We call Franklin home. We moved here because of its charm and history— but when we realized it's also an ideal environment for mold, we decided to start Claro.
Like much of Middle Tennessee, it stays humid most of the year, especially in the spring and late summer when storms roll through and temperatures spike. Add in the fact that many Franklin homes have been built in the last 20 years with tight insulation, lots of drywall, and minimal airflow, and you’ve got perfect conditions for indoor mold to thrive.
In older parts of Franklin—like around Main Street or Westhaven—you’ll often see moisture issues from crawlspaces, basements, or past plumbing work. In newer homes, it usually hides in HVAC closets, around windows, or behind drywall in bathrooms.
We’ve seen it all in and around Franklin—from black mold spores making a family constantly sick in Spring Hill, to a massive 16,000-square-foot home filled with mold after basement water damage.
Not all mold companies are created equal—and not every one takes the time to explain your results. If you’re hiring someone to test your home, it’s worth asking:
- What lab do you use? (Look for an accredited mold lab like Eurofins or EMSL)
- Are your inspectors certified (e.g., NORMI, IICRC, or similar)?
- Do you compare indoor mold levels to outdoor counts?
- Do you offer before-and-after testing if remediation is needed?
A good mold inspection shouldn’t just end in a technical report. It should leave you with a clear understanding of what’s happening and whether you need to take action.
If you do end up with just test results and no guidance, we’ve built a free resource to help you interpret mold tests on your own.
Note: this guide applies to homes across the U.S.—not just Tennessee.
Before hiring a mold inspector, it helps to know the basics of what tests are available and what they actually tell you. Here’s a high-level breakdown:
- Air quality tests – These are the most common and check for mold spores currently floating in your air. Good for understanding real-time exposure risks.
- Swab tests – Best if you’ve got visible mold and want to know what kind it is. They don’t give much insight beyond surface-level identification.
- ERMI tests – A more advanced option that measures the full mold spore history of your home. These are sometimes used by buyers who just moved in and want to assess past mold issues. Note these are typically done by taking a swab
Mold is everywhere. Not every test means you need to tear out your walls or hire a full crew. Here’s a high level guide to we do suggest remediation. To see our full mold testing results analysis see here:
- Indoor mold spore counts are much higher than outdoor – This usually means there’s mold growing inside, especially if the counts are 2–3x higher.
- You see high overall spore load – Even if the types of mold aren’t toxic, sheer quantity can impact health—especially for folks with asthma or allergies.
- The report shows toxic molds – Stachybotrys (black mold), Chaetomium, and a few others are linked to serious health issues and should be dealt with quickly.
But if your levels are low, or if the spores match your outdoor environment? You may just need some airflow and a good air purifier—not a mold remediation company.
Once mold is confirmed, the next step is deciding how to handle it. In Franklin, most homeowners are presented with two very different approaches: traditional remediation or a whole-home treatment like dry fog.
Here’s how they stack up:
Traditional mold remediation
This is what most national “disaster recovery” or "restoration" companies offer. It usually includes:
- Cutting out drywall or flooring in areas with mold or water damage
- Wrapping the affected area in plastic
- Using heavy-duty chemicals or biocides
- Running industrial air scrubbers for multiple days
- Often no treatment of air or non-visible areas
Pros:
- Great for water damage or when materials need to be removed
- Can eliminate localized mold if done correctly
Cons:
- Expensive and invasive — often $15K+ and
- You have to move out
- Doesn’t treat mold spores across your whole home
- Harsh chemicals used
Whole-home dry fog treatment (offered by Claro)
Dry fog remediation uses a safe, EPA-registered mist to treat the entire airspace for mold and penetrate porous materials — without tearing anything out.
Pros:
- Safe chemicals for kids and pets
- Endorsed by functional medicine doctors for those with sensitivities
- No demolition required
- Treats both surfaces and air in every room
- Completed in a single day, sleep at home that night
- Ideal for mold that’s spread or airborne
Cons:
- Requires any active moisture issues (like a leak) to be fixed first
- If structural damage is present additional work is required
If you have visible mold caused by an active water issue like a burst pipe, or flooding — traditional tear-out remediation services may be needed, especially if building materials are damaged. But if you’re dealing with airborne mold, recurring health symptoms, or multiple affected areas, dry fog can be faster, more affordable, and more thorough.
We’ve treated everything from newly built homes near Berry Farms (our fog also denatures VOCs!) to historic homes closer to downtown Franklin. In most cases, homeowners are surprised how much more mold was in their air than on their walls.
Preventing mold in Tennessee takes consistency—not magic. Here are the habits we recommend:
- Keep indoor humidity below 50% year-round
- Run fans in bathrooms and kitchens for 10–15 minutes after use
- Inspect crawlspaces and attics every spring and fall for water damage
- Change HVAC filters every 2–3 months
- Open your windows in the morning for fresh air (weather permitting)
Some Franklin homeowners even have us out once a year to check mold levels and suggest ways to stay mold-free—just for peace of mind.
At Claro, we’ve helped families in Franklin deal with everything from leaky basement mold to post-renovation air quality issues. If you have a mold issue give us a call, we're right around the corner and could come by tomorrow: 615-486-2217.
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