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Big Mold Testing, Inspecting, & Cleanup Mistakes to Avoid
Cross Contamination of Moldy Dust;
Relying on
Bleach to Kill Mold
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Mold cleanup job mistakes: cross contamination. Here we explain how an cross contamination by moldy dust or relying just on "mold sprays and paints" can end up costing unnecessarily when hiring a mold cleaning company. This section of our "How to Clean Mold" article describes common mistakes people make when attempting to clean up mold. Avoiding these mold cleanup
errors can save you money and may also avoid dangerous side effects of bleach, mold chemicals, or ozone when improperly applied. Photo at page top courtesy of Anabec systems.
We also discuss common errors made when cleaning wood surfaces, such as relying on bleach or performing expensive and
unnecessary cleaning on cosmetic black mold on wood surfaces.
Green links show where you are. © Copyright 2013 InspectAPedia.com, All Rights Reserved. Author Daniel Friedman.
CROSS CONTAMINATION of MOLD - Be sure to protect from mold spore cross contamination of other building areas when cleaning up mold
Small mold cleanup projects (less than 30 sq.ft.) can normally be handled as a simple building cleaning or renovation project and without expensive negative air and dust containment barriers.
But during
a "small project" you should remain alert for the discovery of a previously unrecognized large area of contaminated materials. If the
small project discovers that it has become a large one, work should stop to permit set-up of proper dust and particle containment.
When a large building area (more than 30 sq.ft. of contiguous moldy material) is to be cleaned, use of negative air and dust containment are appropriate.
Our photo shows a typical use of plastic pipe frames to support a 6-mil poly dust barrier giving a passage through a building into the mold cleanup area. Our page top photo shows a typical two-barrier air-lock that provides entry and exit into the work area through the containment.
Protect the building areas outside or around the one being cleaned from mold contamination by following published mold remediation guidelines such as the
NY City Mold Cleanup guidelines.
For large products (more than 30 sq.ft. of contaminated contiguous surface), the procedure involves tenting or sealing off the work area
using plastic barriers, combined with establishing negative air pressure inside the work area so that particles and dust do not tend to escape the
work area.
It is important that the mold contractor protect workers performing remediation using appropriate masks, clothing, etc.
Occupants, particularly people at extra risk of mold-related illness should not perform nor be present during this work. We sometimes meet mold cleanup crews who do not understand English, have been given no instruction, and have not been giving any protective gear.
Don't spray or power-wash moldy wood or other moldy surfaces without proper containment as you may be simply spreading mold spores around the indoor environment where you will
infect other materials.
Do not take down the mold demolition dust containment barrier before the building has successfully passed a mold remediation clearance inspection and test. If the cleanup was not complete, properly performed, and successful, early dust barrier removal risks cross-contamination into other building areas.
Very troublesome has been our observation of frequent complete failures of "mold dust containment" systems set up by un-trained workers.
The result is invariably an increase in the ultimate mold remediation project cost when additional wiping and HEPA vacuuming have to be performed in areas not previously contaminated with mold.
 Containment and Negative Air Errors at mold remediation projects include improper containment barrier construction that leaves holes and leaks, collapsing containment systems that simply don't stay in place, combined with workers who simply keep on with demolition even though the containment barrier has collapsed.
It's not too difficult to spot incompetent mold containment barriers (photo at left).
 But some mold dust containment barrier setups are downright stupid.
At a New York City mold remediation project we found that the low-budget mold remediation company selected by our client hung plastic up like a shower curtain, (not reaching the ceiling) by suspending it using duct tape strips tied around the fire sprinkler heads along the ceiling!
Not only had the remediator taken down the containment barrier before the project had successfully passed a mold clearance inspection and test, they had left their duct tape plastic strips tied to the fire sprinklers (photo at left).
Luckily no one stumbled into the "shower curtain" containment system or the building would have had a new shower of its own, with new mold problems.
And luckily the building had not caught on fire - we don't know how the duct tape might have interfered with proper functioning of the sprinkler heads in the event of a fire.
 Also ineffective is simply "air scrubbing", running power dryers, or power dehumidifiers in a moldy dusty area, without also performing the cleanup and fixing any ongoing water entry problems or water leaks.
