Effective Mold Removal, Mold Remediation, Mold Abatement, Techniques and Tips

These steps will help you safely and effectively remove mold from your condo, apartment, office, rental properties, or any other real estate.

A Monmouth county NJ Certified Licensed mold inspector is a professional who has been specially trained in environmental testing to detect toxic mold, fungi and fungal contamination.

• Home
• Condominium
• Apartment
• Office
• Commercial Building

Mold Inspection Equipment

High-tech inspection tools are used by the mold fungus expert home inspector, such as:

1. Hidden Moisture Meter [to detect water problems hidden within walls, ceilings and floors]
2. Fiber Optics Borescope [to inspect walls, ceilings, heating/cooling conduits for mold infestation]
3. Timed Mold Culture Impactor (to find a particular type of mold)
4. Air Sampling Pump & Cassettes
5. Hygrometer (to measure the humidity at which mold can thrive)
6. Thermal Image Camera for finding hidden molds without damaging drywall

Mold Remediation Companies

The Journal published an article stating that many mold contractors and remediators are not properly trained and resort to taking shortcuts or engaging in fraud.

1. Mold remediation companies often leave homes or buildings in worse mold condition after they claim to have remedied the problem.
2. How is this possible? Ineffective work that doesn’t find all hidden molds can lead to ineffective results. Remove all hidden Mold from a building or home.
3. A lack of proper mold containment procedures can also lead to mold cross-contamination by spreading airborne mold spores from one location to the rest of the house or building.

Recommendations for Remediation
Ozone

To kill mold, do not use an Ozone Generator/Ozone Purifier. It does not kill Mold. Ozone can only kill the things it comes in contact with.

Ozone can’t reach and therefore cannot kill mold growing inside

• Drywall
• Carpeting
• Upholstered Furniture
• Wall Cavities
• Ceiling Cavities
• Floor Cavities

Ozone is not only ineffective at killing hidden mold [the most severe type], but it also damages rubber and other plastic parts it comes in contact with, including rubber and components of

• Appliances
• Electronics
• All Types of Exposed Electric Lines
• Extension Cords
• HVAC Controls

According to the US Environmental Protection Agency, Ozone can also be harmful to human health. The Federal Trade Commission and Court of Appeals have more information about Ozone’s ineffectiveness and the Ozone Air Purifier that kills Mold and other indoor contaminants.

Locate and identify mold contamination in your apartment, condo, office or home with a mold inspection.

• An inspector will identify areas where mold is visible
• Testing Air Quality in Each Room of Your Home or Other Building, Attic, Craw Space, Basement, and Outward Airflow from Each Heating/Cooling Duct Register

Cooling Coil Drip Pans

Humid air that passes through chilled cooling coils condenses into water. Water drips from the coils and collects in a pan.

These systems can be affected if water is left to stagnate on the drip pan or coils. A biofilm is formed when there is standing water. This biofilm is made up of

• Bacteria
• Fungi
• Slimy Matrix

Other organisms, such as algae and amoebae, may also use this site for their growth. They will eat the organic material that has accumulated.

This thin layer might lead one to believe that organisms will never become airborne because of its slimy nature.

Organisms are released in the water by dropping from the cooling coils or wind from fans. Bubbles form from these drops and each bubble contains some organisms.

Bubbles are actually capable of scavenging particles, including bacteria and spores. The bubbles’ concentration is therefore higher than the water.

These bubbles, once in the air, dry down into droplet nuclei that are easily transported downstream to the ventilation system. These particles are not the only thing that the biofilms contain. Organisms in them also produce volatile organic compounds (odors), which can be easily carried along with the ventilation air to the occupied space.

Water in drip pans can also cause problems due to the high relative humidity around the drip pan, and the fact the air stream’s rapid-moving speed may pick up liquid droplets which could impact downstream surfaces.

A combination of high humidity and the deposition of droplets could be sufficient to permit fungal growth on surfaces.

What can we do about these problems?

