| How do I tell if I have a mold problem? |
 Investigate, don't test. The most practical way to find a
mold problem is by using your eyes to look for mold growth and by using your
nose to locate the source of a suspicious odor. If you see mold or if there
is an earthy or musty smell, you should assume a mold problem exists. Other
clues are signs of excess moisture or the worsening of allergy-like symptoms. |
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Look for visible mold growth
(may appear cottony, velvety, granular, or leathery and have varied
colors of white, gray, brown, black, yellow, green). Mold often appears
as discoloration, staining, or fuzzy growth on the surface of building
materials or furnishings. When mold is visible, testing is not
recommended. |
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Search areas with noticeable
mold odors. |
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Look for signs of excess
moisture or water damage. Look for water leaks, standing water, water
stains, condensation problems. For example, do you see any watermarks of
discoloration on walls, ceilings, carpet, woodwork or other building
materials? |
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Search behind and underneath
materials (carpet and pad, wallpaper, vinyl flooring, sink cabinets),
furniture, or stored items (especially things placed near outside walls
or on cold floors). Sometimes destructive techniques may be needed to
inspect and clean enclosed spaces where mold and moisture are hidden;
for example, opening up a wall cavity. |
| Should I test for mold? |
| We do not recommend testing for mold yourself. Instead,
you should simply assume there is a problem whenever you see mold or smell
mold odors. Testing should never take the place of visual inspection and it
should never use up resources that are needed to correct moisture problems
and remove all visible growth. |
| Sometimes, mold growth is hidden and difficult to locate.
In such cases, a combination of air (outdoor and indoor air samples) and bulk
(material) samples may help determine the extent of contamination and where
cleaning is needed. However, mold testing is rarely useful for trying to
answer questions about health concerns. |
| Mold Clean-up and Removal |
| To clean up and remove indoor mold growth: |
Identify and Fix the Moisture problem-
the most important step in solving a mold problem is to
identify and correct the moisture sources that allowed the growth in the
first place. Common indoor moisture sources include: |
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Flooding |
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Condensation (caused by
indoor humidity that is too high or surfaces that are too cold) |
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Movement through basement
walls and slab |
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Roof leaks |
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Plumbing leaks |
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Overflow from tubs, sinks, or toilets |
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Firewood stored indoors |
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Humidifier use |
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Inadequate venting of kitchen and bath humidity |
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Improper venting of combustion appliances |
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Failure to vent clothes dryer exhaust outdoors (including electric dryers) |
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Line drying laundry indoors |
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House plants - watering them
can generate large amounts of moisture |
| To
keep indoor surfaces as dry as possible, try to maintain the home's relative
humidity between 20-40 percent in the winter and less than 60 percent the
rest of the year. You can purchase devices to measure relative humidity at
some home supply stores. Ventilation, air circulation near cold surfaces,
dehumidification, and efforts to minimize the production of moisture in the
home are all very important in controlling high humidity that frequently
causes mold growth in our cold climate. |
Begin Drying All Wet Materials-
as soon as possible, begin drying any materials that are wet. For severe
moisture problems, use fans and dehumidifiers and move wet items away from
walls and off floors. Check with equipment rental companies or restoration
firms to see if you can rent fans and dehumidifiers. |
| FOLLOW NEW YORK
CITY DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND
MENTAL HYGIENE GUIDES AND
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR MOLD REMEDIATION |
http://www.nyc.gov/html/doh/html/epi/moldrpt1.shtml
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Remove and Dispose of Contaminated Mold Materials-
items which have absorbed moisture (porous
materials) and which have mold growing on them need to be removed, bagged and
thrown out. Such materials may include sheet rock, insulation, plaster,
carpet/carpet pad, ceiling tiles, wood products (other than solid wood), and
paper products. Likewise, any such porous materials that have contacted
sewage should also be bagged and thrown away. Non-porous materials with
surface mold growth may be saved if they are cleaned well and kept dry. |
-Take Steps to Protect Yourself
the amount of mold particles in air can increase greatly when mold is
disturbed. Consider using protective equipment when handling or working
around mold contaminated materials. The following equipment can help
minimize exposure to mold: |
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Rubber gloves |
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Eye goggles |
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Outer clothing (long
sleeves and long pants) that can be easily removed in the work area
and laundered or discarded |
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Medium-efficiency or
high-efficiency filter dust mask (these can be found at safety
equipment suppliers, hardware stores, or some other large stores that
sell home repair supplies) -- at a minimum, use an N-95 or equivalent
dust mask |
-Take Steps to protect Others
plan and
perform all work to minimize the amount of dust generated. The
following actions can help minimize the spread of mold spores: |
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Enclose all moldy materials in plastic (bags or sheets) before carrying through the home |
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Hang plastic sheeting to separate the work area from the rest of the home |
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Remove outer layer of work clothing in the work area and wash separately or bag |
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Damp clean the entire work
area to pick up settled contaminants in dust |
-Clean Surfaces
surface mold growing on non-porous materials such as hard plastic, concrete,
glass, metal, and solid wood can usually be cleaned. Cleaning must remove and
capture the mold contamination, because dead spores and mold particles still
cause health problems if they are left in place. |
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Thoroughly scrub all contaminated surfaces using a stiff brush, hot water and a non-ammonia soap/detergent or commercial cleaner |
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Collect excess cleaning liquid with a wet/dry vacuum, mop or sponge |
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Rinse area with clean water and collect excess rinse water |
Disinfects Surfaces (if desired)
after cleaning has removed all visible mold and other soiling from
contaminated surfaces, a disinfectant may be used to kill mold missed by the
cleaning. In the case of sewage contamination, disinfection must be
performed. Contact your home inspector for advice. |
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Mix 1/4 to 1/2 cup bleach
per gallon of water and apply to surfaces where mold growth was visible
before cleaning. The solution can be applied with a spray bottle,
garden sprayer, it can be sponged on, or applied by other methods. |
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Collect any run-off of
bleach solution with a wet/ dry vacuum, sponge or mop. However, do not
rinse or wipe the bleach solution off the areas being treated -- allow
it to dry on the surface. |
| Always handle bleach with caution. Never mix bleach with ammonia -- toxic
chlorine gas may result. Bleach can irritate the eyes, nose, throat, and
skin. Provide fresh air (for example, open a window or door). Protect skin
and eyes from contact with bleach. Test solution on a small area before
treatment, since bleach is very corrosive and may damage some materials. |
Remain on Mold alert-
Continue looking for signs of moisture problems or return of mold growth. Be
particularly alert to moisture in areas of past growth. If mold returns,
repeat cleaning steps and consider using a stronger solution to disinfect the
area again. Regrowth may signal that the material should be removed or that
moisture is not yet controlled. |
| Can We Rebuild? |
| Rebuilding and refurnishing must wait until all affected
materials have dried completely. Be patient it takes time to dry out wet
building materials. |
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