Turning on a large air filtration machine with no ducting to outdoors. The result may stir up and remove dust that is airborne, but an air scrubber is completely incapable of removing mold from building surfaces nor can it pick up debris on the floor across the room, any more than you can vacuum your living room carpet by standing in the kitchen and waving your vacuum cleaner wand in the air.
Our photo (left) shows a "post mold remediation" condition we observed while inspecting a property for a large homeowners' insurance provider. Things didn't look quite right:
- A drier and dehumidifier were left running in a moldy crawl space that was still wet (see that dark spot at center of the photo)
- Demolition was incomplete (see the fiberglass insulation in the upper left of the photo)
- There was no evidence that any dust containment had ever been in place, though this crawl space communicated with the rest of the building via several major air pathways.
See
USING BLEACH - Bleach as a "Mold Medicine" to try to kill mold or prevent mold in buildings
 Bleach, diluted bleach, or bleach sprays used in cleaning may be appealing but they are unnecessary,
potentially dangerous (if you get bleach in your eyes), and the use of bleach tends to lead to improper and
inadequate cleaning - if you substitute "spraying bleach" for actually cleaning or removing the mold your cleanup will
not be successful.
Leaks at the window (photo at left) led to mold growth behind wallpaper as well as in the wall cavity. Surface cleaning of the wall was ineffective and occupant complaints continued in this building.
The object of mold remediation is to clean, or remove, the majority of the mold particles
(spores, conidiophores, hyphae, mycelia) from the target surface. The operative word to fix in mind is to "clean" or
"remove" the problem mold.
"Killing" the mold is not the object - first of all because our lab work shows that you're
unlikely to kill all of the mold on a surface using bleach, unless you use it at a concentration and duration which is so
strong that you're likely to completely destroy the "bleached" material, and second of all because even if you could
"kill" every mold spore, you are at risk of leaving toxic or allergenic particles in place - they may be dead but still
toxic.
Our photo (left) shows nice healthy black Stachybotrys chartarum spores collected from a "mold-killing bleach" treated surface in a building.
Finally, "mold removal" only works if you're cleaning a relatively hard, non-porous surface such as finished
wood, painted metal, or plastic.
Soft materials like Sheetrock™ or drywall which have become moldy generally should be
removed, the exposed surfaces cleaned, and then new drywall can be installed (after you've also corrected the reason for
the mold growth in the first place).
Spraying anything if spraying of fungicides or sealants is to be used in place of actual cleaning or removal of mold
is an improper and inadequate practice which risks leaving a reservoir of toxic or allergenic particles in the building.
See MOLD CLEANUP with BLEACH for details about using bleach to clean up or treat moldy surfaces.
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Technical Reviewers & References
Related Topics, found near the top of this page suggest articles closely related to this one.
- Mark Cramer Inspection Services Mark Cramer, Tampa Florida, Mr. Cramer is a past president of ASHI, the American Society of Home Inspectors and is a Florida home inspector and home inspection educator. (727) 595-4211 mark@BestTampaInspector.com 11/06 and 04/2008
- Critique, contributions wanted: Contact Us to suggest text changes and additions and, if you wish, to receive online listing and credit for that contribution.
Books & Articles on Building & Environmental Inspection, Testing, Diagnosis, & Repair
 The Home Reference Book - the Encyclopedia of Homes, Carson Dunlop & Associates, Toronto, Ontario, 25th Ed., 2012, is a bound volume of more than 450 illustrated pages that assist home inspectors and home owners in the inspection and detection of problems on buildings. The text is intended as a reference guide to help building owners operate and maintain their home effectively. Field inspection worksheets are included at the back of the volume. Special Offer: For a 10% discount on any number of copies of the Home Reference Book purchased as a single order. Enter INSPECTAHRB in the order payment page "Promo/Redemption" space. InspectAPedia.com editor Daniel Friedman is a contributing author.
Or choose the The Home Reference eBook for PCs, Macs, Kindle, iPad, iPhone, or Android Smart Phones. Special Offer: For a 5% discount on any number of copies of the Home Reference eBook purchased as a single order. Enter INSPECTAEHRB in the order payment page "Promo/Redemption" space.
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- Carson Dunlop, Associates, Toronto, have provided us with (and we recommend) Carson Dunlop Weldon & Associates' Technical Reference Guide to manufacturer's model and serial number information for heating and cooling equipment
Special Offer: Carson Dunlop Associates offers InspectAPedia readers in the U.S.A. a 5% discount on any number of copies of the Technical Reference Guide purchased as a single order. Just enter INSPECTATRG in the order payment page "Promo/Redemption" space.
