Mold & Mildew Removal in Smyrna, TN

Smyrna at a glance

Part of Percy Priest Lake lies inside town limits, and the Stones River and Stewarts Creek run nearby, so muggy summer air is a given in this part of Rutherford County. In ZIP 37167 about 19 percent of houses were built in 1979 or earlier, and roughly 38 percent of occupied units are rented. Older homes tend to show mildew at leaky windows and tired bath fans; newer ones more often at laundry rooms and closets with little airflow. Either way, the growth is a symptom: the job is to find out why that one surface stays damp.

What to do now

1. Find the wet spot first. Check the washer hoses and dryer vent, the shower surround, under sinks and around windows.
2. Measure the area. EPA's guideline puts most patches under about 10 square feet within reach of a homeowner.
3. Put on gloves, goggles and an N-95 respirator. People with asthma or a weakened immune system should leave this job to someone else.
4. Scrub hard surfaces with detergent and water, then dry them completely with a fan or dehumidifier.
5. Bag porous items that are moldy, such as cardboard boxes or a bath mat that stays damp.
6. Watch the spot for two or three weeks. If it returns, the moisture source hasn't been fixed.

What you see and what usually causes it

Cost factors if you hire it out

Angi reports national typical ranges of $500 to $1,000 for bathroom mold remediation and $10 to $25 per square foot for most jobs; Middle Tennessee prices vary. Size, whether drywall or flooring must be cut out, and how hard the area is to reach drive the number. In Rutherford County, residential jobs of $3,000 or more need the state Home Improvement license, which you can confirm on TDCI's Verify a License search.