Mold removed. Water dried. Done right.

The EPA says that if the moldy area is less than about 10 square feet, roughly a 3 ft. by 3 ft. patch, in most cases you can handle the job yourself, and it suggests an N-95 respirator. Fix the water first, clean hard surfaces, and throw away moldy porous items like ceiling tile or carpet. Larger areas, growth inside walls or the AC system, sewage, or health concerns call for a licensed remediator.

Not on their own. The EPA says dead mold may still cause allergic reactions, so it isn't enough to kill mold; it must be removed, and it doesn't recommend bleach as a routine practice in mold cleanup. Paint and sprays hide growth without removing it. Sterling uses antimicrobial fogging only as a supplemental step after removal and cleaning, never as the fix.

A small, contained job is often a few days of work. Jobs that open wall cavities, attics, or an air handler take longer, and drying time and the independent clearance test add to the schedule. Your written estimate lays out the sequence, and rebuilding afterward is separate.

Most structural drying takes several days, and the moisture readings decide when it's done, not the calendar. Equipment comes off when the wet materials reach their dry standard, the reading of the same material in an unaffected part of the house. The amount of water, the materials, whether wall cavities are opened, and Florida's humidity all change the timeline.

Porous materials soaked by sewage or floodwater (Category 3), such as drywall, insulation, carpet, and pad, are removed rather than dried. With clean water caught quickly, drywall and carpet can often be dried in place, while pad and wet wall insulation often come out so the cavity can dry. The category of water, how long it sat, and the moisture readings decide each item.

The IICRC S500 categories describe contamination. Category 1 is clean water from a sanitary source, like a broken supply line. Category 2, gray water, is significantly contaminated, like washing machine discharge. Category 3, black water, is grossly contaminated, like sewage or floodwater. The category decides what can be dried and what has to come out.