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• Stop the source and shut off the water if needed. Take photos and video before anything is moved or removed.
• Get water out and air moving right away. Wet drywall, wood and carpet pad can begin to support mold growth within 48 to 72 hours.
• Make sure the wall can actually dry. Baseboards and tile base trap water behind them. If they stay on, the wall behind them often never dries, no matter how many fans are running.
• Ask for moisture readings. A wall is not dry because it feels dry. Drying should be confirmed with a moisture meter against a dry reference before anything is closed up.
• Notify your insurance carrier promptly and keep every invoice and report.

Most South Florida mold problems that are not leaks are humidity problems. Keeping indoor relative humidity at or below 60 percent removes the conditions mold needs.

• Don’t turn the AC off when you travel or close up a seasonal home. Set it to run, typically in the high 70s, rather than off.
• An inexpensive digital hygrometer tells you where you stand. Check bedrooms and closets, not just the hallway thermostat.
• Sweating supply registers, damp closets or a musty smell are signs the system is not removing enough moisture. Have the system checked.
• Change HVAC filters on schedule. A loaded filter cuts airflow and dehumidification.

Testing is worth it when: there is a musty odor with no visible source; after a leak, to find out whether growth is concealed; when an insurance claim, lease or sale needs documentation; and after remediation, to confirm the work succeeded.

Testing changes little when: there is a small, visible spot on a hard surface you can clean. In that case fix the moisture and clean it. If you’re unsure which situation you’re in, call and ask before paying for anything.

• Small areas on hard, non-porous surfaces can usually be cleaned once the moisture source is fixed. The EPA suggests that areas under about 10 square feet can generally be handled by the homeowner.
• Porous materials with growth — drywall, insulation, carpet pad, ceiling tiles — generally need to be removed, not cleaned.
• Fogging, spraying or painting over mold is not a substitute for removing affected material. It can hide the problem without solving it.
• Bleach is not recommended on drywall or wood. It does not reach growth below the surface.

• Use a Florida-licensed Mold Remediator. Ask for the license number and verify it at myfloridalicense.com.
• Florida law does not allow the same company to assess and remediate the same property. If the company that tested your home offers to fix it, that is a conflict of interest.
• Get a written protocol first, so every remediator bids on the same scope.
• The work should be done under containment, and the containment should stay up until an independent assessor confirms clearance.

Clearance (post-remediation verification) confirms the work actually worked before the walls are closed: the area is visually clean, the materials are dry, and air samples inside the containment are consistent with the outdoor air. Without it, you’re taking the remediator’s word for it — and so is your insurance carrier.

Mold assessment

The licensed process of inspecting, measuring moisture and sampling to determine where mold is growing, what caused it, and how far it extends.

Mold Remediation Protocol (MRP)

The assessor’s written plan for the remediation: scope, containment, removal and cleaning methods, drying, and clearance criteria.

Mold remediation

The physical removal and cleaning of mold-affected materials, done by a licensed mold remediator following the protocol.

Post-Remediation Verification (PRV) / clearance

The independent inspection and testing after remediation that confirms the area is clean and dry before it is closed up or reoccupied.

Condition 1, 2 and 3

IICRC S520 classifications. Condition 1 is normal fungal ecology; Condition 2 is settled spores or contamination from a nearby source; Condition 3 is actual growth.

Spore trap (air sample)

A cassette that collects airborne spores from a measured volume of air, reported as spores per cubic meter (spores/m³).

Outdoor control

An air sample collected outside at the same time as the indoor samples. Indoor results are judged against it.

Swab and tape lift

Surface samples that show whether a stain or residue is mold growth and what type.

Dry standard

A moisture reading taken on unaffected material of the same type. Wet materials are judged dry when they match it.

Containment

Plastic barriers and controlled airflow that keep spores and dust inside the work area during remediation.

Negative air / AFD

An air filtration device with HEPA filtration that exhausts the containment so air flows into the work area, not out of it.

HEPA

High Efficiency Particulate Air filtration: captures at least 99.97% of particles at 0.3 microns.

Relative humidity (RH)

How much moisture the air holds compared with its maximum. Indoors in South Florida, keep it below 60%.

Chain of custody

The signed record that tracks each sample from collection to the laboratory, so results can be relied on.