Black mold removal in Lithia Springs means fixing whatever got the house wet, isolating the area, removing porous material that has gone moldy and cleaning and drying what remains. Color tells you nothing about how risky a mold is. Call the number on this page to be connected with a local mold remediation company in Lithia Springs.
Lithia Springs in brief
Lithia Springs is an unincorporated community of about 16,600 people in northeastern Douglas County, roughly 16 miles from Atlanta. It was once an 1880s health-resort town built around its mineral springs and gave up its city charter in 2000. Sweetwater Creek, the Chattahoochee River and George Sparks Reservoir are all close by. In the September 2009 floods, Sweetwater Creek crested just over 30 feet against a 17-foot flood stage, and a two-story home on Hasty Drive was submerged under more than 11 feet of water. A Lithia Springs business near the creek also had trucks and trailers flooded.
What to do now
- Find and stop the water. After a storm, check the lowest level first. Otherwise look at plumbing, the roof and the AC drain.
- Dry within two days if you can. EPA says to assume mold when flooded materials could not be dried in 24 to 48 hours.
- Remove soaked porous items. Carpet, pad and cardboard that stayed wet usually cannot be saved.
- Protect people. Wear at least an N-95, keep children out of cleanup, and keep anyone with asthma or a weakened immune system away.
- Call for help on anything big. Over about 10 square feet, or inside walls, hire a company that uses containment.
Signs and likely causes
| What you see | Likely cause |
|---|---|
| A dark line across walls at the same height | The high-water mark from past flooding |
| Black spots on a basement or lower-level wall | Groundwater or runoff pushing through after heavy rain |
| Growth on the back of baseboards | Water that wicked up drywall and never dried |
| Musty smell from floor registers | Damp crawl space or moisture in the ductwork |
Cost factors
Angi's Atlanta cost guide reports most jobs at $1,249 to $4,363 and a rate of about $12 to $29 per square foot. Flood-related work that runs across several rooms, or reaches insulation, subfloor and ductwork, costs more. Because Lithia Springs is unincorporated, rebuild permits come from Douglas County Building Permits & Inspections on Timber Ridge Drive in Douglasville, and Douglas County Code Enforcement handles property maintenance complaints, including unrepaired leaks in rentals, under the International Property Maintenance Code.
Black Mold Removal questions in Lithia Springs
Water came in during a storm and black spots followed. What first?
Do moldy drywall, carpet and insulation have to be thrown out?
Is a permit needed to rebuild walls after the mold comes out?
Will the county health department come look at black mold?
More mold services in Lithia Springs
Black Mold Removal nearby
Helpful guides
Sources
- EPA: Mold Cleanup in Your Home
- EPA: Homeowner's and Renter's Guide to Mold Cleanup After Disasters (pdf)
- Georgia Bulletin: Flood of biblical proportion submerges home (2009)
- Times-Georgian: Two years later, historic flood's wrath still felt
- Angi: Mold Remediation Cost in Atlanta, GA
- Douglas County: Building Permits & Inspections
- Douglas County: Code Enforcement
- Georgia DPH: District Office Directory and Map (pdf)
- Georgia DPH: Indoor Air Quality/Mold
- Lithia Springs, Georgia (Wikipedia)
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