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Black mold on a building interior wall (C) Daniel FriedmanOzone Generators for Mold Remediation

Warnings & Mold Remediation Mistakes to Avoid

Mold remediation mistakes: relying on ozone treatments for mold or odors:

Should we use ozone to kill mold?

Starting here and continuing with articles listed at the end of this page, we explain how relying just on "ozone mold killing machines" and failure to take the necessary steps to prevent new mold growth after a mold cleanup project can end up costing a lot of extra money.

Using an ozone generator in a building where black mold contamination is present, such as in our page top photograph, would be an ineffective remedy and worse, overdosing with ozone can oxidize building materials leading to harmful indoor gases and smells that ultimately lead to even greater cleanup expense.

Page top photo: heavy black mold on drywall in a previously flooded New York home contained multiple mold genera/species including Stachybotrys chartarum. But don't assume that "black mold" is the only one that needs removal.

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Warnings about Relying on Ozone - to "Kill" mold to "remove" or prevent mold in buildings

Green mold on OSB subfloor (C) Daniel FriedmanOzone Generators are another futile attempt to "kill" mold instead of cleaning it up. This "magic bullet" approach does not work and can destroy some building materials as well as the health of building occupants.

Because of the trouble and cost of performing an effective mold cleanup in buildings, some vendors offer what sounds like an attractive alternative, offering to "kill all building mold" using ozone.

One Midwest company offers to tent the building and follow a mold extermination procedure.

It would be silly to leave Aspergillus sp., a problematic and easily-airborne mold, in place on this subfloor, trying to "kill it" with a sterilizing gas or spray.

Photo: several genera/species of mold of various colors on this OSB subfloor included harmful species of Aspergillus sp. as well as allergenic molds such as Trichoderma sp.

Killing mold is not the same as "removing" problem mold:

 As with the "bleach" and other "kill the mold" approaches we described above, this process fails to remove the problem reservoir from the building, leaving toxic or allergenic particles, even if they are no longer viable.

Trying to kill mold with ozone risks oxidizing other building materials: 

One of our clients, in an effort to remove odor and mold problems from their building, rented a commercial ozone generator ran it aggressively in closed rooms in their home.

The ensuing odors, which we tested and traced to oxidized carpet padding, were so severe that the building was no longer habitable. Carpeting had to be removed as well as other oxidized rubber and foam products which had been "ozone treated."

Worse, the underlying cause of the original complaint, which we traced to a history of flooding basement and wet building materials there, had gone unrecognized and still needed to be addressed.

There are valid applications of ozone as a disinfectant but it is not a valid treatment for mold in buildings.

See OZONE MOLD / ODOR TREATMENT WARNINGS in Buildings: A Summary of Hazards and False Claims

COSMETIC MOLDS - Avoid unnecessary & expensive "black mold" cleanup projects for cosmetic molds and stains

This discussion has moved to COSMETIC MOLD CLEANUP EXPENSE

PREVENT FUTURE MOLD - Failure to Prevent future mold growth wastes mold cleanup dollars

This discussion has moved to FAILURE TO PREVENT FUTURE MOLD

This section of our "How to Clean Mold" article series 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.

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Continue reading at OZONE MOLD / ODOR TREATMENT WARNINGS or select a topic from the closely-related articles below, or see the complete ARTICLE INDEX.

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RELYING on OZONE to KILL MOLD at InspectApedia.com - online encyclopedia of building & environmental inspection, testing, diagnosis, repair, & problem prevention advice.


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INDEX to RELATED ARTICLES: ARTICLE INDEX to MOLD CONTAMINATION & REMEDIATION

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