What you should NOT
do when faced with possible mold growth!
Cleaning Mold: Extreme
caution should be exercised when attempting to clean up mold.
Mold growth from condensation around windows or on bathroom
tiles if it is topical in nature and minimal in
growth can be cleaned up. Avoid bleaches or chemical
biocides since these do not work and cause other environmental
problems and health issues. Soapy water with white
vinegar, borax and water solution, or a detergent works very
well in cleaning up mold.
If the mold growth is on drywall, wood beams, carpeting,
insulation, etc, you should have it tested to determine
the type, quantity and toxic effects of the mold growth.
The cause and extent of the mold problem must also be
determined prior to any clean up procedure. Proper care
must be taken to protect the individual, occupants as well as
the remainder of the building when removing mold or materials
suspected of mould.
Disturbing Mold Growth:
Mold growth should be disturbed as little as possible.
If mold growth areas are touched, scrubbed, dried out or
otherwise disturbed, mold spores may aerosolize and became
part of the breathable air. This may cause ingestion and
inhalation of potentially toxic mold spores which could lead
to a variety of serious health effects.
Avoid ripping up carpeting, destruction of drywall or any
other destructive activities on building materials showing
mold growth until you know what you are dealing with. If
wall cavities need to be opened for the purposes of testing,
this must be done by a qualified professional with minimal
damage to the wall itself.
Any of these types of destructive activities should only be
performed under proper containment procedures appropriate for
bioaerosols.
Entry points into a wall should be as small as possible
(usually no more than 1/2 inch in diameter). All entry
points or punctures in a wall suspected of mold growth must be
properly sealed afterwards to avoid mold spores from
aerosolizing.
Biocides: The use
of biocides is not recommended by our company, The Indoor Air
Quality Association (IAQA) nor by (ACGIH) American Conference
of Governmental Industrial Hygienist which is a leading body
in North America for Occupational and Environmental Safety as
well as bioaerosol testing and remediation. Biocides are
not an easy fix for mold in buildings even though many
manufacturers claim that they are. Biocides kill the
viability of the mold spore and can prevent mold growth from
spreading. However, biocides do not remove the toxic
properties of a mold species. By spraying biocides on
mold growth you will only retard mold growth itself.
Dead mold spores can have the same toxic properties as viable
or living mold spores. The possible toxic health effects
are not properly addressed through this method.
Drying: Depending
on the situation, it is not always advisable to dry out mold
growth. By drying out mold growth you are removing part
of its sustainability and food source. If a mold species
is growing on building materials and the moisture is removed
too soon before remediation, mold spores could aerosolize as a
natural survival mechanism of the mold itself. Some
species of mold like Stachybotrys needs a lot of moisture for
growth. As long as it is wet this type of mold does not
easily aerosolize. If this type of mold growth is dried
out and not immediately removed, it may become aerosolized.
Moisture intrusion into a building should be addressed as
soon as possible, but so should remediation of the mold
growth.
Call us at (647)
349-3669 for further information
For more information on mould,
call us today. Toronto and Surrounding Area
Note:
The above information is a general overview only! It is
not intended for use in diagnosis of health effects, or
medical conditions in any way. Users of this site should
consult with their doctor, or environmental health
practitioner for specific information or health effects from
exposure to mold and toxins. If you believe that you
have been exposed to mold or are feeling any health symptoms -
consult your physician immediately.
The above is not intended to be used
as a guide or protocol for mould remediation since it is not
complete by any means.
Mould Dog
