Assessment, containment and removal of mold growth that has taken hold on materials wetted by a flood or hidden leak.
Fastest: call (833) 490-5225. Or send this and we call you back.
Mold after water damage is what happens when a wetted surface stays wet for more than 24 to 48 hours and conditions favour growth. A technician assesses what is there, contains the work area so spores do not travel, removes affected porous materials and cleans hard surfaces. Lines are answered 24/7 and a crew is sent as soon as one is free.
Mold grows on the things that are wet and the things that feed mold: cellulose in paper, wood, drywall, insulation, cardboard and fabrics. It does not grow on tile, metal or glass. The EPA's general guidance is that clean-water-wetted material should be dried within 24 to 48 hours to prevent growth; where that deadline has passed, the question shifts from drying to what can stay and what has to come out.
Not all growth is visible. A ceiling that looks dry can have mold on the underside of the material above it, a wall can grow it inside a cavity, and a storage box can be growing from the inside out while the outside looks fine. That is why assessment often involves opening a space to see what is there rather than guessing from the surface.
Massachusetts has no state licence specific to mold work. Health questions and assessments of rental properties are handled by the local board of health; cleaning contractors are not licensed for this trade, and any structural removal is covered under construction and plumbing trades. This page covers what a water-damage restoration crew does as part of handling a wet event.
Growth that is still feeding and spreading has to be stopped. Once the material is dry and the humidity is controlled to prevent new growth, dormant spores on hard surfaces do not require scrubbing them constantly, but active growth cannot stay.
The EPA's guidance on cleaning is that it depends on the extent: small areas of surface growth on non-porous material can sometimes be cleaned in place, while porous material with embedded mold usually comes out. The local board of health sets requirements for rental properties, and what they require may be different from what the EPA calls "acceptable".
The state has no specific mold license for contractors. Health questions, rental-property assessments and complaints are handled by the local board of health. Any structural removal is work under a construction or plumbing trade licence.
Rindge, Fitzwilliam and New Ipswich readers should know that New Hampshire also has no state mold licence, and towns set their own health rules. That is why the local board of health or health officer is the call for questions about what a rental property must have.
The EPA says growth generally will not occur on clean-water-wetted porous material if it is dried within 24 to 48 hours. After that, whether growth happens depends on humidity, temperature and air movement, but the timeline gets risky fast.
This is why calling early makes such a difference. A cellar flood that is extracted and dried within the first day often does not grow mold at all. One that sits for a week is well into territory where containment and removal become necessary. The 48-hour window is not a hard deadline you have blown past; it is the reason to call right now, not tomorrow.
Air sampling is not a service we provide, and the EPA does not recommend it for homeowners: a snapshot of the air does not tell you whether it is safe, and it does not predict future problems. Dry the material and control humidity instead.
The standard advice is to focus on source removal and moisture control rather than air testing. If a rental property is involved or a public building, the local health department or the property owner's insurer might require testing, but that is a separate question handled through them.
Removing the source material and drying the space usually clears a moldy smell, but not always instantly. Volatile organic compounds that cause the smell can linger in the air and in materials even after the growth is gone, and that is where air scrubbers and ventilation help.
In a cellar or enclosed space, running fans and opening windows once the weather allows can help. Fresh air and light are the last steps, not the first, because bringing damp outside air in during drying is counterproductive. Structural drying and dehumidification covers controlling the space.
If you see mold growth in an enclosed space such as a crawl space, attic or wall cavity, do not disturb it yourself; leave it for a contractor to handle with containment. If growth is extensive or you have respiratory concerns, leave the space and call from outside. Do not bleach visible mold as a first step — disturbing it spreads spores and the bleach kills only what it touches while spores still spread. Wear a mask and gloves if you must handle storage items that have visible growth.
A technician looks at visible surfaces and, if needed, opens a cavity or checks the underside of materials to see what growth has taken hold and how far it has spread. Porous and hard surfaces are identified, and a decision is made on containment and the scope of removal.
If growth is in a place where disturbing it would spread spores through the house, a temporary barrier is built and an air scrubber with a HEPA filter is run inside it with negative pressure, pulling air out and not letting it back.
