Mold & Mildew Cleanup in Lawrenceville, GA

Why mildew finds Lawrenceville houses

Lawrenceville is the Gwinnett County seat, about 27 miles northeast of Atlanta, built out around its historic courthouse square. It sits in the Yellow River watershed, and Gwinnett County stormwater staff reported that the heaviest rain of the September 2009 floods fell near Lawrenceville, with roughly 19 inches over eight days in parts of that watershed. National Weather Service gauges on Pew Creek, Shoal Creek and the Alcovy River at Lawrenceville all crested above flood stage on September 21, 2009.

Most households will never see that kind of water, but the same climate keeps indoor air heavy from May into October. Bathrooms with short fan runs, closets on outside walls and rooms over a damp crawl space or basement are where gray and black specks usually show up first.

Cleaning it yourself vs calling a company

Signs you are past simple mildew

• The same corner darkens again within a few weeks of scrubbing.
• Baseboards swell or caulk lines pull away from the tub.
• The smell is strongest at a floor register or the crawl space door.
• Stored boxes or shoes in one closet keep growing fuzz.

Seasonal timing

Expect the worst stretch from late spring through early fall. EPA recommends holding indoor humidity under 60 percent, ideally 30 to 50, and drying anything wet within 24 to 48 hours. Spring is a good time to clean AC drip pans and check the condensate line before the heavy cooling months. If you rent in one of the city's apartment communities, Lawrenceville has a Multi-Family Rental Housing Ordinance tied to a compliance certificate, and its Code Enforcement office takes property maintenance complaints; interior leaks are not among its listed categories, so put repair requests to the landlord in writing first.