House Mold Treatment

How can I kill mold? I answer this question time and time again.

It is a relatively simple task because mold is not the most resilient living organism on the planet and there are various ways in which you can achieve your goal of killing mold. The biggest problem most people encounter is recurring mold. The reason that it keeps on returning within days or weeks of removing it is that whilst you may have killed the mold easily, the mold spores are more difficult to eradicate and if the conditions are correct will simply germinate once again.

There are a number of products you can use to kill mold. There are vast numbers of commercial products available which will undoubtedly do the job, however some of these can be fairly toxic, bleach will also do the job but again this is harsh and may end up damaging surfaces or floor coverings.

Tea Tree Oil Source

There are many safe, household items which probably cost a lot less than commercial products and will kill the mold just as well. Here are a few ideas.

* Soap and water – what could be simpler.

* Vinegar – Used diluted with water in a spray bottle this is very effective and cheap! One draw back it is rather smelly!

* Lemon Juice – Same as the vinegar works really well and it has a more clean and fresh aroma which is what you want to eliminate the horrid musty odour of mold.

* Tea Tree Oil- You can buy this at any health food store. Add a few drops to a spray bottle of water spray down the area and leave to dry. This too has a very strong smell and can be fairly expensive but a little goes a very long way.

Lemon Juice

* Grapefruit Seed Oil- used in the same way as tea tree oil and again can be costly but very effective at killing mold. It has one huge advantage – it is odourless!

Grapefruit Seed Oil

Now that you have succeeded in killing the mold, if you want to prevent its return you must keep any remaining mold spores in conditions which will not allow them to flourish once again.

To do this you must keep the humidity levels in the home down. This can be done by simply opening a window, switching on an extractor fan – particularly in rooms where there can be a lot of steam and condensation created i.e. bathrooms and kitchens or perhaps the use of a dehumidifier would be beneficial in especially damp areas.

If you can achieve a warm, dry atmosphere having killed the mold you should stay mold free!

If you discover a problem with mold growth in your home, be it in the basement, attic or on the walls of you bedrooms it is essential that you deal with the problem and quickly. Whilst small patches of mold can be dealt with using DIY methods large areas must be professionally assessed and treated because of the potential health hazards involved.

Typical Mold Problem Areas

In order to establish the type of mold and the type of repairs which should be under taken you will need to have a mold inspection done by a qualified professional. A note of caution: there are hundreds of mold inspectors around but it is important that you are not tempted to choose the one just because the cost is low. This is a serious issue and you really should employ the best you can afford.

So, what is a mold inspection all about?

A mold inspection should identify any conditions around your property which will promote mold growth as well as flagging up problem areas for example water damage, odours and obvious signs of fungal growth  etc.  The inspector should also take the mold inspection outside and check the exterior of the building again for obvious signs of water damage, leaks and their causes such as broken pipes, broken gutters, cracked brick work and so on.

What does the inspector actually do during a mold inspection?

After the initial visual checks this first task is usually to check the moisture levels in the walls of the property. The moisture levels are checked at intervals of around two feet and special attention should be paid by the inspector in areas under sinks, around water heaters anywhere that there is a water source present.  The moisture levels are checked using a special meter which has two small pins which are inserted at the base of the wall and will give a reading to indicate the level of moisture present.  The acceptable moisture level is 15% or below.

What if this reading is higher than 15%?

If at this point in the mold inspection your inspector gets wall moisture readings above the acceptable limit or discovers visible signs of water damage or mold growth he/she should bring them to your attention and possibly recommend that samples be taken. However, even if there are visible stains form water damage or perhaps mold growth the inspector will be unable to say for definite if you have a mold problem which is why sampling is necessary.

The sample is most likely to be an air sample. By taking air samples during a mold inspection it is possible to determine what type of mold is present in the atmosphere and in what quantities. It is important to point out at this stage that the inspector should take at least two air samples. The first should be from the area which is causing concern and the second should be taken outside. Why take a sample from outside? The answer to this is simple. Mold can be found everywhere, we breath it in constantly and for the most part it is completely safe and does us no harm what so ever. So, during the mold inspection it has to be established whether or not the mold inside is the same type as that outside and in the same ratio or less. The other side of the coin is obviously that the mold type may be the same but in much higher concentrations inside or it is found to be a type of toxic mold.

Back At The Lab...

Where there is visible mold growth samples of this can also be taken allowing the exact type of mold spores to be identified, however this will not determine if these spores are in the atmosphere.

How fast can you expect results?

