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Mold Removal Cautions

Those of you who do mold mitigation know that it’s not something that just anyone can take up at random and hope that things will just magically turn out right.  As master mold removal technicians, we’re trained on safety precautions and the steps required to professionally complete the careful procedure of mold remediation.  But sometimes mistakes are made or bad habits can creep into our methods.  Here are some common errors to watch out for. •    Scattering mold spores – With the generous use of air movers there needs to be caution.  Don’t turn on until all the areas affected by mold have first been contained.  What does that mean?  It means blocking the contamination in so that none of the mold spores can escape into other areas of the home.  Scattered mold spores can wreak havoc upon other porous services.  You could end up with a more widespread cleanup or you may trigger health problems. •    Breathe Proper Apparatus – Before anyone even walks into a mold contaminated structure they need to have proper respiratory protection.  The very least you should be wearing is an N95 with eye protection, yet a half or full face with a HEPA filter is recommended.  This will protect you and any of your laborers assisting you with the mold remediation project.  Also, protective clothing should be worn without a doubt.  If this job is to be done above board and according to EPA and IICRC standards, protective equipment is an absolute must. •    Faulty HEPA filters – Just because a vacuum claims to have a HEPA filter doesn’t mean that it’s doing the job of a true HEPA.  Heck, the vacuum cleaner I use at home has a “HEPA” filter but I sure wouldn’t use it on a mold remediation job.  So make sure your vacuum is one designed for this work.   NOTE:  To be properly doing its job, the filter has to be seated snugly with no air leakage around the sides.  Filters should be changed regularly as well.  Not a good idea to use that same old filter from previous jobs.  It is good to change it after each use. •    Don’t eat, drink or look pretty - Eating, drinking, and using tobacco products and cosmetics where mold remediation is taking place should be avoided to prevent unnecessary contamination and/or ingestion of mold. As you may have noted, this list doesn’t have as much to do with the actual mold cleanup then it does with protecting the health of your techs and customers.  There seems to be plenty of health issues out there that science hasn’t figured out how to avoid yet.  But by taking the needed precautions we can eliminate any undue risks.

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Mold Removal-How to Prevent Indoor Mold Build-Up 

Mold is a micro-organism from the fungi clan and grows on dead animals, wood, soil and decaying plants. Inside the house mold likes to grow on papers, clothes, leather couches, wood cupboards, mattresses, carpet and food. Mold spores are difficult to see with a naked eye unless there have already build-up on the surfaces. 

When mold has fully grown on the surface it will appear green, white, black or dark depending on the type of mold it is, the colony age, substrate and nutrient source.  Mold fungi survive on anything moist.  In addition to moisture it needs oxygen, a substance and a temperature between 49 and 100 degrees to grow. Hence to stop it from growing it must be deprived of warmth, moisture and food. It is not possible to eliminate mold completely; but, it can be prevented from growing.  Some mold can make use of the moisture from the air, especially when the relative humidity is over 60%.

Here is what you can do to prevent indoor mold build-up:

Deal With Water Leaks and Spillages Quickly

Clean up minor spillages quickly and ensure that the water has dried up. In cases of burst pipes and flooding in the house, contact a water damage professional.   Also, have all your leaking pipes fixed by a qualified plumber to eradicate moisture from the house.  If the project is water damage restoration that is needed, make sure that all surfaces are completely dry and adequate for proper cleaning.

To discourage mold growth, remove all upholstery or carpets that were soaked in water.   In some cases mold grows on hidden places like under carpets, ceiling tiles, back of a dry wall and wallpapers.  It can also hide behind utility tunnels, pipe chases, drain pans and drip pans. Investigating hidden mold can be difficult, particularly if you don’t have any knowledge about mold inspection. This is where you need to contact a mold remediation company.