- Environmental Health & Investigation Bibliography - our technical library on indoor air quality inspection, testing, laboratory procedures, forensic microscopy, etc.
- Adkins and Adkins Dictionary of Roman Religion discusses Robigus, the Roman god of crop protection and the legendary progenitor of wheat rust fungus.
- Kansas State University, department of plant pathology, extension plant pathology web page on wheat rust fungus: see http://www.oznet.ksu.edu/path-ext/factSheets/Wheat/Wheat%20Leaf%20Rust.asp
- "A Brief Guide to Mold, Moisture, and Your Home",
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency US EPA - includes basic advice for building owners, occupants, and mold cleanup operations. See http://www.epa.gov/mold/moldguide.htm
- US EPA - Mold Remediation in Schools and Commercial Building [Copy on file at /sickhouse/EPA_Mold_Remediation_in_Schools.pdf ] - US EPA
- US EPA - Una Breva Guia a Moho - Hongo [Copy on file as /sickhouse/EPA_Moho_Guia_sp.pdf - en Espanol
Mold Contamination Testing, Cleanup, Prevention: references & products
 The Mold Information Center: What to Do About Mold in Buildings, When and How
to Inspect for Mold, Clean Up Mold, or Avoid Mold Problems- Aerobiology, Building Science, Microscopy, & Laboratory References, an extensive technical bibliography
- Allergens: what they look like in buildings
- Associations: Sick House, Sick Building, SBS - Air Quality, Government, Private Associations and Information Resources
- Atlas of Clinical Fungi, 2nd Ed., GS deHoog, J Guarro, J Gene, & MJ Figueras, Centraalbureau voor Schimmelcultures, Universitat Rovira I Virgili, 2000, ISBN 90-70351-43-9 (you can buy this book at Amazon) - The Atlas of Clinical Fungi is also available on CD ROM
- Atlas of Mold Related Illness: Index of Symptoms and health, physical, neurological, psychological, and other complaint which people suspect may be mold or building-related.
- Atlas of Indoor Mold, Online Clinical Mold Atlas, Toxins, Pathogens, Allergens and Other Indoor Particles - Medical Health Effects of Mold (separate online document)
- Black Mold that is Harmless Photos of recognizable, usually harmless black mold on wood, bluestain, ceratocystis, ophistoma
- Building Floods: quick steps after a building flood or plumbing leak can prevent costly mold contamination
- Classes of Mold: what types of cosmetic, allergenic, or toxic mold are a problem? Can mold be cleaned-up successfully?
- Clinical Mold References - Detailed bibliography of mold reference texts
- "A Brief Guide to Mold, Moisture, and Your Home", U.S. Environmental Protection Agency US EPA - includes basic advice for building owners, occupants, and mold cleanup operations. See http://www.epa.gov/mold/moldguide.htm
- "Disease Prevention Program for Certain Vegetable Crops," David B. Langston, Jr., Extension Plant Pathologist - Vegetables, University of Georgia (PDF document) original source: www.reeis.usda.gov/web/crisprojectpages/209797.html
- "Disease Prevention in Home Vegetable Gardens,"
Patricia Donald,
Department of Plant Microbiology and Pathology,
Lewis Jett
Department of Horticulture, University of Missouri Extension - extension.missouri.edu/publications/DisplayPub.aspx?P=G6202
- "Management of Powdery Mildew, Leveillula taurica, in Greenhouse Peppers," Ministry of Agriculture and Lands, British Columbia - Original source: www.agf.gov.bc.ca/cropprot/peppermildew.htm
- Environmental Health & Investigation Bibliography - our own technical library on indoor air quality inspection, testing, laboratory procedures, forensic microscopy, etc.
- Fiberglass: Mold in Fiberglass Insulation© 2005 comments about a field study in process, & more about health hazards from fiberglass insulation - DJF
- Fifth Kingdom, Bryce Kendrick, ISBN13: 9781585100224, is available from the InspectAPedia online bookstore - we recommend the CD-ROM version of this book. This 3rd/edition is a compact but comprehensive encyclopedia of all things mycological. Every aspect of the fungi, from aflatoxin to zppspores, with an accessible blend of verve and wit. The 24 chapters are filled with up-to-date information of classification, yeast, lichens, spore dispersal, allergies, ecology, genetics, plant pathology, predatory fungi, biological control, mutualistic symbioses with animals and plants, fungi as food, food spoilage and mycotoxins.
