Mold Removal in Woodridge, IL

What Comes Out and What Can Be Saved

Porous materials that mold has colonized generally cannot be reliably cleaned. That means drywall, insulation, carpet pad, ceiling tiles, and particle board shelving with active growth get removed. Carpet itself is a judgment call: lightly affected carpet can sometimes be cleaned and dried, but carpet that sat over a wet pad for weeks in a Naperville basement is almost always a removal.

Solid materials are a different story. Wall studs, floor joists, subfloor, and concrete can almost always be saved. Mold grows on the surface of solid wood rather than through it, so we HEPA vacuum the growth, clean the wood, and where the surface is stained or growth is stubborn, sand or abrasive blast it back to clean material. Attic roof sheathing, a common removal call in Naperville when a roofer discovers blackened plywood above a bathroom fan, usually gets cleaned and treated in place rather than replaced, which saves homeowners a significant amount of money.

We are careful and honest about this line. Removing more than necessary wastes your money and tears up finished space you paid to build. Removing less than necessary leaves mold in the wall. The moisture readings and the extent of visible growth make the call, not a sales target.

• •Removed: colonized drywall, insulation, carpet pad, ceiling tile
• •Usually saved: studs, joists, subfloor, roof sheathing, concrete
• •Case by case: carpet, solid wood trim, cabinets, doors
• •Everything removed leaves in sealed bags through containment

How We Keep Spores Out of the Rest of Your Home

Tearing out moldy drywall releases enormous numbers of spores. That is why do-it-yourself removal so often makes a house feel worse. Before we cut anything, we build a containment barrier around the work area and set up negative air machines that pull air through HEPA filters and exhaust it outside. Air flows into the containment, never out of it.

Inside the containment, we mist materials before removal to knock down dust, cut drywall in controlled sections rather than smashing it out, and bag debris in heavy sealed bags that get wiped down before they pass out of the work zone. Workers wear proper respiratory protection and protective suits. After demolition, every surface inside the containment gets HEPA vacuumed and cleaned, and air scrubbers run until the space is ready for the containment to come down.

This discipline matters most in the homes we serve. A finished basement in Naperville or Bolingbrook connects to bedrooms and living space through open stairs and shared ductwork. Sloppy removal in the basement becomes an air quality problem on the second floor.

Attic Mold Removal, a Naperville Specialty

A surprising number of our removal calls start on the roof. A roofer replacing shingles in Naperville or Wheaton looks into the attic and finds the underside of the sheathing black with growth, almost always concentrated near a bathroom exhaust fan that was vented into the attic instead of through the roof. Every winter shower sends warm moist air into a cold attic, it condenses on the sheathing, and mold grows a little more each season.

Attic removal is its own kind of job. The growth is usually widespread but shallow, on the surface of the plywood. We clean and treat the sheathing, HEPA vacuum the insulation surface or replace insulation that is contaminated, and, critically, get that bath fan ducted to the outside so the cycle stops. We also check for blocked soffit vents and inadequate attic ventilation, which are common in the tightly built 1990s subdivisions around here. If you are selling your home, dealing with attic mold before the buyer's inspector finds it keeps a routine sale from turning into a renegotiation.

Frequently Asked Questions