1. Drip pans must drain continuously and not have standing water. This means that drains must be located at the bottom of drip pans and connected to drain plumbing.
2. To prevent biofilms from forming, it is important that coils are constantly washed with water. Some evidence suggests that cooling coils can be less likely to grow if they are exposed to germicidal ultraviolet radiation.
3. Third, it is important to avoid porous insulation near cooling coils. This should be noted. It is important to remember that water droplets won’t travel very far before they evaporate, so only the surfaces of ventilation systems within a few feet are at risk.
4. Fourth, biocides won’t solve the problem of drip pans that don’t drain. Biofilms contain organisms that are resistant to biocides. They also allow for the growth and production of odoriferous compounds by organisms. Biocides can also enter the ventilation system and reach the occupants’ breathing zones.

Hire a Mold Expert

Check for water leaks or flooding in areas. Use a borescope inspection tool, hidden moisture meters, and mold test kits to test each room.

span data_preserver-spaces=”true A professional mold inspector will recommend a mold protocol for fixing the problem. They will also recommend proper containment, personal protective equipment, and a clearance process after remediation has been completed.

What Mold Inspectors Look For:

1. HVAC equipment, air handlers and ducts (heating and ventilating and air conditioning)
2. An inspector might take a sample of the outward airflow from heating/cooling registers to determine if mold is present.

Find all sources of mold-causing intrusion

• Flooded areas
• Flooding problems
• Water Leaks,
• Broken Water Pipes
• Leaky Roofs
• Exterior Wall Intrusion
• Defective Air-Conditioning Condensation Lines
• High Humidity (e.g., more than 50 to 60%)

Specify the Containment

Use wall-to–wall, floor–to–ceiling plastic sheeting to contain mold-affected areas before you begin work.

You can use six-millimeter thick clear plastic sheeting, which you can purchase at a hardware or home improvement store.

When working in the mold containment area, wear personal protective gear. This includes when spraying the EPA registered fungicide Coverage PLUS and EPA-registered Timbor (a wood preservative that protects and treats lumber against fungal decay, wood-destroying insects, and other diseases).

Personal protection

• Tyvek protective bio-hazard suit
• Gloves: Either disposable latex gloves or good work gloves
• A one-piece, full-face breathing mask with organic vapor cartridge filter. Available at your local safety shop, Home Depot, Lowe’s and other hardware stores. You can also use the hole-free Chem Splash eye goggles ($4) and a separate breathing mask ($30) from these same stores. However, this will make it less comfortable for your ease of breath.
• Contact your local 3M branch to order a full-face breathing mask custom-fitted. Full-face masks that are custom-fitted do a better job at keeping mold spores out of your face and into your body.

Mold Remediation Equipment

Use a in the mold containment zone.

1. Large fan at the window to exhaust air outside
2. HEPA filtration is used to continuously clean the air scrubber. It will remove airborne mold spores as well as remediation-caused dust.
3. Large jobs can be handled by an industrial HEPA Scrubber with attached filter and vinyl flexible hose that directs exhaust airflow to the outside

Mold Remediation and Air Decontamination

1. To create negative air pressure, make sure you exhaust more air outside than you enter the containment area. You will know that you have negative pressure when the plastic cover sheets are being pulled inward towards the work area instead of bulging outwards away from it. )
2. To remove mold spores continuously from the air, install large industrial-sized HEPA air filters. These filters can be rented or purchased from local rental agencies.
3. Use high-capacity dehumidifiers in the mold containment area to completely dry out the moldy area being remedied.
4. Spray one to two sprays of the EPA-registered mold fungicide wet every time you see visible mold.

Mold Killers

Coverage Plus disinfectant can kill the most stubborn molds. Coverage Plus comes in a gallon of concentrated, which can be diluted [mixed with distilled water] up to 32 [higher] or 128 [lower] gallons. One gallon of diluted spray is enough to spray approximately 200 square feet.

Chlorine Bleach

Chlor bleach is not recommended to kill mold or disinfect affected areas. It is not the best or most lasting way to kill mold and moldspores. Most porous, cellulose-based building materials like

• wood timbers
• drywall
• chipboard
• plywood
• carpeting/padding

Bleach will alter the colors of materials and leave a chalky residue.

For up to three weeks, mold can be stopped by bleach. A recent study found that bleach can kill mold when placed on hard surfaces (e.g., ceramic floors and wall tiles, Formica counters in the kitchen, or the steel skin on an appliance span>).

