Black Mold Remediation
That Starts With the Truth.
Not a sales pitch. Not a scare tactic.
Just what's actually growing in your house — and exactly how we fix it.
Let Me Save You Three More Hours of Googling
You've been researching. I know because you're here — which means you've already read at least four articles, two Reddit threads, and at least one that made you consider selling the house.
Here's what you've learned so far: black mold is either going to kill your entire family or it's completely harmless, depending on which tab you're reading. One source says bleach works. Another says bleach makes it worse. Someone on Reddit swears their black mold caused two divorces and a haunted attic.
So let me cut through it.
"Black mold" isn't a species. It's a color. There are thousands of mold species that can appear dark or black. The one most people are worried about is Stachybotrys chartarum — and yes, it can produce mycotoxins, which are genuinely not great for your lungs. But color alone doesn't tell you which species you're dealing with. That takes testing. And until you test, your internet research is a coin flip.
Here's what I can tell you from hundreds of remediations across the OKC metro: most dark mold I find is Aspergillus or Cladosporium, not Stachybotrys. And even when it IS Stachybotrys, it's fixable. It's not a death sentence for your house or your family. It's a moisture problem with a biological symptom — and both of those have solutions.
My name is Phil Sheridan. I'm IICRC-certified. I run 4D Restoration out of Edmond with my brother. We're not a franchise. I answer my own phone. And I'm going to tell you exactly what's going on in your house — even if the answer is "you don't need me." Here's my full background.
Why It Keeps Coming Back
If you've tried to clean black mold yourself and it returned within a few weeks — welcome to the club. It's the most common reason people call me.
Here's why bleach doesn't work on porous surfaces: bleach kills the surface mold. The part you can see. But mold doesn't live on the surface. It sends root structures called hyphae deep into drywall paper, wood studs, OSB sheathing — any cellulose-based material. Bleach can't follow them there. It changes the color. It doesn't change the problem.
And the bigger issue: bleach doesn't fix the moisture. Mold needs three things to grow — moisture, a food source (cellulose), and time. Kill the surface colony without fixing the water, and you haven't solved anything. You've just bought yourself a few weeks before it comes back.
In Oklahoma, moisture isn't optional. From June through September, dew points regularly push past 70°F. Your AC system is working overtime pulling moisture out of the air, and every time it cycles, condensation forms on surfaces the system can't reach — behind bathroom walls, under kitchen sinks, inside exterior wall cavities. That's where Stachybotrys sets up. It loves wet drywall paper like it was designed for it. Because chemically, it kind of was — cellulose is the buffet. Black mold in attics and crawl spaces follows the same moisture pattern, just in a different part of the house.
What Professional Remediation Actually Looks Like
When I show up, I'm not there to scare you. I'm there to measure.
Step 1 — Assessment (free, no obligation)
I walk the affected area with a moisture meter and a FLIR thermal imaging camera. The moisture meter tells me what's wet. The FLIR tells me what's wet that you can't see — behind walls, under floors, above ceilings. I'll show you the images on the screen. You'll see exactly what I see. This is the same detailed inspection process I use on every mold job.
Step 2 — Containment
Before anything gets removed, we seal off the work area with 6-mil polyethylene sheeting and create negative air pressure using HEPA air scrubbers. This means mold spores from the affected area don't migrate into the rest of your house. Your family can stay home during most remediations.
Step 3 — Removal
We remove all mold-affected material — drywall, insulation, trim, whatever the hyphae have penetrated. This isn't scrubbing. This is cutting out the problem at the root. I use a Phoenix Focus II air mover to accelerate drying and botanical antimicrobials that smell like thyme, not a swimming pool.
Step 4 — Source Fix
This is the step most companies skip or downplay. We identify and resolve the moisture source — the leak, the ventilation gap, the condensation path. If we don't fix the water, the mold comes back. Period.
Step 5 — Verification
Post-remediation moisture readings confirm the structure is dry. You get documentation — initial readings, daily logs, final readings, photos. Everything the insurance adjuster needs. Everything the Researcher in you wants to see. The drying verification follows the same structural drying protocols we use across all our water damage work.
Oklahoma, Mold, and the Law
Oklahoma has a law — Title 59 §765.4 — that says the person who inspects your home for mold shouldn't be the same person who profits from removing it. The legislature wrote that law because too many companies were "finding" problems they could bill for.
