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Free Encyclopedia of Building & Environmental Inspection, Testing, Diagnosis, Repair |
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 Mobile ViewENVIRONMENTAL HAZARDS - INSPECT, TEST, REMEDY MOLD: A COMPLETE GUIDE to TEST CLEAN PREVENT ACCEPTABLE MOLD LEVEL ACCURACY OF VARIOUS MOLD TEST METHODS ACCURACY vs PRECISION of MEASUREMENTS ACTION GUIDE - WHAT TO DO ABOUT INDOOR MOLD ACTIVITY of MOLD in BUILDINGS AGE of MOLD - Old is the Mold? AIR CLEANER PURIFIER TYPES AIR FILTERS for HVAC SYSTEMS AIR POLLUTANTS, COMMON INDOOR AIR TEST FOR MOLD: ACCURACY AIR TEST SAMPLING CASSETTE STUDY AIRBORNE MOLD COUNT NUMBER GUIDE AIRBORNE PARTICLE ANALYSIS METHODS ALLERGEN TESTS for BUILDINGS ALLERGENS in BUILDINGS, RECOGNIZING ALLERGY & MOLD IAQ PRODUCTS ALLERGY TESTS for PEOPLE ALLERGY TEST ACCURACY ATTORNEYS and EXPERT WITNESSES ATTIC MOLD BASEMENT MOLD BASEMENT MOLD WATER IMPACT BATHROOM MOLD BROWN HAIRY BATHROOM MOLD BIBLIOGAPHY for ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH, MOLD, IAQ BIOLOGICAL POLLUTANTS BOD WASTEWATER TEST BLACK MOLD, HARMLESS COSMETIC BLACK MOLD, TOXIC & ALLERGENIC BLEACHING MOLD, Advice about BLUE vs YELLOW COMBUSTION FLAMES BOOK MOLD, Moldy Book Cleaning BOOKSTORE - ENVIRONMENTAL CACTUS FUNGI / MOLD CAR MOLD CONTAMINATION CARPENTER ANTS CARPENTER BEES CARPET DUST IDENTIFICATION CARPET MOLD CONTAMINATION CARPET PADDING ASBESTOS, MOLD, ODORS CARPET FUNGICIDAL SPRAY CARPET STAIN DIAGNOSIS CARPET & other STAIN TESTS CARPET TEST PROCEDURE CARPETING & INDOOR AIR QUALITY CAT DANDER CHAIN OF CUSTODY - TEST SAMPLE CLEARANCE INSPECTIONS - MOLD CLEANUP CRAWLSPACE MOLD DIRECTORY of MOLD / ENVIRONMENTAL EXPERTS DIRT FLOOR MOLD CONTAMINATION Disinfectants Disinfecting Buildings with Bleach DO-IT-YOURSELF MOLD CLEANUP WARNINGS DRYWALL MOLD DUCT SYSTEM & DUCT DEFECTS DUST ANALYSIS for FIBERGLASS DUST, HVAC CONTAMINATION STUDY DUST SAMPLING PROCEDURE EFFLORESCENCE, Salts & White / Brown Deposits EMERGENCY RESPONSE, IAQ, GAS, MOLD FEAR of MOLD - MYCOPHOBIA Fiberboard Insulation Sheathing Mold FIBERGLASS INSULATION MOLD FIBERGLASS PARTICLE CONTAMINATION TEST FIELD INVESTIGATION SERVICE FIND MOLD, ESSENTIAL STEPS FIND MOLD in BUILDINGS, HOW TO FIRE DAMAGE vs MOLD DAMAGE FLOOD DAMAGE ASSESSMENT, SAFETY & CLEANUP FLOODS IN BUILDINGS-mold FLOORING MATERIALS, Age, Types FOXING STAINS on books & papers FUNGICIDAL SPRAY & SEALANT USE GUIDE GAS DETECTION INSTRUMENTS GAS EXPOSURE EFFECTS, TOXIC GAS EXPOSURE LIMITS & STANDARDS GAS TEST PROCEDURES HOUSE DUST ANALYSIS HOUSEWRAP AIR & VAPOR BARRIERS HIDDEN MOLD, HOW TO FIND HUMIDITY CONTROL & TARGETS INDOORS INDOOR AIR HAZARDS TABLE INDOOR AIR QUALITY & HOUSE TIGHTNESS INDOOR AIR QUALITY IMPROVEMENT GUIDE INSULATION MOLD ITCHY FABRICS LABORATORY SERVICES LAB PROCEDURES MICROSCOPE TECHNIQUES LEAD POISONING HAZARDS GUIDE Legionella Legionnaires' Disease Legionella BACTERIA & HVAC Equipment LIGHT, GUIDE to FORENSIC USE LP & Natural Gas Safety Hazards MEDIA BLASTING for MOLD REMOVAL METHANE GAS SOURCES MICROSCOPE DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY MEDIA BLASTING for MOLD REMOVAL METHANE GAS SOURCES MICROSCOPE DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY MILDEW in BUILDINGS ? MILDEW ERRORS - MOLD PHOTOS MILDEW REMOVAL & PREVENTION MOISTURE CONTROL in BUILDINGS MOLD: A COMPLETE GUIDE TO MOLD MOLD