Black Mold Removal in The Woodlands, TX

Our street flooded during Harvey. Could black mold still be hiding in the walls?

It's possible if the home took water and wasn't fully dried. During Harvey, Bear Branch, Panther Branch and Spring Creek all reached historic levels, preliminary data showed 141 homes in The Woodlands with flood damage, and The Woodlands Fire Department made 224 high-water rescues and evacuations. Water that wicks up drywall can leave growth on the back of the board and the bottom plate long after the visible stain is painted over. Signs include a musty smell in one room, paint that bubbles near the floor and baseboards that pull away. EPA's rule is to assume growth in any flooded material that wasn't dried within 24 to 48 hours.

The spots on my bathroom ceiling are black. Does that make them more dangerous?

No color makes a mold more or less risky; plenty of common species grow dark. EPA advises removing any indoor mold the same way and fixing what keeps it wet. In a bathroom that usually means a fan that doesn't vent outside or isn't run long enough. Mold can irritate the eyes, skin, nose, throat and lungs, and people with asthma or weakened immune systems should stay out of moldy areas. If someone at home has symptoms, a health professional is the right person to ask, not a mold contractor.

How does a professional job work here?

The Woodlands is a township and census-designated place, mostly in unincorporated Montgomery County, about 27 miles from Houston. Mold work follows Texas law rather than local rules. A consultant who holds a TDLR mold assessment license writes a protocol. A separate company with a TDLR remediation license does the removal, and the consultant then checks clearance. The remediation contractor gives you before-and-after photos and a Certificate of Mold Damage Remediation within 10 days of finishing. Angi's Houston cost data reports an average of $2,016 for removal, plus the consultant's separate fee.

A short local note

Rebuilding after removal goes through the Montgomery County Permit Department under Environmental Health on North Thompson in Conroe, which also handles floodplain matters. A substantially damaged structure in the floodplain needs a county Development Permit.