I think that's a smart law. When I tell you what I find during an assessment, my credibility depends on you trusting that I'm not inflating the problem to pad the invoice. If I walk through your house and the dark spot on your closet wall turns out to be Cladosporium that you can handle with a HEPA vacuum and a dehumidifier — I'll tell you that. I'd rather lose a job than lose your trust. Here's what other homeowners say.
And if you're a tenant dealing with a landlord who won't act: Oklahoma's Anti-Fungi Act of 2025 (HB1063) requires landlords to begin mold treatment within three business days of a report and complete it within seven. You have recourse.
What This Costs
I won't give you a number without seeing the job. But I can tell you what drives the cost:
- Size of the affected area — 20 square feet behind a vanity is a different job than an entire basement wall
- Materials involved — drywall replacement costs more than surface treatment
- Moisture source complexity — a leaky pipe is simpler than a ventilation design issue
- Whether you need testing — if you want species identification, third-party lab testing adds cost but adds certainty
Most residential black mold jobs I handle fall in the range homeowners expect once they see the scope. I give you a written estimate before any work starts. No surprises, no hidden fees, no change orders that appear halfway through.
If insurance applies: mold from a covered event (burst pipe, storm damage, appliance failure) is typically covered. Mold from ongoing moisture or deferred maintenance usually isn't. I document everything in Xactimate — the same software your adjuster uses — so your claim has the best chance of approval as-scoped.
Frequently Asked Questions
admin@4d : ~/faq $ query --id=01 "Is all black mold the "toxic" kind (Stachybotrys)?" ▶ ENTER
No. There are thousands of mold species that can appear dark or black. Color doesn't tell you the species — only testing does. That said, any mold growing in your home should be addressed regardless of species.
admin@4d : ~/faq $ query --id=02 "My mold keeps coming back after I clean it with bleach. Why?" ▶ ENTER
Bleach kills surface mold but doesn't reach the root system (hyphae) that penetrates drywall and wood. And bleach doesn't fix the moisture source. Without solving both, mold returns within weeks.
admin@4d : ~/faq $ query --id=03 "Can I stay in my house during black mold remediation?" ▶ ENTER
In most cases, yes. We contain the work area with plastic sheeting and negative air pressure so spores don't spread. For extensive contamination or severe respiratory sensitivities, we may recommend temporary relocation for 2-3 days.
admin@4d : ~/faq $ query --id=04 "How long does black mold remediation take?" ▶ ENTER
Most residential jobs take 3-5 days. Day 1: containment and HEPA filtration. Days 2-3: removal and treatment. Days 4-5: verification and cleanup. Large-scale jobs can take longer — I'll give you an exact timeline at assessment.
admin@4d : ~/faq $ query --id=05 "Does my insurance cover mold remediation?" ▶ ENTER
It depends on the cause. Mold from a covered peril (burst pipe, storm, appliance failure) is typically covered. Mold from ongoing moisture or maintenance issues generally isn't. I document everything your adjuster needs and I'll tell you upfront what I think coverage looks like.
admin@4d : ~/faq $ query --id=06 "What's the difference between mold removal and mold remediation?" ▶ ENTER
"Removal" implies eliminating all mold — which is impossible. Mold spores exist naturally in every building. "Remediation" means returning mold to normal, safe levels by removing the growth, fixing the moisture source, and preventing re-colonization. Any company promising to "remove all mold" is selling something that doesn't exist.
admin@4d : ~/faq $ query --id=07 "Should I buy a mold test kit from the hardware store?" ▶ ENTER
I wouldn't recommend it. Those kits confirm mold spores exist in the air — which they do in every building on earth. They can't tell you the species, concentration, whether it's actively growing, or whether it's at dangerous levels. If you're worried enough to buy a test kit, you're worried enough to call. I can tell you more in five minutes than a test kit ever will. Read about what a <a href='/services/mold-removal/inspection/'>professional mold inspection</a> actually involves.
Have Questions I Didn't Answer?
Let's Figure Out What You're Dealing With.
Call me. I'll walk you through everything — no charge for the conversation. Not sure if it's serious? Text me a photo. I can tell you a lot from a picture. Already tried cleaning it yourself? No judgment. Let me come take a look — the assessment is free.