Mold – Once it is established you have a mold problem, how do you get rid of it? Household mold can gradually destroy the things they grow on. You can prevent the damage to your home and furnishings, and avoid potential health problems by controlling moisture and eliminating the mold growth. Mold spores will not grow if moisture is not present. If there is mold growth in your home, you must clean up the mold and fix the water problem. If you clean up the mold, but don’t fix the water problem, then most likely, the mold problem will come back.
Who should do the clean-up depends on a number of factors. One consideration is the size of the mold problem. If the mold area is less than 10 square feet (roughly a 3 ft. by 3 ft. patch), in most cases, you can handle it yourself, following guidelines found in the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA): Mold Remediation in Schools and Commercial Buildings www.epa.gov/mold. Although focused on schools and commercial buildings, the document is applicable to most other building types. Pertinent portions are included below for review. If you have health concerns, consult a health professional before starting clean-up.
CHECKLIST FOR MOLD REMEDIATION
Investigate and evaluate moisture and mold problems
- Assess size of moldy area (square feet)
- Consider the possibility of hidden mold
- Clean up small mold problems and fix moisture problems before they become large problems
- Select remediation manager for medium or large size mold problem
- Investigate areas associated with occupant complaints
- Identify source(s) or cause of water or moisture problem(s)
- Note type of water-damaged materials (wallboard, carpet, etc.)
- Check outside air ducts and air handling unit
- Throughout process, consult qualified professional if necessary or desired
Communicate with building occupants at all stages of process, as appropriate
- Designate contact person for questions and comments about medium or large scale remediation as needed
Plan remediation
- Adapt or modify remediation guidelines to fit your situation; use professional judgment
- Plan to dry wet, non-moldy materials within 48 hours to prevent mold growth
- Select cleanup methods for moldy items
- Select personal protection equipment – protect remediators
- Select containment equipment – protect building occupants
- Select remediation personnel who have the experience and training needed to implement the remediation plan and use Personal Protection Equipment and containment as appropriate
Remediate moisture and mold problems
- Fix moisture problem, implement repair plan and/or maintenance plan
- Dry wet, non-moldy materials within 48 hours to prevent mold growth
- Clean and dry moldy materials
- Discard moldy porous items that can’t be cleaned
CLEANUP METHODS
Wet vacuum (in the case of porous materials, some mold spores/fragments will remain in the material but will not grow if the material is completely dried). Steam cleaning may be an alternative for carpets and some upholstered furniture.
Damp-wipe surfaces with plain water or with water and detergent solution (except wood - use wood floor cleaner); scrub as needed
High–efficiency particulate air (HEPA) vacuum after the material has been thoroughly dried. Dispose of contents of the HEPA vacuum in well-sealed plastic bags.
Discard – remove water-damaged materials and seal in plastic bags while inside of containment, if present. Dispose of as normal waste. HEPA vacuum area after it is dried.
Personal Protective equipment (PPE)
Gloves, N-95 respirator, goggles/eye protection
Gloves, N-95 respirator or half-face respirator with HEPA filter, disposable overalls, goggles/eye protection
Gloves, disposable full body clothing, head gear, foot coverings, full-face respirator with HEPA filter
Containment
Use polyethylene sheeting ceiling to floor around affected area with a slit entry and covering flap; maintain area under negative pressure with HEPA filtered fan unit. Block supply and return air vents within containment area.
Use two layers of fire-retardant polyethylene sheeting with one airlock chamber. Maintain area under negative pressure with HEPA filtered fan exhausted outside of building. Block supply and return air vents within containment area.
Read: GUIDELINES FOR REMEDIATING BUILDING MATERIALS WITH MOLD GROWTH
CAUSED BY CLEAN WATER
If the remediation job is to disturb mold and there is potential that the spores could become airborne, then the risk for respiratory exposure goes up. Actions that could potentially stir up mold include: breakup of moldy porous materials such as wallboard; invasive procedures used to examine or remediate mold growth in a wall cavity; actively stripping or peeling wallpaper to remove it; or using fans to dry items. In any of these cases, Enviroaire recommends that Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) be used to avoid inhaling mold or mold spores and to avoid mold contact with the skin or eyes. Once all visible mold and mold-damaged materials have been removed and clean-up activities completed, Enviroaire recommends that air clearance sampling be performed to verify that concentrations of mold and mold spores of concern are similar to those found outside the building.
If you choose to hire a professional contractor to do the clean-up, make sure they are licensed and follow the above referenced EPA recommendations as well as those from other professional or governmental organizations. In cases where the source(s) and magnitude of the mold contamination are unclear or health concerns are an issue, Enviroaire recommends that a sampling plan be utilized, including collection of air, surface, and bulk (carpet, insulation, wallboard, etc.) samples, to generate a remediation plan for the professional contractor to comply with.
If you suspect the heating/ventilation/air conditioning (HVAC) system may be contaminated with mold (it’s part of an identified moisture problem, for instance, or there is mold found near the return air vent to the system), consult EPA’s guide Should You Have the Air Ducts in Your Home Cleaned? (www.epa.gov/iaq/pubs/airduct.html) before taking further action.
