Mold Removal 101: How to Remove Mold | Mold Removal Monmouth

 In Mold, Mold Removal

Mold Removal 101: How to Remove Mold – No house, business or other structure is immune to mold. It happens – especially in those damp, moist areas like bathrooms, attics and crawlspaces. There are things you can do to reduce the chances of mold forming, like installing exhaust fans in your bathrooms, but sometimes it’s unavoidable. Most types of mold are harmless, but you can never be sure. That’s why you should always call a mold inspection company first and let the professionals handle it.

However, for small infestations of mold, sometimes DIY’ers want to attempt the removal job themselves before the infestation gets out of hand. Be sure to don the proper protective clothing, gloves and eyewear first. For small areas of mold in your shower or along the grout lines of your tile, most cleaning supplies purchased at the store will do the trick. Make sure the products you buy contain bleach. In fact, simple bleach and water will suffice. For larger areas, you’ll need to do a little more work.

For larger areas with more extensive water damage to carpet, for example, heed these tips so you don’t breathe in harmful mold spores and VOCs:

  • Wear clothes you don’t care about that can be thrown away afterwards.
  • Wear a respirator or face mask, goggles and gloves.
  • Run an exhaust fan.
  • Cut the carpeting into 6 x 8-ft. sections using a utility knife, being sure to mist the surface with a water bottle so spores don’t spread.
  • Roll up the cut sections.
  • Wrap in thick plastic twice and secure with duct tape.

If you suspect mold damage is in the walls, cut the drywall to find the mold and allow it to dry out. If the mold has been there for some time, you’ll likely notice rotting conditions. Remove and replace soft studs and wall sheathing and treat the affected areas with a wood preservative after it’s dried. Add new pressure-treated wood.

Now it’s time to clean up. Use a wet/dry vac to get all the debris up. Afterwards, clean the vacuum inside and out, replace the filter and wash all attachments in bleach and water. Keep dehumidifiers and fans running to speed up the drying of the area. Do this for a few days. If you see or smell new areas of mold, clean the affected area again with the bleach. Repeat the process of drying until you no longer detect the presence of mold. Seal all wood surfaces then paint the walls with latex paint containing mildewcide to keep future growth of mold at bay. If dealing with tiles, apply grout sealer.

We recommend calling a professional for this job, as the average homeowner doesn’t know if the mold they’re dealing with is harmless or something much more dangerous, such as toxic black mold. Best not to take a chance. Call Stock Environmental Consulting at 732-383-5190 to schedule your mold testing and inspection today.

 

 

Recent Posts

Leave a Comment

Contact Us

We're not around right now. But you can send us an email and we'll get back to you, asap.

Start typing and press Enter to search