The physical removal of mold is actually pretty easy. All affected areas should be vacuumed with a HEPA vacuum prior to being disturbed. (See FAQ about HEPA vs standard vacuums) Any porous materials with visible growth need to be removed and disposed of, such as; drywall, carpet with associated pad, non-structural wood (trim and paneling). Visible mold can be removed from Non porous surfaces with a proper cleaning solution usually a detergent or surfactant-based soap and water.
The complicated and extremely important part is to protect the unaffected, or less affected, areas of the home, from contamination and to properly manage air flow. The removal and cleaning process will disturb the mold growth and cause it to sporulate, or release airborne mold spores into the air. These spores are microscopic in size and can freely migrate through the home on air currents, including “stack effect” or warm air rising. These mold spores, whether viable or non-viable are the primary cause for mold related illness and are the trigger for persons with mold sensitivities. They are inhaled into the lungs and can cause irritation in health people or significant health risks to immune-compromised individuals, pregnant women, elderly and infants.
Erection of proper containment barriers and the knowledge and equipment to properly manage air flow is best accomplished by a properly trained mold remediation technician.
Very small areas of visible mold growth on non-porous surfaces can be cleaned DIY. Contain the area from the rest of the home, if possible. Ventilate the area with negative air flow, by positioning a fan exhausting out a window and wear proper personal protective equipment, including a respirator and latex or nitrile gloves. Stay away from harsh cleaning products such as bleach. The goal of mold remediation is to remove the mold growth and the associated spores. Bleach is actually a poor cleaning agent and can be dangerous to use and harmful to materials and fabrics. A mild detergent soap and water mix is a much more effective cleaner. The use of HEPA air filtration devices (AFDs) is also recommended to remove airborne particulate, including mold spores, from the indoor environment.
The next step in the remediation process is to clean for settled spores. The easiest way to visualize this contamination of microscopic mold spores is to consider it has snowed inside the house and didn’t melt. Any surface that you would expect to find snow, you likely have settled mold spores. These surfaces will need to be cleaned be either HEPA vacuuming or damp wipe cleaning with a proper cleaning solution, depending on the surface. For example, baseboards, counter tops and the top of the refrigerator should be damp wiped while the carpet and textile furniture should be HEPA vacuumed. Never dust, dry wipe or vacuum with a non-HEPA unit, this will simply stir the spores back up into the air to resettle at a later time.
The other issue is determining exactly what areas need to be cleaned. Unless pre-testing has been done to determine which areas are contaminated and which areas are unaffected, the whole home will need to be treated as if it is affected and all of the horizontal surfaces should be cleaned and the air HEPA filtered.
Finally, whether you decide to remediate the problem yourself or if you decide to hire a certified mold remediation contractor to remediate, you should always have Post Remediation Verification (PRV) testing done to confirm that the home has returned to Normal Fungal Ecology.
To properly address a mold issue in your home or building, any areas that have been contaminated will need to be remediated. This includes the removal of materials affected by actual mold growth (Condition 3) and then removing settled and airborne mold spores (Condition 2). Unfortunately, mold spores are microscopic in size and can only be detected by examining samples in a laboratory setting. With out mold testing being done by a properly trained professional, there is no way to know what areas of the home are, or are not, contaminated. With out mold testing, it needs to be assumed that the entire indoor environment is contaminated by spore migration from the source of mold growth. Mold testing can identify the levels of spore migration and map out the areas that are most likely contaminated, therefore narrowing the necessary scope of work and saving remediation costs.
When our Indoor Environmental Professionals are hired to mold test a project, here is what a client can expect:
Initial Site Visit – The consultant will need to physically visit the site, preferable with the client or building staff that can express the concerns and answer questions about the building. That site visit normally consists of a visual inspection, a thermal imaging scan and the collection of environmental samples. The consultant will recommend a sampling plan to gather the best data. Once the client has decided on a sampling plan, the samples will be collected. Normally this initial visit takes a couple hours, depending on the size of the building and the complexity of the project. Please keep in mind, this is not a home inspection. Our consultants are not trained in electrical, plumbing, HVAC or overall building trades, our expertise is in mold and environmental air quality.