As a rule of thumb these samples can take 3-4 days to process at the lab but I would certainly expect that your mold inspector would make contact and give a verbal report as soon as the rests are available followed by a written report within a couple of days. Another point to be aware of, when it comes to the report following a mold inspection a good inspector will not merely send you a copy of the lab report. He/She should be able to competently interpret the results and deliver the them together with recommendations to resolve the issue in plain English!

NB. If you book a mold inspection it is important that you keep doors and windows closed as far as is possible for 12 to 24 hours previous to the inspectors visit. This will allow the mold inspection to be more accurate i.e. it will be easier for the inspector to detect odours and air samples will not be contaminated with outside air.

Finding mold growth in your home can be very disconcerting. It can and will eventually affect the structure of your property and can have potentially serious affects on the health of you and your family often causing respiratory and other related illnesses as well as making existing conditions like for example asthma worsen. All this said, I think It is safe to say that this is a problem needs the cause pinpointed and the problem resolved quickly. The best person to help you do this is a professional mold inspector.

The most common places for mold to flourish – often undetected – is in attic space and basements although it can often be found on walls, on wood surrounding windows, in closets, basically any surface which is damp and which can be labelled as a “natural” material for example, wood, wool, silk, leather, cardboard. Any synthetic materials or metals are usually unaffected.

Now it is possible to tackle mold growth yourself, if the area is small. However, for large perhaps difficult to access areas you really need a mold inspector who is qualified and who can assess the situation and have work carried out in a safe manner – remember mold can be toxic as can some chemicals used to eradicate it!

How To Find A Good Mold Inspector.

The two most important aspects of deciding on a mold inspector are experience and relevant qualifications.  Often when we require tradesmen to carry out work our whole aim is to find someone who will do the work as cheaply as possible. Where serious mold is involved you really cannot afford to look at it in this way. Remember you could be dealing with a toxic substance which could destroy both your home and your health!

So what qualifications should a good mold inspector have?

* Experience and knowledge in roofing, building, HVAC systems and vapour barriers and other related subjects. This is essential so that an accurate assessment so that root cause can be established.

* Humidity and temperature can often play a large part in mold growth so it is also necessary for a mold inspector to have a thorough understanding of psychometrics i.e. the study of air, dew points, temperature, humidity and so on.

* Mold is a living organism so it is a huge advantage if the mold inspector you employ has a least a basic understanding of microbiology and ecology as well as the study of mold which is called mycology.

* It is vital that not only should a mold inspector have the relevant knowledge of how to to carry out investigations and take mold samples competently but they should also have the knowledge required to read and interpret the results of these tests accurately.

* Occasionally mold inspectors are called in to a building where there may be odours or health issues which may indicate a mold problem but which are in fact due to other problems such as lack of ventilation, hydrogen sulphide gas or dust mite allergens to name but a few. In which case a mold inspector should be trained to detect such problems to allow residents to call in professionals in the proper field.

Get A Full Report

* Your prospective mold inspector should have the ability to provide you with a full written report giving comprehensive information regarding the results obtained from visual observations, lab results and results from environmental monitoring. The report should include a clear conclusion and recommendations for dealing with the mold. A good mold inspector will ensure that this report is written in terms which can be understood by Joe public and not just hand over the lab report.

With these qualifications and experience a good mold inspector should be well equipped to provide the service required the main points of which are:-

1. Locate and detect major problems in the structure of the building.

2. Give you the complete picture as to the defects in your property which may be causing the mold together with comprehensive details of repair which need to be carried out to eradicate the problem.

Remember – contact more than one company, enquire about the mold inspectors experience and qualifications but in many instances you can get a good idea of the quality of service just by talking to the inspector on the telephone. It is worth asking to see a sample report you will receive and perhaps testimonials from other customers.

No one wants unsightly mold growing in their home. Not only does it have a detrimental effect on the structure of your house but also on the health of everyone living there.

The growth of mold can be due to a number of reasons. Probably most commonly to high levels on moisture in the atmosphere. In summer this is often due to high humidity levels and in winter due to inadequate ventilation as we try to keep our homes heated. This can cause condensation on windows and other cold surfaces as the air cools and the moisture turns to water droplets. Of course moisture is exactly what mold needs to germinate and flourish.

A Bad Case Of Mold Growth

In this scenario it is fairly easy to remedy – remove the moisture for the atmosphere and use a good mold cleaner to remove and kill the mold and your problem should go away.

How do you reduce the moisture in the air?

Something as simple as opening a window to let air circulate will help, you could purchase a dehumidifierwhich will greatly reduce the moisture and will dry out any particularly damp rooms. These are not too expensive to run especially if you purchase a model which has a humidistat fitted which means it will only switch itself on when the humidity level rises. Another feature which is useful is that some models have various types of air filters which will help to remove mold spores from circulating in the atmosphere.