- Fungi, Identifying Filamentous, A Clinical Laboratory Handbook, Guy St-Germain, Richard Summerbell, Star Publishing, 1996, ISBN 0-89863-177-7 (English) (buy at Amazon)
- Looking for Mold Procedure: what mold is often found where in buildings - simple technical presentation
- Meruliporia: the house eating fungus or "poria"
- Mold Action Guide: Step-by-Step Instructions, What to do about mold, mildew, and other indoor allergens
- MOLD APPEARANCE - WHAT MOLD LOOKS LIKE Photos of what mold looks like in buildings
- MOLD APPEARANCE - STUFF THAT IS NOT MOLD Photos of NOT-mold material that is sometimes mistaken for mold
- MOLD ATLAS & PARTICLES INDEX, Pathogens, Allergens and Other Indoor Particles - Medical Health Effects of Mold (separate online document)
- MOLD BY MICROSCOPE Mold under the microscope - photo identification of the most common indoor molds found in buildings
- Mold FAQs Answers to Most Questions about Indoor Mold, Mold Related Illness, Mold Cleanup, Mold Prevention
- US EPA: Mold Remediation in Schools and Commercial Building [Copy on file at /sickhouse/EPA_Mold_Remediation_in_Schools.pdf ] - US EPA
- Mold spores in the Home - a Photo ID Library for detection and identification of mold allergens
- Mold Test Kits - How to Collect and Send Your Own Mold Sample to our mold testing lab or to any mold lab you wish
- Most Common Indoor Molds Found in Buildings, A Table of
- Mycology, Fundamentals of Diagnostic, Fran Fisher, Norma B. Cook, W.B. Saunders Co. 1998, ISBN 0-7216-5006-6 (buy this book at Amazon)
- Ozone Warnings - Use of Ozone as a "mold" remedy is ineffective and may be dangerous.
- Rot concerns in buildings-some building mold such as Meruliporia incrassata "Poria" risks serious rot and hidden structural damage
- US EPA: Una Breva Guia a Moho - Hongo [Copy on file as /sickhouse/EPA_Moho_Guia_sp.pdf - en Espanol
OTHER IAQ ISSUES: How To Find and Address Other Indoor Air or Indoor Environment Contaminants Besides Mold
Mold or allergens may not be the only or even the main indoor environmental contaminant. Don't let media attention to mold
cause so much enviro-scare fear that other, possibly more urgent hazards go un-addressed.
- Fiberglass building insulation and HVAC duct work insulation hazards
- Sewage and Septic backup contamination in buildings: inspection, testing, remediation, & references to expert sources
- Other environmental risks: Asbestos, carbon monoxide,
electromagnetic fields, environmental illness, fiberglass, MCS - multiple chemical sensitivity, toxic gases, etc
- Indoor Gas Sampling Plan
for Residential Buildings lists a number of toxic indoor gases which we test for, depending on the building
complaint and building conditions
- Ozone Warnings - Use of Ozone as a "mold"
remedy is ineffective and may be dangerous.
- Pet control - if you can't say goodbye to your bird, cat, dog, guinea pig, hamster, tropical fish, then limit the
areas they occupy and limit the airflow from that area to sleeping or other areas of the building, use allergenic
bedding, eliminate wall-to-wall carpeting, improve housecleaning including use of a HEPA-rated vacuum cleaner. For more details
see our article Dog, Cat, and Other Animal Dander - Information for Asthmatics and Indoor Air Quality
- Rodents, Mice, Squirrel Control - I find high levels of mouse and rodent dander, fecal dust, and urine-contaminated dust in some buildings,
and high levels of these materials in building insulation in those locations. If you have a mouse problem, particularly if mice and their waste (fecals or urine) are contaminating
the building HVAC or building insulation, may need both steps to clean up or remove infected materials and steps to stop an ongoing
rodent problem. If squirrels are a problem, the cleanup needs to include closing off entry openings into the building. Get some
help from a licensed pest control expert.
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