Chlorine Bleach does not kill mold for the following reasons:

1. The mold is not being buried on a hard surface, so it is difficult to kill.
2. The little killing power that chlorine bleach has is reduced as it sits in warehouses, on grocery store shelves, or in your home or office. [50% reduction in killing power within the first 90 days of being stored in a sealed container] Chlorine constantly escapes from the containers’ plastic walls.
3. The ion structure of chlorine prevents it from entering porous materials like drywall and wood. It only stays on the surface. However, mold has enzyme roots that grow inside porous construction materials .— or.
4. Chlorine bleach is not registered by the EPA as a disinfectant that kills mold. If you cannot find the EPA registration number to kill Mold on any brand of chlorine bleach, you can verify this important fact.

Dead Mold

Next, clean up as much of the surface mold as possible after killing all visible Mold. To clean up moldy surfaces and building materials, a cleaner like trisodiumphosphate (TSP), is a good first step.

Mold Encapsulation

TSP can be purchased at hardware, paint or building supply stores. It isn’t expensive. To protect your hands, wear rubber gloves and follow the instructions on the TSP packet for mixing the cleaner in water. Let the surface dry after you have cleaned it with TSP.

1. Dispose of all mold-contaminated building materials, such as insulation and drywall, in double-up bags (double bagging).
2. All mold-infested areas must be cleaned out. You must clean all wood beams, timbers and other lumber that you want to keep.
3. You can use a combination power planer, power grinder, wire brush attachment and power to control mold growth. Mold can grow too deeply into wood for the above methods to eliminate. You will need to replace the moldy lumber with mold-free, new lumber. This lumber must have been pretreated with Tim-bor and has had one or two wet sprayings.

Spray twice the area to be cleaned with Coverage Plus [with natural drying between sprayings] to ensure that there are no mold spores or growths left behind.

Spray two wet coats of Timbor [an EPA registered wood preservative that protects lumber against fungal decay, wood-destroying insects and other harmful organisms] after the Coverage Plus second spray has dried.

Nisus Corporation is the manufacturer of Timbor. It reports the following information on Tim-bor at.

Timbor

Tim-bor was created with concern for the environment in mind. It is used to control

• Carpenter Ants
• Dry Wood Termites
• Wood Decay Fungi
• Wood-Boring Beetles

Timbor is a great choice!

1. Tim-bor is a water-soluble borate powder that diffuses into wood. It acts as an insecticide, fungicide and preservative.
2. Tim-bor is not subject to oxidation like other organic compounds and will provide protection for a longer time. Tim-bor’s best feature is its ease of use, which makes it virtually odorless and offers long-lasting protection span>
3. Timbor is highly effective and inexpensive. To spray on wood, you need to dilute 1 pound (1.5 gallons) of Timbor powder in 1 1/2 gallons of distilled water.
4. Tim-bor can also be pressure injected INTO wood timbers to protect them. Tim-bor can also foam into the cavities of walls, ceilings and floors.
5. Tim-bor is a product made from boron. Association of Environment Conscious Building (AECB), endorses the use of boron based timber preservatives: “Where treatment [of wooden] is not possible, we recommend a boron based treatment.

Inorganic Borate presents the lowest risk to human health. It is a naturally occurring mineral with a long history.

Employ a Mold Inspector

1. Find a professional mold inspector
2. Laboratory Mold Testing Analysis
3. All areas that have been cleaned should be tested

After the remediation, hire a mold expert. An inspection will ensure that areas are mold-free. A few common molds are found in mold spore form.

Clean up mold from personal property and furnishings. Follow the item-by-item procedure.

In the worst case scenario, remove and replace mold-contaminated equipment.

• HVAC System
• Air Handlers
• Ductwork

Or

1. Remove Mold from the HVAC
2. Use heavy fogging to treat heating/cooling equipment, ducts, and other areas with diluted mold killer. This mists existing mold spores and promotes mold growth.
3. You can close the mold-remediated zone with mold-free, mold-free new building materials. These have been thoroughly inspected and certified mold-free.
4. Regular, routine building maintenance, mold care, as well as a thorough cleaning of the entire building or home, including:

• Roof
• Siding
• Windows
• Heating
• Cooling System/ Air Ducts
• Plumbing
• Sewer Pipes
• Equipment

This is required following the completion of mold remediation in Monmouth county, NJ to prevent the reoccurrence of mold infestation issues. Mold-safe homes and buildings are not something you can do overnight.