Mold & Mildew Removal in Cottontown, TN

Warning signs to watch for

• Spots along the base of walls or on baseboards after heavy rain.
• Fuzz on stored items in a back bedroom, garage shelf or hall closet.
• A musty smell that gets stronger on humid days.
• Mildew around HVAC registers or on the ceiling near a supply vent.
• Growth that comes back in the same spot within a month of cleaning.

What Cottontown homes deal with

Cottontown is a small unincorporated community along State Route 25, northwest of Gallatin, about 24 miles from Nashville. Flash flooding hit the area on the morning of May 19, 2017, and while the water had started to recede by later that day, a few hours is enough to soak carpet, baseboards and boxes. EPA's guidance is to dry wet materials within 24 to 48 hours; anything that stayed wet longer should be treated as moldy. Sumner County's Flood Insurance Study also notes that headwater streams here rise fast during intense local rain, mostly in late winter and early spring.

Away from floods, the common sources are everyday: shower steam, a dryer vent leaking into the laundry room, sweating ductwork in a crawl space, and closets on outside walls. Keeping indoor humidity below 60 percent, as EPA recommends, does more to stop mildew than any cleaner.

What affects the price

Angi reports a national typical range of $500 to $1,000 for bathroom mold remediation and $10 to $25 per square foot for most mold jobs. Middle Tennessee prices vary. Expect higher costs when baseboards, drywall or carpet pad must be removed, when growth reaches into a crawl space, or when containment is needed. Tennessee requires a contractor's license with the S-F classification for jobs of $25,000 or more.

What happens when you call

You are connected with an independent company serving Sumner County. Describe the spot, roughly how big it is, how long it has been there and any water event, such as a creek rising or a pipe leak. On a visit, the company should start with a moisture meter and a look at the crawl space, ductwork and plumbing before talking about cleaning. If the job turns up rotted subfloor or drywall that needs replacing, permits for unincorporated Cottontown come from Sumner County Building & Codes in Gallatin. Using an independent inspector to confirm the area is clean afterward is good practice, as Angi recommends.