Mold Removal & Remediation in Forest Park, GA

Forest Park at a glance

Forest Park began as a railroad wood-and-water stop, was chartered in 1908, and now covers a large piece of northern Clayton County, including the former Fort Gillem, about 9 miles from Atlanta. Forest Parkway, I-75 and I-285 frame much of the city. A good share of the housing is decades old, and older homes are where leaky supply lines, tired roofs and damp crawl spaces turn up most. Atlanta's humid summers do the rest, and thunderstorms that drop an inch of rain in an hour find every weak gutter and flashing joint. Clayton County was also among the counties under a state of emergency during the September 2009 floods.

What to do now

1. Find the source: a roof leak, a pipe, a clogged condensate line or water pooling at the foundation.
2. Get it repaired, or at least stopped, before any cleanup.
3. Start drying right away with fans and a dehumidifier; EPA's target is 24 to 48 hours.
4. Bag and toss small porous items such as ceiling tiles and rugs that are moldy, as EPA advises.
5. If the area is bigger than about 10 square feet, stop and call a company instead of scrubbing.

Signs and what they tend to mean

Cost factors and local rules

Angi's Atlanta cost guide reports an average around $2,775, with typical projects between $1,249 and $4,363. Crawl spaces run $587 to $2,348 in the same guide. The total climbs with square footage, the amount of tear-out and whether the company does the rebuild.

Forest Park Planning & Community Development, at 785 Forest Parkway, issues building, electrical, plumbing, HVAC and demolition permits, so rebuild work goes through that office. The city also runs a Residential Rental Dwelling Unit Inspection and Maintenance Program, and its Code Enforcement staff handle property maintenance complaints. Georgia has no state mold license; for any rebuild, ask whether the company holds a Georgia residential or general contractor license and check it on GOALS Verify Now.