Fitting a ventilation fanin the bathroom which is vented directly to the outside of your property is a good plan for use during bathing. A cooker hoodfitted in the kitchen will extract excess moisture and steam created during cooking. Tumble driers create huge amounts of moisture so make sure that this too is ventilated to the outside of your house using a simple hose.

All of these simple measures are extremely effective and not hugely expensive.

Good maintenance to the fabric of your property is also vital. Taking care of small problems as they arise can prevent major cost and major repairs in the future. Check for leaky pipes, blocked gutters, damaged brick work etc. all of these will allow water to seep into your home damaging walls and floors as well as furniture and soft furnishings – creating a mold growing haven.

Once you have dealt with the source of your mold problem it is time to tackle the mold with a good mold cleaner.

If you venture into your local store or on to the internet you will be faced with a myriad of mold cleaner products all claiming to be the best. Beware, many of these are toxic containing all sorts of chemical agents which can do as much if not more damage to your health and that of your family if not used with extreme care. The good news is, that there are now natural mold cleaners out there which contain nothing but natural ingredients but which are equally as effective as the chemical products available.

If you don’t want to spend any extra money there are a couple of every day ingredients which will act as great mold cleaners which you will likely have in a cupboard.

Soap – Plain old soap will do a perfectly good job if the mold infestation is fairly minor. It is as simple as scrubbing the affected area, wiping it clean then allowing to dry.

Baking Soda – This is a very simple but effective and cheap mold cleaner for tiles. Mix the baking soda into a paste with water and vinegar. Use a toothbrush to scrub with the paste. Leave this to sit for around twenty minutes then rinse off.

This is just a couple of suggestions for natural mold cleaners, you could also try tea tree oil or grapefruit seed oil – these are quite expensive but a little bottle goes a long way! Plain distilled white vinegar will also work well.

Caution: If you are unsure of the type of mold in your home please consult a professional – it may be toxic!

If you have problems with mold growing in your home believe me, you are not alone. More and more homes are becoming havens for all types of mold and the health of the occupants is suffering.

The question I suspect that you are looking to answer by visiting this page is – How do I kill mold?

Extreme Case Of Mold Growth

The answer is actually fairly simple. The use of household bleach or disinfectant can be enough to wipe out whole colonies of mold. However, a far more effective way to kill mold is to use a specifically produced detergent which is designed to kill mold and mildew. Any area of wall or ceiling which is badly affected is best removed completely and replaced.

However, there is really only one way tokill moldin your home for good – remove the source of moisture which is allowing it to multiply and flourish.

It may be that it is simply a question of reducing the amount of moisture in the atmosphere by increasing ventilation especially in rooms where a lot of steam is generated like the kitchen and bathroom. This can be achieved by having ventilation fans and cooker hoods installed which are vented directly to the outside of your home – NOT to the attic or basement as you will just end up with additional problems with condensation and mold in the future. Another good way to reduce the humidity in your home is using a dehumidifier these are fairly inexpensive to run especially if you purchase one which has a humidistat. Many models also come with various air filters which can help in removing impurities and mold spores from the atmosphere. These simple measures can make a huge difference and coupled with the cleaning process you will kill mold in your home.

None of these measures however, will have any great effect if there is a bigger problem with water seeping into your home from an unknown source . Cracked outer walls, blocked gutters, water in the foundations, dripping pipes. These are all things which will give mold a constant source of moisture and never allow mold affected areas of your home to dry out properly. If you suspect that you have water infiltrating your home it would be wise to get a builder or plumber to check out all possibilities and carry out any work immediately before the mold spreads and begins to seriously affect the health of you and your family.

One very important point to remember is that once the source of your problem has been identified and action taken to kill the mold you must take safety precautions when cleaning up. Ensure that you wear gloves, a face mask and goggles.

It may seem a but extreme but it is important that you seal each room before you begin so that mold spores cannot migrate to other rooms. Also, you must either use a vacuum cleaner to suck up any dried mold dust or damp the area down with water before beginning to wipe. Mold has a tenancy to give off toxic dust damping down will help prevent this. Also make sure that if you use your vacuum cleaner that you empty it immediately – do it outside NOT in the house and keep your protective clothing on.

All of this may take time and a bit of money but to kill mold once and for all must be better than carrying out the yearly ritual of cleaning the same areas over and over.

IMPORTANT: If you are unsure of the type of mold in your property before you begin a DIY clean up get it checked out by a professional – it may be toxic!