Mold is a fungus that can grow on almost any surface. Mold spores can easily become airborne, and when they land, new mold growth can be established. The mold spores may grow quickly when they land on a moist surface, and they may thrive in environments where the temperature is between 40 and 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Because basements are commonly rather damp areas, mold growth in this area of the home is common. It is best to treat and kill mold before the area of growth becomes significant. If your affected area is small, such as 15 square feet or less, you may consider following a do-it-yourself approach. If more significant mold growth is present, however, it is best to use the services of a professional due to the associated health risks as well as the possibility that mold spores may spread throughout the home.
Preliminary Safety Precautions
Exposure to mold can result in minor to serious health effects, such as an allergic response, an asthma flare-up or even serious respiratory conditions. Because of this, it is important to consider taking all safety precautions as you get started with the mold removal process. First, you should seal your basement off from the rest of the home to prevent mold spores from spreading throughout the home. You can cover the air ducts as well as the doors with plastic sheet. Air ducts can be taped while the doors may use an overlapping sheeting method. Dress yourself in old or disposable clothing that can be thrown into the trash after the process is done. Purchase safety goggles, disposable gloves and N-95 or P-100 respirators for this task. For adequate ventilation, place a box fan in an open window. This fan will need to be thrown away when done as it will be impossible to clean. Be sure to seal the window opening with plastic and cardboard so that the mold spores do not re-enter the basement. Finally, purchase heavy-duty trash bags and a garden sprayer filled with a mildicide.
Removing the Mold
After following a few preliminary steps, you will be ready to begin the mold removal process.
– Eliminate sources of moisture and humidity in the area, such as from plumbing leaks, HVAC condensation or other factors.
– Use a do-it-yourself mold testing kit to determine if mold spores are present in the air or on surfaces inside the home. However, you should be aware that these tests are not always reliable or accurate, and they are known for giving false positive results. A moisture meter, fiber optic inspection device or cavity mold testing device may be used to locate mold growing inside the walls and other surfaces.
– Test your HVAC duct register to determine if mold spores may be entering the space from other areas of the home.
– You may consider using a mold fogging agent with an EPA-approved mold killer to spread fungicide throughout the HVAC system and ducts. A mold killer may be dangerous to the home’s inhabitants, so these agents should be used with extreme care, and the home’s inhabitants may need to leave the home during this process.
– Keep in mind that mold feeds on paint, and this includes the popular Kilz product. Even paints that contain a mildicide often are not strong enough to provide the desired results. Therefore, the mold should be killed and removed rather than concealed.
– If the area is damp, you should purchase or rent a large fan or dehumidifier to thoroughly dry out the space. The exhaust for the units should result in ventilation flowing outdoors.
– Avoid using chlorine bleach to kill mold. It has been proven that bleach will not effectively kill toxic mold, and it can also destroy wood and other materials that are vital to your home’s structural integrity.
– Spray the affected area with a fungicide like KCT QUAT. Allow the spray to dry completely, and repeat the process. Once it has dried again, use a HEPA vacuum cleanr to remove mold spores from the surface.
– Some materials, such as ceiling tiles, insulation, plywood and drywall, may need to be thrown away in plastic bags.
– For structural or support beams, use a grinder with a wire brush tool, a planer or another similar type of power tool to remove the remaining mold growth from the surface of the materials.
– Once all visible signs of mold growth have been removed and mold spores have been vacuumed away, spray the entire area with KCT QUAT again. This step should be performed twice, and the fungicide should be allowed to dry between applications.
– Keep in mind that mold can stain surfaces, so stained areas may need to be sanded down.
– A final coat of Klean Shield Mold Encapsulant or another type of liquid fungicide should be applied.
– As a final step, perform another mold test to ensure that you have removed all areas of contamination.
Removing mold from your home must be done, and it can be a difficult, dirty job. More than that, exposure to mold spores can affect your health. If you aren’t sure that you are up to the task or feel that the task may be too big for you to handle, you should consider calling a professional to your home for mold remediation service.