ACTION GUIDE - WHAT TO DO ABOUT MOLD MOLD APPEARANCE - WHAT MOLD LOOKS LIKE MOLD CLEANERS - WHAT TO USE MOLD CLEANUP GUIDE- HOW TO GET RID OF MOLD MOLD CLEARANCE INSPECTIONS MOLD COUNT NUMBER GUIDE MOLD CONSULTANTS / INSPECTORS MOLD CULTURE TEST KIT VALIDITY MOLD DETECTION & INSPECTION GUIDE MOLD or INDOOR AIR EMERGENCY RESPONSE MOLD EXPERT, WHEN TO HIRE MOLD FAQ's MOLD LEVEL IN AIR, VALIDITY MOLD ODORS, MUSTY SMELLS MOLD PREVENTION GUIDE MOLD RELATED ILLNESS GUIDE MOLD SAFETY WARNINGS MOLD SPRAYS, SEALANTS, PAINTS MOLD STANDARDS MOLD TEST KITS MOLD TESTING METHOD VALIDITY MORGELLONS SYNDROME MSDS Material Safety Data Sheets MVOCs & MOLDY MUSTY ODORS MYCOPHOBIA, STAINS MISTAKEN for MOLD MYCOTOXIN EFFECTS of MOLD EXPOSURE Nanomaterials Hazards NOISE / SOUND DIAGNOSIS & CURE ODORS GASES SMELLS, DIAGNOSIS & CURE OZONE for MOLD OR ODORS PAINTS & COATINGS ODORS IN BUILDINGS PARTICLE SIZES & IAQ Particulates & Allergens Indoors Pesticide Exposure Hazards PET ALLERGEN REMEDIES PLASTIC CONTAINERS, TANKS, TYPES PLASTIC HEATER VENT PLASTIC ODORS-SCREENS, SIDING PLUMBING SYSTEM ODORS POLLEN Photographs RENTERS GUIDE TO MOLD & IAQ ROBIGUS & Wheat Rust Fungus ROT RESISTANT LUMBER ROT, TIMBER FRAME ROT, TIMBER ASSESSMENT SLIDE PREPARATION, MICROSCOPE SMELL PATCH TEST to Track Down Odors SOUND CONTROL in BUILDINGS STAIN & BIODETERIORATION AGENT CATALOG STAINS on & in BUILDINGS, CAUSES & CURES STAIN DIAGNOSIS on BUILDING EXTERIORS STAIN DIAGNOSIS on BUILDING INTERIORS STAINS on INDOOR SURFACES: PHOTO GUIDE STAINS & Thermal Tracking TECHNICAL & LAB PROCEDURES TERMITES TEST KITS for DUST, MOLD, PARTICLE TESTS Thermal Expansion Cracking of Brick THERMAL EXPANSION of HOT WATER THERMAL EXPANSION of MATERIALS THERMAL IMAGING, THERMOGRAPHY THERMAL IMAGING MOLD SCANS THERMAL MASS in BUILDINGS THERMAL TRACKING & THERMAL BRIDGING TRAPPED MOLD BETWEEN WOOD SURFACES TRIM, INTERIOR INSTALLATION TRAPPED MOLD BETWEEN WOOD SURFACES TRUSS UPLIFT, ROOF TRUSSES, Floor & Roof Urea Formaldehyde Foam Insulation UFFI URETHANE FOAM Deterioration, Outgassing UV LIGHT BLACK LIGHT USES VAPOR BARRIERS & CONDENSATION in BUILDINGS VENTILATION in BUILDINGS VINYL CHLORIDE HEALTH INFO VINYL SIDING VINYL Siding or PLASTIC Window ODORS Volatile Organic Compounds VOCs WALL SIDING TRIM & FINISHES WALL FINISHES INTERIOR WALL CONSTRUCTION BARRIER vs CAVITY WATER BARRIERS, EXTERIOR BUILDING WATER ENTRY in buildings WATER ODORS, CAUSE CURE More Information |
Mold killing guide: this document explains a very common mistake in mold cleanup jobs: relying on bleach, biocides, or fungicides to "kill" toxic mold. This is a chapter of the Mold Action Guide, a document which provides an easy to understand step-by-step guide for dealing with toxic or allergenic indoor mold and other indoor contaminants: what to do about mold. The steps in this article series will be sufficient for many building owners who want to do their own mold investigation, mold testing, mold cleanup, and mold prevention in their home or office. Green links show where you are. © Copyright 2013 InspectAPedia.com, All Rights Reserved. Author Daniel Friedman. HOW TO KILL MOLD: Should We be Trying to Kill Mold?Many readers have contacted us to ask about using bleach, fungicides, or biocides as a "mold remediation" step and many mold remediation projects we've seen have placed too much reliance on attempts to spray or gas mold to try to "kill the mold and render it harmless" that we've added this brief article on what's "right" and "wrong" about relying on any spray, gas, chemical, or "treatment" to treat problem mold in buildings. Here is what the U.S. EPA says about using biocides, bleach, mold killers, mildewcides:
