Mold is a symptom
When mold appears, it's telling you something got wet and stayed wet. The order of recovery follows from that: stop the water, contain the mold, remove what can't be cleaned, dry everything, then rebuild. Charleston's climate makes the drying step harder than in most places, and South Carolina's rules shape who you hire for which part.
Step 1: Find and stop the moisture
Look for the source before anything else. Common ones in Charleston homes:
- roof and flashing leaks, especially after wind-driven rain; NOAA's data for Charleston lists a 50-year basic wind speed of 130 mph and a 100-year rainfall rate of 4.3 inches per hour;
- plumbing leaks under sinks, behind toilets and at water heaters;
- condensation on ducts, air handlers and cool walls in humid weather;
- ground moisture in crawlspaces.
Fix the leak, or at least stop it, before cleanup starts.
Step 2: Protect the household
Keep people with asthma, allergies or weakened immune systems away from the area. Close off the room if you can. Don't run fans that blow across the mold; they spread spores.
Step 3: Decide what's a homeowner job
Small areas on hard, non-porous surfaces can often be cleaned with detergent and water and then dried. Larger areas, mold inside walls or ceilings, mold in the HVAC system, or mold after sewage or storm water are jobs for a remediation company.
Step 4: Know what South Carolina regulates
South Carolina has no state agency that regulates mold remediation, as the General Assembly recited in the 2019 joint resolution, Act No. 112, that created its Mold Remediation and Abatement Study Committee. That puts the weight on the written plan and on what you ask. Ask each company:
- how it contains the work area;
- what it removes and what it cleans;
- how it measures moisture and decides materials are dry;
- how it shows the area is clean at the end;
- for references from jobs like yours.
Step 5: Contain and remove
The remediation crew should seal the work area with plastic, run air filtration that keeps the area under negative pressure, and bag moldy porous materials before carrying them out. Drywall and insulation with mold growth usually come out; framing and other hard surfaces are usually cleaned.
Step 6: Dry in humid weather
This is where Charleston is different. NOAA counts about 1,820 hours a year with a wet-bulb temperature at 73°F or higher in Charleston, and about 3,372 hours at 67°F or higher. Opening windows doesn't dry a house in that air; it adds moisture. Drying needs dehumidifiers running in a closed space, with moisture readings logged each day until materials reach a dry standard the company named in advance.
Step 7: Check before the walls close
Before any new drywall goes up, the cavity should be clean, dry and free of visible growth. Ask to see it, and ask for the final moisture readings in writing.
Step 8: Rebuild under the right license
Putting the house back is home repair. South Carolina law requires a residential builder license from the Residential Builders Commission when a home construction, repair or improvement job costs more than $5,000, and a residential specialty contractor license for specialized trade work on a home costing more than $500. Ask the rebuild company which license it holds and look it up with the commission.
Step 9: Keep it from coming back
- Keep indoor humidity under control with the air conditioning and, where needed, a dehumidifier.
- Check under sinks and around the water heater a few times a year.
- Look in the crawlspace after big storms.
- Keep gutters clear so roof water goes away from the house.
Keep the paperwork
Keep the remediation plan, moisture logs, photos, invoices and the rebuild contract together. If you sell the house, a buyer will ask what was done, and the file answers that.