Laboratory Testing – The samples are sent Overnight by FedEx to EMSL Laboratories. Their credentials are available here https://www.emsl.com/Qualifications.aspx. The laboratory will analyze these non-viable samples and generate an Expanded Fungal Report within 24 hours of receiving the samples. Some viable mold tests that involve culturing may require a week or more.
Analysis Letter and Remediation Scope – Once the laboratory report is received, our Senior Consultant will interpret the laboratory data and write up an analysis which will explain the relevance of the data in relation to the observations from the site visit. In addition to the analysis, if it is determined that remediation is recommended, a remediation scope will be written. This remediation scope will identify each of the steps that is necessary for the remediation contractor to complete to ensure the highest likelihood of returning the building to Normal Fungal Ecology (NFE). A certified remediation contractor should be able to generate an estimate for their work using the remediation scope and a site visit of their own. That remediation contractor should be able to provide an estimate to complete the remediation scope as outlined.
Post Remediation Verification (PRV) Testing – Once the work outlined in the remediation scope has been completed, we are normally asked to return and conduct another site visit. This visit is intended to confirm that the recommendations were followed and to collect PRV samples. These samples will be sent to EMSL laboratories also. The laboratory analysis of those samples is expected to result in a determination of return to Normal Fungal Ecology (NFE). If NFE is not achieved, a supplementary scope will be written for additional work. When NFE is confirmed, our consultant will draft a letter stating that the issue was properly remediated and that the building was returned to a state of Normal Fungal Ecology. That document should be kept with the important papers for the home for use during a future sale.
There are a few things about contents that need to be considered:
Mold contamination is normally referred to in Conditions, as follows:
Condition 1 – Normal Fungal Ecology: An indoor environment that may have settled spores, fragments or traces of actual growth.
Condition 2 – Settled (or airborne) Spores: An indoor environment which is primarily contaminated with settled spores that were dispersed directly or indirectly from a Condition 3 area, and which may have traces of actual growth.
Condition 3 – Actual Growth: An indoor environment contaminated with the presence of actual mold growth and associated spores. Actual growth includes growth that is active or inactive, visible or hidden.
The actual mold growth that is found in Condition 3 areas can cause damage and rot to building materials and needs to be removed.
The airborne or settled spores present in Condition 2 & 3 areas are widely considered to be the most hazardous to health. These spores when inhaled into the body can cause a reaction as minor as mild allergy symptoms or as significant as pathogenic diseases and other serious health effects. Infants, elderly, pregnant women in their first trimester and anyone that is immunocompromised are the most susceptible to mold related illnesses.
MB Mold & Air Quality Testing is capable of testing for mold, toxic gases** & environmental gases**, methamphetamine residue, allergens, histoplasma capsulatum and sewage contamination.
Toxic Gases such as Hydrogen Sulfide & Nitrogen Dioxide, are normally associated with sewer gas leaks.
Environmental gases such as Carbon Monoxide can be hazardous and Carbon Dioxide monitoring can be used to determine adequate ventilation.
Environmental temperature and humidity can help determine moisture issues in a home or building.
Methamphetamine Residue testing is used to determine the remediation scope for a space that was used as a meth lab or user area. The testing is used to identify what materials need to be removed and what materials can be cleaned, sealed and painted.
Allergen testing can be used to determine if certain allergens are present, common allergens tested for include: dog and cat dander, cockroach, dust mites, rat and mouse. This testing can help identify the allergen causing symptoms and determine when the allergens are no longer present and confirm return to normal allergen levels.
Histoplasma Capsulatum which is the fungi that causes Histoplasmosis is normally associated with bird or bat droppings. Testing can identify the presence of this fungi and it can also determine when the removal of such droppings is successful and confirm that the environment has returned to normal fungal ecology.
Sewage Contamination testing is used to identify if pathogenic bacteria are present after a sewer overflow or Category 3 (grossly unsanitary) water damage. Health and Safety are a significant concern when sewage contamination may be present. The range of organisms present in sewage can cause discomfort, illness and disease. E. coli, Salmonella, Rotavirus, Hepatitis and other diseases are potential risks. Testing is recommended after any Category 3 water damage clean up, to confirm that these bacteria are no longer present.