Spraying, Bleaching, or Killing Mold Does Not Kill All of the SporesFirst of all, after spraying or gassing "toxic mold" or "black mold" in a building, the bad truth is that the mold is not dead - at least not all of it. Even if you spray bleach all over your "black toxic mold" you won't kill every single spore. I've examined bleached mold samples in the lab. I can usually tease out viable spores from the supposedly "dead" mold sample. To kill every single mold spore using bleach, for example, you'd have to use such a high concentration of disinfectant and you'd have to keep it on the surface for so long that more likely you'd damage the structure - and still miss some toxic spores. This is particularly true when people rely on spraying rather than physically cleaning or removing moldy surfaces or materials. To be scrupulously fair, if we sprayed a surface with sufficient force as to actually physically clean it (and if we removed all of the sprayed-on liquid and debris, we'd do a credible job of cleaning the surface of problem mold. Of course in fact, you could use water or deck cleaner or a dry product like baking soda for such purposes just as well as a disinfectant. See our Report on Media Blasting for an example of using a "spray" approach to physically clean a surface. - Thanks to Arlene Puentes for technical edits. Killing Mold Spores Leaves Toxic or Allergenic Particles in PlaceSecond - even if in theory we could "kill" every spore, the assumption that they are unimportant is highly questionable. "Dead" spores often contain allergens or toxins that are just as harmful to someone breathing them or getting such mold in one's eye or in a cut, as before. Relying on Mold Sprays, Bleach, Biocides, Fungicides Risks Taking an Ineffective "Short Cut" to Mold RemovalThird - when I hear remediators or testers focused on whether mold is "alive" or "dead" we are immediately concerned that they do not understand the best practices regarding mold problem diagnosis and cure. The object is not to "kill" mold, it is - to remove the mold reservoir in the building by physical cleaning or in cases of items that can't be cleaned, such as drywall, soft goods, carpets, furniture, or insulation, remove the moldy material - to identify the cause and make sure that's been corrected (which in your case you think has been done but I'm doubtful where a crawl space is involved - wet conditions that made part of a building wet have often affected other building areas that are less obvious). It is Important to Find, Identify, and Remove All of the Problem Mold Reservoirs in a BuildingFourth and very important - we need to be very confident that ALL of the substantial mold reservoirs at a building have been identified and cleaned-up or removed. My experience is that very often people focus too quickly on the mold that they see, say on wood in a crawl space, and fail to detect an as large or larger and as problematic or more harmful mold reservoir that they didn't "see". Examples of this mold killer approach error include:
