Health Concerns

Molds can be categorized into three primary harmful types:

• Allergenic mold: often mild but can cause symptoms like stuffy nose and itchy eyes, especially with prolonged exposure.
• Pathogenic mold: threatens those with weaker immune systems. Key varieties are:
  • Aspergillus: present in dust and soil; leads to fever and cough.
  • Cryptococcus neoformans: inhaled and can later trigger fungal meningitis.
  • Histoplasma capsulatum: located in soil; its spores, when inhaled, can induce pneumonia.
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• Toxigenic (Black) mold: though varied in nature, they emit harmful mycotoxins that can have severe health implications.
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For black mold concerns, prompt cleanup is advised to ensure health safety.

Many medical professionals find it difficult to diagnose symptoms that are caused by mold. That's because reactions to mold exposure are the same as many of the symptoms of common colds and allergies. Mold is extremely common and you can't completely avoid being exposed to it, no matter how careful you are. Besides conducting skin prick tests or blood tests, sometimes the only way to determine if a person is being affected by mold is to have that person stay out of a suspected building or room.

Allergic reactions to mold can be immediate or delayed. The Mayo Clinic notes that a person who is sensitive to mold may experience milder symptoms such as:

• Eye irritations
• Runny or stuffy nose
• Sneezing and/or coughing
• Nose and throat irritation
• Headache and fatigue
• Skin rashes
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...or more serious issues that can include:

• Mold-induced severe asthma attacks
• Lung infections and inflammation
• Sinusitis
• Allergic rhinitis
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Medical professionals tell us that there are medications that can ease these more serious symptoms, but there is no sure way of curing them completely. This is why mold removal is an important part of responding to allergies and is best left to a trained professional.

Health Precautions for Mold Removal

One of the most important considerations when attempting to remove mold from a building is the risk of exposure to residents and workers. Our mold removal specialists use the following protection measures to keep themselves safe during the remediation:

• They wear NIOSH-approved N-95 rated respiratory protection that covers their nose and mouth. These are two of the more common ways that mold can enter a body. Respirators can be of either half-face or full-face design.
• They wear protective clothing that can be washed or disposed of upon completion of their work.
• They wear gloves to protect their hands from being scratched or cut.
• They wear goggles that do not have ventilation holes to protect their eyes (eyes are often an unconsidered entry point for mold spores)
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The Proper Sequence for a Mold Removal Process

A guide for mold removal has been established by the IICRC, the S520 Standard for Professional Mold Remediation. All mold removal contractors should be familiar with and adhere to these standards.

1. Identify the affected areas through a mold inspection.

A professional mold inspection, like those done by FDP Mold Remediation, can help minimize your family's health risks due to exposure. A professional inspection can find hidden mold in places you can't see, between walls, under flooring, or in an attic. Initial mold inspections can vary but may require: a non-intrusive visual inspection, the collection of bulk samples using swabs and tapes, air sampling, and intrusive inspections to check in wall cavities by removing a portion of drywall. In addition, temperature and relative humidity in the affected area must be determined.

2. Repair for mold prevention.

Mold needs moisture, which can be the result of broken or dripping pipes, a roof leak, faulty appliances like washers, dryers, and ice makers, flooding, or an above normal humidity level - one that is over 60%. Before you can stop mold growth, you must identify and eliminate the mold's moisture source and dry the area. Without removing the moisture source, mold will regain its hold on the property in no time.

3. Establish containment in any areas/rooms affected by the mold.

Containment is the process of installing a barrier to isolate the affected areas from unaffected ones, thus preventing cross contamination. This is usually done by using heavy plastic sheeting, or it can be as simple as closing a doorway and covering heat registers and cold air returns.
Once the work area is separated from the rest of the structure, negative air pressure is established within the contained areas so that air is pulled in through any gaps or crevices in the containment. Any mold spores that become airborne during physical removal cannot escape the contained area due to an established air pressure differential. This assists the remediation technicians in capturing mold spores moving through the air inside the contained areas.

4. Conduct a thorough cleaning and removal process.

This process should start with vacuuming with high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) machines, followed by damp-wiping remaining surfaces with an antimicrobial agent. This damp-wiping stage may require more than one pass to ensure the area is completely free of mold and mold spores. Other than structural components that can be successfully cleaned, all porous (water-absorbing) materials need to be cut out for later disposal and restoration. Examples of porous materials can include carpeting, drywall, paper-backed vinyl flooring, ceiling tiles, and cardboard. Click here to read more about mold removal and anti-microbial treatments process.

5. Affected areas need to be dried and rebuilt.

Repairs should never be done until all remaining structural components are dried back to acceptable standards. An acceptable level is one that is within 10% of what the materials were in their pre-loss condition. Material replacement before complete drying may result in the mold redeveloping. Once the property is dry, it can be restored.

6. Safe disposal of contaminated building materials.

Any contaminated building materials that have been removed can't just be thrown out in the trash. Materials are handled in a particular way to ensure that the mold spores they contain do not have the opportunity to spread.

7. Conduct post-remediation inspection and clearance testing.

This is an evaluation of all affected areas to determine that the mold has been completely removed. If clearance testing is performed, it should be done before removing any containment or shutting down any air filtering devices being used.

Warning: Products and methods that DON'T remove mold

Several products are commonly believed to remove mold but are ineffective or, in some cases, might even exacerbate the problem. Some products that do not effectively remove mold include:

Bleach

Contrary to what people might read on the Internet, bleach is not an effective mold remover when it comes to porous surfaces. Bleach is a great disinfectant, but it is composed of 94-95% water and only 5-6% chlorine. It's the chlorine in the bleach that does the killing. And chlorine is scientifically designed NOT to penetrate into porous materials.

Paint

Painting over mold does not kill or prevent mold. There are mold-resistant paints available, but they prevent new mold growth and do not treat existing mold.

Vinegar and Baking Soda

Though often recommended as natural solutions, neither vinegar nor baking soda is 100% effective against all mold types. They might help in mild mold situations but aren't a surefire solution for severe mold infestations.

Ammonia

Like bleach, ammonia might kill surface mold on non-porous materials, but it doesn't prevent mold spores from returning.

Desiccants (like Silica Gel)

These materials absorb moisture and might help prevent mold growth, but they don't remove existing mold.

UV Light

While UV light can kill mold spores, it doesn't remove them or the toxins they produce.

It's essential to use products and methods designed specifically for mold removal, especially for larger infestations. If mold is a persistent problem, consulting with professionals is advised.

Reasons to Hire a Professional to Remediate Mold

The purpose of any mold removal process is to correct any moisture issue and to safely remove the mold, mold spores, and all mold-contaminated materials. Simply killing the mold is never enough. Mold and mold spores need to be physically removed from the building in a safe, controlled manner, to prevent the infestation from returning. Green Carpet Mold Remediation is a recognized expert in the field of mold removal and remediation. Don't wait! The sooner we address the problem, the less damage to you and your family's health, as well as your home or