In addition, we can refer an affiliate company to handle any radon, asbestos, lead or water quality issues.
**MB Mold & Air Quality Testing uses Graywolf Advanced Sensing Solutions AdvancedSense Pro with DirectSense II probes.
Bleach, as well as many other less harsh and dangerous products have the ability to kill mold. Unfortunately killing mold should not be your goal. Mold needs to be remediated or removed.
Killing mold is only helpful to make the mold, that is currently present, non-viable or not able to reproduce. Unfortunately, mold spores are still present and if the conditions causing the problem have not changed, a new colony will just come back where the prior colony was killed. Plus, if the structures of the mold have penetrated the porous surface of the material, they will still be present and will likely grow back.
Think of mold like dandelions in your yard. To get rid of them very quick and easily, cut the grass, the yellow flowers are gone, for a day or two. A few days later you have twice as many dandelions as before. The plant and root were still present and they were able to re-grow and multiply. That is similar to why mold has to be remediated or removed. It can be wiped off of non-porous surfaces with a proper cleaning solution but if it is growing on porous materials, those materials need to be removed.
HEPA Vacuums vs Standard Vacuums in Mold Remediation:
Mold spores are microscopic in size. HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Absolute) filters are 99.97% effective at capturing particulate down to .03 microns in size. Mold spores are slightly larger than that, so HEPA filtered vacuums will trap mold spores that are vacuumed off of surfaces.
A standard household vacuum contains a filter that is not capable of capturing particulate nearly this small. Hence, the mold spores that are vacuumed off of a surface will pass through the filter and blow out the exhaust air of the vacuum, dispersing them back into the indoor environment.
There are some vacuums on the market that are designed to arrest allergens in the filter, these would be more effective than a standard vacuum but not as effective than the HEPA standard.
Vacuuming with a standard vacuum is about as effective on mold spores as using a leaf blower would be!
If you have visible mold growth in an area of your home, why would you need mold testing? The mold is there, why go to the expense of testing?
This is one of the most common questions that is presented by our clients. If you have an area that you know has gotten wet and remained that way, an area that gets wet on a reoccurring basis, or for some other reason leads you to believe that the discoloration or staining you see is likely mold, why have a mold test done?
Pre-testing is recommended for a few reasons:
PRV testing is necessary to determine if the project was successful and confirm that the environment has returned to Normal Fungal Ecology (NFE).
The remediation scope for a project is written to address the issues associated with the project and provide the remediation contractor with a “game plan” of what needs to be done is which areas of the building. The scope is written using practices established in the IICRC S520 guidelines and adjusted for each individual project. Its intention is to return the home to NFE, in the most effective and efficient manner. As long as the remediation contractor follows the scope in its entirety, the project has the best chance of being successful. However, on every project there are outside influences and variables that could affect the success of the project.
Once PRV testing has been completed and NFE is confirmed, the consultant will provide a report that will state, the home has returned to normal. That report should be kept with the important papers for the home, to document that the property had a past mold issue, it was professionally remediated and it resulted in the building being returned to NFE.
Some remediation contractors offer to do mold testing as part of the sales process. They may use questionable sampling and testing methods to “prove” that their services are needed. A certified indoor environmental professional (IEP) only uses approved sampling techniques, sends samples to only accredited laboratories and will provide analysis and explanation of the results. Some IEPs will develop remediation recommendations for the project. This document will identify the areas needing remediation and what steps should be followed, according to the IICRC S-520 Mold Remediation Guidelines.
All of the consultants at MB Mold & Air Quality testing have varying degrees of certification and training that include the following:
ACAC (American Council for Accredited Certification)- The industry’s oldest and most respected indoor environmental credentials.
IICRC – Institute of Inspection Cleaning and Restoration Certification
Both ACAC and IICRC certificates identify the consultants on staff as highly trained professionals. To earn these certifications, applicants need to demonstrate a high degree of expertise and knowledge in the field and show actual field experience. These certifications help our professionals stay on the cutting edge of a complicated and ever evolving industry. Our consultants are aware of the latest techniques and can therefore recommend the most effective scope to the remediation contractor on a given project.