Hire a Competent Professional for a Thorough Visual Inspection for Problem Mold and Its CausesSO what you need (and might already have) is great confidence that the expertise of the mold or building inspector and the scope of the investigation have been very accurate and thorough before any remediation project is begun. Otherwise the risk is that you have to repeat the process again later. Even if you clean or remove problem mold thoroughly, if you do not correct the original cause of mold growth, you are likely to face this trouble and cost all over again. How Should Small Areas of Mold be Handled?Small Areas of mold: clean and disinfect surfaces: small areas of mold (less than 10 sq.ft. or less than 30 sq.ft. in some guidelines)can be cleaned by most property owners using common household cleaners or simple soap and water; if using bleach, extra caution is in order. While demolition/removal of building components in of small areas of mold may not be required, in some cases removal/replacement of moldy materials permits valuable additional investigation for hidden mold, and may be easier than cleanup, particularly where surfaces or materials are in poor condition or where mold is on drywall or other components such as fiberglass insulation or duct work which can't be cleaned. If further investigation, renovation or repair discloses mold or conditions which cause growth of large areas of mold, professional cleanup/removal by an expert remediator would be needed. How Should Large Areas of Toxic or Allergenic Mold be Handled?Large areas of mold (more than 30 sq.ft. of contiguous problem mold): professional cleanup is needed by an expert remediator and is likely to involve significant expense. "Large" is more than 10 sq.ft. according to the US EPA, or 30 sq.ft. per the NY City Guidelines. For instructions for remediation see the NY City guidelines at http://InspectAPedia.com/sickhouse.htm#action. If your remediator is not familiar with these guidelines s/he may not be properly informed to do the job. What Good is Bleach in a Mold Remediation Project?Though normally weI do not enthuse about "bleaching" mold (since leaving a dead mold spore in place can still be harmful and can leave toxins), careful cleaning of otherwise already HEPA-vacuumed debris-free surfaces with a proper bleach solution (5%) is an effective end measure for hard surfaces - not much use on upholstered furnishings. . Watch out: do not accept a mold remediation job that relies principally on bleaching surfaces. The mold reservoir needs to be found, removed, its cause corrected, and all related surfaces cleaned (or non-cleanable materials thrown out). Then using a biocide, sanitizer, or bleach solution for final cleaning is ok provided the solution is used according to the manufacturer's directions and applied safely. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)... Ask a Question or Search InspectApediaQuestions about how killing or destroying mold or mold growth in or on buildings. Ask a Question or Enter Search Terms in the InspectApedia search box just below. Technical Reviewers & ReferencesRelated Topics, found near the top of this page suggest articles closely related to this one.
Books & Articles on Building & Environmental Inspection, Testing, Diagnosis, & Repair
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The Home Reference Book - the Encyclopedia of Homes