Reduce Humidity in the House

Appliances like clothes dryers, kerosene heaters, stoves and dish washers produce moisture. Showers and hot baths also release vapor that increases humidity. Ensure that windows are open and exhaust fans are running when using the dishwasher and stoves.  De-humidifiers and air conditioners are effective on venting out vapors and ensuring low humidity within the house.

Conduct Mold Assessment

Assessment is not necessary if the mold can be easily detected on the surfaces. Nonetheless, you may need to sample the area that has been remediated or cleaned after major spillages or water damage.  The sampling job should be completed by a professional mold removal company with adequate experience in formulating sampling methods, analysis and protocols specific to mold damage.

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GOT BASEMENT MOLD?

Why is it not surprising to find mold in your basement?  Mold and mildew (both are types of fungi) thrive in dark, damp environments where organic material is present.  Mold is especially fond of cellulose-rich materials like wood, paper and fabric; but it can also take hold on leather and even on paint that contains organic resins like linseed oil.

You may not use your basement a lot but it’s not wise to let basement mold just sit there and fester and become worse.  Mold (especially inhaling airborne mold spores) can cause a wide range of health problems, most notably respiratory ailments. Mold or mildew causes damage to its host material.  Mold can also be a big problem when it comes to any real estate deal, making a house difficult or even impossible to sell.  

Help for Basement Mold

All is not lost if you have basement mold.  There are effective ways to get rid of mold appropriately.  Contractors who specialize in mold remediation can effectively handle steps required to eliminate basement mold problems. To find out who does what and why, take a look at the 4 steps described below.

1.     Remove mold-damaged materials. It’s usually better to remove and discard materials that are covered with mold than to attempt cleaning and reuse. This applies to mold-damaged carpet, wood paneling, drywall, paper-faced fiberglass insulation and “2by” framing used in basement walls. The reason for mold removal is easy to understand:  Even if you succeed in killing and scouring off the mold, you’ll still have ideal mold fodder that can attract a new infestation.

2.     Kill mold on materials that can’t be removed. If there are significant mold colonies on materials that must stay in place –like basement ceiling joists, for example—you might consider calling in a mold mitigation contractor to kill and remove the mold.

3.     Replace mold-prone materials with mold-resistant materials. Once you’ve gone to the trouble of removing basement mold, the next step is to create an environment that’s hostile to mold, so that it doesn’t return.  Use inorganic building materials that won’t support mold growth.  Like standard paper-faced drywall can be replaced with special mold-resistant drywall faced with fiberglass.

4.      Control basement moisture to prevent new mold infestation. Creating a mold-hostile environment is really a two-pronged strategy: Eliminate materials that nourish mold, and keep the basement dry.  Keep basement humidity below the 60% level that favors mold growth, a basement dehumidifier is recommended.

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Bleach Just Doesn’t Stop Mold Growth

Chlorine bleach is often regarded as the answer for removing and halting mold growth. It is usually the first thing many reach for when cleaning a mold contaminated area. While bleach may be effective in certain applications, it will not exonerate mold on a porous surface. Bleach can actually contribute negatively to certain mold problems.

The effectiveness of chlorine bleach can erode over time.  Chlorine properties can evaporate over time especially when in contact with water.   It may have been sitting at the store or in your home for some time, diminishing the ability to perform.  Mold contaminants sometimes mutate, and what worked yesterday may not work today.  Therefore, industrial grade products will not only eradicate the growth of mold but prevent it from returning.

Chlorine bleach can only kill surface mold.  Because mold can grow roots within porous surfaces such as wood and drywall, bleach will not assist you in exterminating mold. The chlorine cannot penetrate to destroy the growth at its roots; it remains on the surface while the water component of the bleach reaches further, which can actually feed the mold growth.

 Chlorine bleach produces fumes that pollute the air and can become harmful to humans and pets. Chlorine bleach also generates a by-product called dioxin, which is linked to cancer. Use over time builds up these pollutants in the environment, which can drastically alter normal environmental comforts in your home or office space, thus putting you, your family and any pets in the facility at risk.  Mold removal is a serious task and should be done with proper protocol and procedure.

