Mold Remediation

Remediation is removal plus a fix. The mouldy material comes out, the area is cleaned and dried, and the source of the moisture is repaired. Skip the last step and the mould returns.

Size decides who should do it. Health Canada says you can generally clean small and medium sized areas of mould yourself, and considers an area large if a single patch is larger than three square metres; for that it recommends that a qualified professional assess and clean it up.

In an older Ottawa house, test before you cut. Drywall joint compound, plaster and some insulation in older homes can contain asbestos, and opening a mouldy wall disturbs whatever is in it. If a sample comes back positive, the job becomes asbestos work under O. Reg. 278/05 as well as a mould job.

Ontario does not license mould remediation contractors, and we found no Ontario law setting mould limits or clearance levels. Industry guidelines exist, but they are not regulations. Ask each contractor how they will contain the work area, what comes out, how they will confirm the space is dry, and what they will do about the moisture source.

Two Ottawa vendors publish mould prices, and their bands do not agree with each other or with Health Canada's size bands. That is too thin to quote. Get two written quotes that name the square footage and the moisture repair.