It is Everywhere …
Ten Things You Should Know About Mould:
1. Potential health effects and symptoms associated with mould exposures include allergic reactions, asthma, and other respiratory complaints.
2. There is no practical way to eliminate all mould and mould spores in the indoor environment; the way to control indoor mould growth is to control moisture.
3. If mould is a problem in your home or building, you must clean up the mould and eliminate sources of moisture.
4. Fix the source of the water problem or leak to prevent mould growth.
5. Reduce indoor humidity (to 30-60% ) to decrease mould growth by: venting bathrooms, dryers, and other moisture-generating sources to the outside; using air conditioners and de-humidifiers; increasing ventilation; and using exhaust fans whenever cooking, dishwashing, and cleaning.
6. Clean and dry any damp or wet building materials and furnishings within 24-48 hours to prevent mould growth.
7. Clean mould off hard surfaces with water and detergent, and dry completely. Absorbent materials such as ceiling tiles, that are mould, may need to be replaced.
8. Prevent condensation: Reduce the potential for condensation on cold surfaces (i.e., windows, piping, exterior walls, roof, or floors) by adding insulation.
9. In areas where there is a perpetual moisture problem, do not install carpeting on concrete floors with leaks or frequent condensation.
10. Moulds can be found almost anywhere; they can grow on virtually any substance, providing moisture is present. There are moulds that can grow on wood, paper, carpet, and foods.
Mould contaminated home needs mould inspection, mould testing, mould identification, mould sampling and mould remediation by professionals to get rid of toxic mould which can cause severe health effects and diseases to man, animals and plants and can also cause material decay.
Call Clean Air Services.
What you should NOT do when faced with possible mould growth!
Cleaning Mould:
Extreme caution should be exercised when attempting to clean up mould. Mould growth from condensation around windows or on bathroom tiles if it is topical in nature and minimal in growth can be cleaned up. Avoid bleaches or chemical biocides since these do not work and cause other environmental problems and health issues. Soapy water with white vinegar, borax and water solution, or a detergent works very well in cleaning up mould.
If the mould growth is on drywall, wood beams, carpeting, insulation, etc, you should have it tested to determine the type, quantity and toxic effects of the mould growth. The cause and extent of the mould problem must also be determined prior to any clean up procedure. Proper care must be taken to protect the individual, occupants as well as the remainder of the building when removing mould or materials suspected of mould.
Disturbing Mould Growth:
Mould growth should be disturbed as little as possible. If mould growth areas are touched, scrubbed, dried out or otherwise disturbed, mould spores may aerosolize and became part of the breathable air. This may cause ingestion and inhalation of potentially toxic mould spores which could lead to a variety of serious health effects.
Avoid ripping up carpeting, destruction of drywall or any other destructive activities on building materials showing mould growth until you know what you are dealing with. If wall cavities need to be opened for the purposes of testing, this must be done by a qualified professional with minimal damage to the wall itself.
Any of these types of destructive activities should only be performed under proper containment procedures appropriate for bioaerosols.
Entry points into a wall should be as small as possible (usually no more than 1/2 inch in diameter). All entry points or punctures in a wall suspected of mould growth must be properly sealed afterwards to avoid mould spores from aerosolizing.
Biocides:
The use of biocides is not recommended by our company. Biocides are not an easy fix for mould in buildings even though many manufacturers claim that they are. Biocides kill the viability of the mould spore and can prevent mould growth from spreading. However, biocides do not remove the toxic properties of a mould species. By spraying biocides on mould growth you will only retard mould growth itself. Dead mould spores can have the same toxic properties as viable or living mould spores. The possible toxic health effects are not properly addressed through this method.
Drying:
Depending on the situation, it is not always advisable to dry out mould growth. By drying out mould growth you are removing part of its sustainability and food source. If a mould species is growing on building materials and the moisture is removed too soon before remediation, mould spores could aerosolize as a natural survival mechanism of the mould itself. Some species of mould like Stachybotrys needs a lot of moisture for growth. As long as it is wet this type of mould does not easily aerosolize. If this type of mould growth is dried out and not immediately removed, it may become aerosolized.
Moisture intrusion into a building should be addressed as soon as possible, but so should remediation of the mould growth.
Laboratory Testing:
Laboratory testing can identify the species of mould and quantity of mould spores in walls and in the air.
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