Mold & Mildew Cleanup in Winston, GA

Signs of a mildew problem

• Dark speckles in shower corners and on the bottom edge of the curtain
• A fuzzy film on furniture or boxes in a back bedroom
• Peeling or spotted paint inside closets
• Condensation on windows and the inside of exterior doors
• A stale smell when the heat or AC first runs for the season

Conditions around Winston

Winston is a former chartered town in southwestern Douglas County, about 27 miles west of Atlanta along I-20, now unincorporated. It shares the region's long humid summers, heavy storms and red clay that drains slowly. During the September 2009 floods, Douglas County received an estimated 20 to 23 inches of rain, with washed-out bridges and damaged homes across the county.

Ductwork running through crawl spaces and attics, common across metro Atlanta, can sweat in summer, and so can older windows. Keeping humidity below 60 percent, as EPA recommends, and drying wet materials within 24 to 48 hours are the two best ways to keep mildew from coming back.

Outside the house, look at gutters and downspouts. Water dumped at the foundation soaks into red clay and can keep a crawl space or slab-level room damp for days after a storm. Extending downspouts several feet from the house and keeping soil sloped away from the walls are inexpensive steps that reduce indoor moisture.

What moves the price

Angi's Atlanta cost guide lists bathroom mold work at about $587 to $1,174 and larger jobs at roughly $12 to $29 per square foot. Travel within Douglas County rarely matters as much as the size of the area, the material involved and whether a leak or ventilation problem has to be repaired. If walls or floors need replacing, Winston's permits come from Douglas County Building Permits & Inspections in Douglasville, and renters can contact Douglas County Code Enforcement about leaks a landlord has not fixed.

After you call

An independent local company will ask about the size, location and history of the growth. A visit should include moisture readings, a look at the likely source, and a written plan for cleaning, removal and any repair. Cobb & Douglas Public Health can answer health questions.