technician." You can also request a "post-remediation mold clearance" from a third-party mold inspector to re-test the area for any remaining traces of mold before the area is treated with a sealer or encapsulant to resist future mold growth.

How to Prevent Mold

Keep humidity levels in your home as low as you can—no higher than 50%–all day long. An air conditioner or dehumidifier will help you keep the level low. You can buy a meter to check your home's humidity at a home improvement store. Humidity levels change over the course of a day so you will need to check the humidity levels more than once a day.
Be sure the air in your home flows freely. Use exhaust fans that vent outside your home in the kitchen and bathroom. Make sure your clothes dryer vents outside your home.
Fix any leaks in your home's roof, walls, or plumbing so mold does not have moisture to grow.
Clean up and dry out your home fully and quickly (within 24–48 hours) after a flood.
Add mold inhibitors to paints before painting. You can buy mold inhibitors at paint and home improvement stores.
Clean bathrooms with mold-killing products.
Remove or replace carpets and upholstery that have been soaked and cannot be dried right away. Think about not using carpet in places like bathrooms or basements that may have a lot of moisture.

To learn more about preventing mold in your home, see the EPA's book 'A Brief Guide to Mold, Moisture, and Your Home' by clicking the button below.
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