Find Mold, Stop Mold, Prevent Mold!

Mold Remediation in Florida

Janie Porter, a reporter from Tampa Bay 10 News, writes about a specific local mold remediation problem:

Visit Mold in Your Home to read the local story.

How to Find, Stop, and Prevent Mold

She also offers a list of steps to find mold, and then remove and prevent further growth.

Read the following:

• Finding Mold

1. Mold is usually associated with a musty smell in the house.

2. Small surface patches of mold on bath tiles or around the shower usually aren’t a problem, unless the mold has reached the wallboard underneath.

3. To find mold, check beneath carpets and around windows. Also, check water hoses on appliances like refrigerators, water heaters and laundry machines.

Source: Consumer Reports

• Stopping Mold

1. Use plastic sheeting to contain and prevent mold spores from spreading.

2. If the mold covers less than 10 square feet, you may be able to take care of the problem yourself.

3. Begin by protecting yourself with an N-95 disposable respirator approved by the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health; goggles; and heavy-duty rubber, neoprene, or PVC gloves. Packages of N-95 respirators cost about $12 to $25 and are available in hardware and building-supply stores, by mail, and online.

4. Bag and discard any carpet, ceiling tiles, wallboard, paper, insulation, or other porous materials that have been wet for 48 hours or more.

5. Scrub other materials with a strong solution of detergent and water or 1 cup of chlorine bleach per 5 gallons of water.

6. Wood studs and exposed joists may have to be wire-scrubbed with bleach, sanded, and dried out before reinstalling wallboard and flooring.

7. If the mold covers more than 10 square feet, you’ll need to hire a professional mold remediator.

Source: Consumer Reports

• Preventing Mold

1. Check water hoses on things like refrigerators and water heaters once a month.

2. Don’t use wallpaper or carpets in bathrooms and other damp areas.

3. Repair leaky roofs, poor or missing chimney and window flashing, missing or damaged shingles or siding, and leaky pipes.

4. Repair or replace damaged gutters and leaders.

5. Keep humidity levels in the house between 30 and 50 percent by running the air conditioner and installing outside-venting fans in bathrooms. Also, invest in a dehumidifier. For tips on buying a dehumidifier, click here.

6. To grow, mold needs about 65 percent relative humidity for three to six days. You can measure relative humidity using a hygrometer.

Source: Consumer Reports

Further Recommended Reading :

• Tips for Mold Cleanup
• 3 Tips for Do-It-Yourself Mold Removal

Joslyn from the Moldblogger Team

Source: Janie Porter from Tampa Bay 10 News