 If you have ascertained that it is safe to clean up the mold, there are a variety of options available. The most important step is to determine the cause of the moisture and make any necessary changes to assure that mold will not return and the area is properly ventilated. Some issues will need to be resolved by cutting out the moldy material and completely replacing it. This will make certain that the mold roots are removed and will not return.  This is where a professional mold removal company is best.  The mold remediation specialist is trained at how to properly get rid of mold, mold spores, and its contaminants.  More specific biocides may be needed if you are dealing with a porous surface that you cannot remove, such as wood framing.

Proper treatment for mold growth will depend on the surface it has populated.   Always consult a professional mold remediation company before attempting to remediate a mold problem yourself.  If you don’t have experience with mold remediation the EPA recommends that any mold problem larger than 10 square feet be examined by an expert.

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MOLD REMEDIATION 

 

Mold can digest wood. Even termites cannot properly breakdown wood, they can eat it but they cannot digest it, instead they rely on one celled organisms in their digestive tracts to break it down.
Even the beaver, with a reputation for eating wood cannot readily break it down with its digestive juices.  When a tree dies its wood must follow one of two fates, it either becomes petrified, or it decays, turns into soil and rejoins the cycle of life and death.

Fortunately, mold comes to the rescue and digests the wood, causes it to rot, and helps it turn into soil. If it was not for mold the entire earth would likely be a mile deep in dead trees.

The one thing that prevents wood in our home from this infestation process is the lack of moisture.  Once moisture touches non-living wood, or any of its man-made derivatives: (lumber, paper, cardboard, drywall encasement paper, cellulose insulation, Masonite, Orientated Strand Board, or particle board) then mold takes over and we have mold in the home.

Fungal spores start to attack the moist wood with enzymes, break it down, and absorb it.

The fungal colonies in our water damaged homes go unchallenged in their endeavor to break down, absorb, and assimilate the otherwise un-digestible organic compounds in wood and its derivatives.

In addition to spore production products are produced. With fungal organisms including mold in the home or household molds these waste products consists of microbial volatile organic compounds. These compounds are ignored by most mold testing consultants and by the media. However detection of these compounds thermal desorption tubes, or via my favorite method, with my nose is an important part of every mold investigation.  From the point of view of your health these compounds are an important consideration. Microbial volatile organic compounds are similar to esters, and similar to aldehydes like formaldehyde. Thus when your homes air is contaminated with these fungal waste products your air quality goes down and I have seen first-hand many times how these compounds seem to have a direct correlation to health complaints, even more so than spores. For example if mold growth, and the spores it releases are trapped inside a wall people still have respiratory health problems as long as the odors or volatile organic compounds are escaping into the ambient air.  It is interesting to note that these compounds are also related to alcohols. In some cases when oxygen is in short supply or not present, and when sugar is the food source, the waste product of some forms of fungi is in fact drinking alcohol. 

When we have mold growing in our houses, humans and even pets tend to have a negative reaction to both the allergens in the spores, as well as to the microbial volatile organic compound type waste products released. To make matters worse these growths produce superfine fungal particles, Beta-Glucans, and toxins, in addition dust mites are also often associated with wet fungal environments. We end up living in an invisible, unhealthy, stew of particles and compounds.  We cough, we sneeze, we may even have asthma attacks, and in some cases other reactions may occur.

When this happens in your home the best option is to call a mold remediation specialist who can locate the problem, ascertain the extent of spread, and diagnose the cause. If a mold assessment is not conducted in your home much of the mold problem will often go unnoticed, undocumented. Also the cause may not be fully understood and addressed if you do not have your mold testing consultant diagnose the cause. If the cause is not understood and addressed then you should expect the problem to return.  A non-bias mold removal and remediation protocol should be prepared by that same consultant.