Dry fog treatment disperses a fine antimicrobial mist that treats mould spores throughout a room — including airborne spores and growth in places you can't reach — without removing materials. Traditional remediation physically removes or treats affected surfaces, replacing contaminated plaster, plasterboard or timber where needed. The right choice depends on how deep the mould has penetrated, whether the moisture cause has been fixed, and what evidence you need for compliance. Neither method fixes the moisture problem that caused the mould — that always comes first.
How Each Method Works
Traditional mould remediation is the established approach: the contractor inspects the affected areas, physically removes mould from surfaces using biocidal treatments, strips out porous materials the mould has penetrated (plaster, plasterboard, sometimes flooring or timber), applies fungicidal coatings or encapsulants, and makes good. It is targeted, visible, and produces obvious before-and-after evidence.
Dry fog treatment takes a whole-space approach: specialist equipment disperses a very fine antimicrobial mist that fills the room and settles on every surface, treating visible growth, airborne spores, and mould in inaccessible spots (behind fitted units, inside voids) without demolition. Providers typically pair it with an air-scrubbing stage. Because nothing is stripped out, treatment is faster and less disruptive — but heavily contaminated porous materials remain in place.
When Traditional Remediation Is the Right Call
- Mould has penetrated porous materials — blown plaster, soft plasterboard, rotting timber — which need replacing, not surface treatment.
- The damage is localised and clearly visible — paying for whole-space treatment adds little.
- Structural repairs are happening anyway (after a leak or flood), so removal and making good are already in scope.
When Dry Fog Makes Sense
- Widespread surface mould across multiple rooms where stripping every wall would be disproportionate.
- Concern about airborne spores and musty odour, not just visible patches — e.g. after remediation, or where occupants have respiratory sensitivities.
- Minimal-disruption requirements — occupied rentals where a decant would be difficult, or turnaround between tenancies is tight.
Cost, Guarantees and Questions to Ask
Costs for both methods vary with the area treated and the state of the underlying problem — see our mould removal cost guide for typical UK ranges. Some dry fog providers offer 12-month guarantees with return visits; traditional contractors typically guarantee their workmanship and any replacement materials. Whichever route you take, ask the same three questions: What is causing the moisture, and does your quote address it? What exactly is included in the written scope of works? What documentation will I receive — inspection findings, treatment record, and post-treatment verification — that I can keep as compliance evidence?
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Search the directory →Frequently Asked Questions
- Is dry fog mould treatment better than traditional removal?
- Neither is universally better — they solve different problems. Dry fogging treats mould spores throughout a space, including airborne and hidden growth, without removing materials. Traditional remediation physically removes contaminated material, which is necessary when mould has penetrated plaster, plasterboard or timber. Many severe cases need both approaches, and neither fixes the underlying moisture source on its own.
- Does dry fog treatment fix the cause of mould?
- No — and reputable dry fog providers say so. Fogging addresses the mould contamination, not the moisture that caused it. If the condensation, leak or damp problem isn't fixed, mould will return regardless of which treatment method you choose. Always establish the moisture cause, ideally with a survey, before paying for any treatment.
- Which method satisfies Awaab's Law?
- Awaab's Law doesn't prescribe a treatment method — it requires landlords to investigate hazards within the statutory timeframes, make the property safe, and address the hazard so it doesn't recur. Either method can form part of compliant remediation if it's backed by a written investigation, a scope of works, and action on the underlying moisture cause. Keep documentation of all of it.
- Do tenants need to move out during either treatment?
- Dry fog treatments typically require the space to be vacated for a matter of hours. Traditional remediation involving removal of plaster or flooring can take days, and extensive works may require a temporary decant. Your contractor should state occupancy requirements in the written scope of works.