Drywall, insulation, ceiling tile, carpet pad, cardboard, paper goods and fabric that carry mold usually cannot be cleaned and dried, and come out. Hard surfaces such as tile, framing and ducts are cleaned with appropriate cleaners.
Hard surfaces that had mold on them are wiped or sprayed with a cleaner appropriate to the surface and the severity. Air scrubbers run to remove spores from the air, and the space is ventilated.
Moisture readings are taken in the affected space and compared with unaffected areas of the house to confirm that conditions no longer favour growth. You get the record of what was removed and the readings.
Growth on the face of a wall or ceiling that is visible and accessible, usually on drywall or old plaster. Hard surfaces can often be cleaned and saved; drywall with embedded growth usually comes out because the mold penetrates the paper facing and the gypsum core.
The trickier version: growth inside a wall, on the underside of a ceiling, or in a crawl space or joist bay. Finding it requires opening a space, and deciding what comes out involves looking at how the water got there and whether the cavity can be dried without sealing moisture in.
A cellar flood often hits storage: boxes of paper and cardboard, seasonal goods in fabric or plastic, books and photographs. Once mold has taken hold, these items rarely recover and usually come out, which is a painful decision made easier if the items are photographed before anything is removed, for documentation and insurance.
If it's an emergency, call now. For non-urgent mold after water damage, send the form and we'll call you back.
Older houses in Baldwinville and the hill towns around it were built with stone and brick cellars, insulation that is often still the original mineral wool or sawdust, and framing that is wood without the fungicides modern lumber gets. In a cold, damp climate, cellar moisture is chronic and mold can take hold fast where a leak or a flood wets the structure.
Massachusetts rental housing is covered by 105 CMR 410, the sanitary code, which requires that a rental unit be dry within 48 hours of notice and sets standards for moisture. Landlords and tenants both should know the rule, and a local board of health enforces it. See multi-family and rental water damage for the shared responsibility side.
The local board of health is your first call for rental property questions, or if you have a health concern about the mold itself. Boards of health in the towns here are all separate, so the answer your neighbour got in the next town over may not be what yours says. Look up your town's board on its website or call the town office.
Drying and damage assessment after a roof leak, bathroom plumbing or upstairs appliance wets a ceiling or the framing above it.
Water removal and drying in apartment buildings, triple-deckers and rental properties where a leak affects multiple units and multiple parties.
Metered drying of plaster, lath, plank floors, sill beams and wall cavities with dehumidifiers and air movers, run until readings say the building is dry.
Not sure if you're covered? Check your ZIP code.
A water damage quote is built from how much water came in and how long it sat, whether it was clean or contaminated, how many floors and materials took it on, how many days of drying equipment the building needs, how hard the wet space is to reach, and whether anything has to be rebuilt afterwards..
Coverage is decided by your own policy and your insurer, never by this page.
Water damage work in Massachusetts requires a written contract, deposit cap and terms you can verify in the law.
An ice dam is a ridge of ice at the roof edge that holds meltwater behind it until the water finds a way under the shingles and into the house.
The Millers River drains the snow and rain of north central Massachusetts through Athol, Winchendon and Orange, and it has flooded in several major events.
No. We assess and remove visible and accessible growth, control humidity and dry the space. Air testing is not recommended by the EPA, and it does not predict safety.
It depends on the individual and the type of mold, and that is a health question for a doctor. What we can do is remove the visible source and control humidity so it does not come back.
Small areas of surface mold on hard surfaces can be wiped down, but growth that is inside materials, in cavities or porous goods usually requires removal by someone experienced with containment so spores do not spread.
No. The state has no specific mold contractor licence. Health questions are handled by the local board of health, and any structural work is covered under building trades licences.
Usually. Getting the space dry and improving air flow helps. In an enclosed space like a basement that has been closed for a long time, opening it up to fresh air and light is the last step once drying is done.
Early catch is exactly right. If you dry wetted material within 24 to 48 hours, mold often does not grow at all. If it has already started to grow, active removal is needed.