Every Fact About Mold Removal

Mold remediation is vital to people’s health as well as vital to the longevity of buildings. Mold remediation is a process that takes place when mold growth is out of control.

Professional mold remediation is necessary when the affected area is larger than ten square feet. In most cases where the mold infestation is not severe, mold remediation can often be done by the homeowner.

What does mold remediation entail?

Step one involves removing the source of water. This ensures that mold growth does not occur again. The next thing to do would be to run a dehumidifier to eliminate moisture in the air. Then wash the surface with an antimicrobial cleaner. Then rinse down with vinegar and allow the wall or surface to dry completely. Afterward paint the affected surfaces with oil based paint. This encapsulates any leftover spores and mold residue to prevent it from coming back.

Sometimes mold remediation involves tearing out the affected areas completely. Then high ozone shock treatments are used to kill off any remaining airborne spores. This usually is done with a series of treatments. These treatments are extremely dangerous. This is why the house or structure is evacuated and cleared out before implementing the high ozone shock treatment for mold remediation.

So how many types of mold invade our homes? More than 130 types. Here are some of the most common ones :

a) Cladosporium
This mold is very common and can appear in shades of grey, green, brown or black. Generally causes allergic reactions, it grows on walls, dust, wood and insulation.

b) Stachybotrys
Toxin-creating mold that always look black on surfaces. Bad for health. Needs a wet area to grow.

c) Ulocladium
Grows in damp areas, usually appears black or grey. You may spot them on windows and other dusty areas.

d) Alternaria
Under a microscope it may look like Ulocladium – black or grey. Can cause some allergic reactions. Found on walls, windows, dusty places, and on plants.

e) Acremonium
Appearing whitish, grayish or brownish. Mostly seen on insulations and drywalls.

f) Penicillium
Famous for giving us the life-saving antibiotic, this mold can also be hazardous. Often appear white, blue or green, it can be found on cheese and fruit. You also see them in the walls and the insulations.

g) Aspergillus
Another common mold. Some of them toxic, and can cause infection to those weak in their immune system. Appear in colors of brown, grey, green, yellow or even black or white. Grows on walls, insulation, clothing, soil and papers.

(Photos credit to mycology.adelaide.edu.au)

Basically four items are needed for mold growth – water, food, ideal temperature and air.

Different mold might need different quantities of these four eg. Some mold require more water to survive and grow than others.

Planet Earth readily supplies air to support living organisms, so that condition for mold to grow is always present. However, if mold spores settle on dry surface, it cannot grow due to the absence of water.

Most of the places inside our homes are dry, thus not providing ideal situations for mold to grow. Nevertheless, other parts of our homes may turn out to be ideal places for mold to flourish. These places are usually damp and wet, located in basements and toilets, probably resulting from piping leaks or floods.

If mold finds air and moisture, but no food, it can’t grow either. Mold feeds on dead organic matter. However, mold is good at getting food in our homes by having microscopic threads to absorb nutrients.

Hence, we can find mold on :

• Fabric
• Paper
• Cardboard
• Ceramic tiles (containing particles of food and dust on its surface)
• Paint
• Drywall
• Fiberglass insulation (dust-covered)
• Wood framing
• Floors

So, we don’t only hate mold for being unsightly; mold can cause structural damage to our homes. We may have to fork out tons of money to repair our homes overgrown with molds. Not only that, we also may have to pay dearly for the damage it does to our health.