As one of the confined areas of your home, the crawl space can encourage mold growth, posing a serious health concern in the home environment. If you suspect or have spotted mold in your crawl space, you should have it remedied immediately.

Mold remediation professionals know there cannot be a one-size-fits-all solution for addressing mold infestations in homes. Every mold problem is unique and requires a tailored approach to tackle safely and effectively.

If a professional comes to your home to inspect the mold in your crawl space and recommends its encapsulation, here's what to expect during the mold encapsulation process. 

Preparing For Work 

Crawl spaces are typically dark and poorly ventilated areas of a home. These conditions can make it more difficult and dangerous to remove mold. 

Before encapsulating mold, a professional will take pre-emptive measures to perform the task safely and effectively. They will lay down heavy plastic sheeting to contain the mold falling on unaffected surfaces in the work area.

They may also set up lights to improve lighting and install exhaust fans to improve ventilation in the work area. 

Applying A Mold Killer

Once the work area is prepared and secured, the actual mold removal process can commence. A mold killer (typically a hydrogen-peroxide-based cleaning solution) is sprayed onto moldy surfaces to loosen the mold and make it easier to remove. 

Wetting of moldy surfaces also helps to minimize the concentration of mold spores in the air.

Removing The Mold

Although applying a mold cleaning solution to moldy surfaces reduces the generation of mold spores, professionals must take further steps to protect their workers from mold.

As a last resort, they must provide personal protective equipment such as respirator masks, heavy gloves, non-vented goggles, and disposable coveralls to minimize worker exposure to microscopic mold spores floating in the air during mold cleanups.

The mold removal process involves using a stiff bristle brush to scrub away as much mold as possible and then rinsing the area with tepid soapy water.

Encapsulating The Mold

Many DIYers often confuse encapsulating mold with painting over the mold. While a regular paint job will hide mold stains, it does not stop mold from growing again. 

Professionals only use products formulated specifically for mold encapsulation. Mold encapsulants are like regular paint, but they contain an antimicrobial agent that prevents any mold from growing and spreading.

As confident as you are in your DIY capabilities, a crawl space mold encapsulation is too big and dangerous to tackle. Hire professionals to get the job done safely and effectively.

For more information, contact a company like MPHI Home Specialists.