How to Remediate Mold
Be careful of mold remediation tutorials that claim you can simply spray the mold with some kind of solution and that is it. This usually only cleans surface of the mold, which will eventually lead to it growing back. If you have mold in your property it is important that you get it remediated properly in order to prevent it from growing back and causing health issues. Although we highly recommend calling the number on our website for a free quote from a professional in the USA, it is also possible to do it yourself in some situations.
Here is a step by step guide on how to clean mold from your property:
Step 1: Put On Safety Equipment
It is important that you use proper safety equipment during this process to prevent exposure to mold spores. The equipment used during this process should be santizable and disposable to avoid contamination.
Here is what you’ll need:
- Safety Goggles
- Gloves
- Dust masks or respirators
- Full body suits
Step 2: Detect the Mold and Moisture Throughout Your Property
Mold needs moisture in order to grow, so the two are usually found together. We recommend using a moisture meter in order to detect the moisture levels in different parts of your property. If you notice any areas of your property that have a lot of moisture, you should check for leaks or hire a leak detection professional.
Step 3: Move or Dispose of Contaminated Personal Belongings
Mold can easily contaminate your furniture and other personal items. In this step of the process, we recommend that you dispose of any materials that may be heavily contaminated. These can lead to the mold growing back after you remediate it. Other items may be able to be simply cleaned and put back, but we recommend that you hire a mold specialist to make these decisions.
You can get a free estimate from a mold professional anywhere in the USA by calling the number on our website.
Step 3: Isolate the Contaminated Area
In this step we need to make sure that the mold doesn’t spread during the remediation process. To do that you should close off any vents and use 6 mil polyethylene sheeting like the product found at this link to create a barrier around the contaminated area.
Step 4: Ventilation and Negative Air Pressure
Poor ventilation is one of the factors that leads to mold growth. If there is mold in your property, it is generally a good idea to open your doors and windows when possible. In addition to doing that, you can further ventilate the area by applying negative air pressure using an exhaust fan like the one found here.
Step 5: Set Up a HEPA filter
Mold spores can cause health issues and lead to further mold growth. We recommend you use a HEPA filter to help remove mold spores from the air. The added benefit of using a HEPA filter like the one we mentioned above is that it cleans the air of other toxins as well.
Step 6: Demolition
Now that the area has been properly secured and prepared, it is time to remove the mold damaged building materials. Before you begin make sure to that you know what the building materials are made of. If they are made of asbestos or some other hazardous materials, you should hire an asbestos professional to help you with this.
Step 7: Disposing of the Contaminated Building Materials
In order to prevent the mold from returning, it is important to properly dispose of the contaminated building materials. To do this, we recommend double bagging the contaminated building materials in plastic bags that are at least 6 mil thick.
Step 8: Clean the Remaining Mold
After the the building materials with the major mold damage has been removed, you can clean the remaining mold with wire brushes and disposable wipes. Make sure to clean or dispose of any items that may be used to clean the mold.
Step 9: Dry the Moisture
Moisture is one of the key factors mold needs in order to grow. In order to dry the moisture we recommend using specialized water damage restoration fans like this one, and dehumidifiers like this one.
Step 10: Reconstruction and Putting Back Your Personal Belongings
Once the contaminated materials have been removed and disposed of it is time to reconstruct the demolished areas. We suggest that you use waterproof materials to reduce the chances of getting water damage and mold again.
Conclusion
While mold remediation is possible to do yourself, you want to make sure you do it correctly to avoid mold from growing back. That is why we recommend hiring a professional to make sure it is done correctly the first time.
You can get a free estimate from a mold specialist anywhere in the USA by calling the number listed at the top of our website.