Mold Remediation | VCE Publications | Virginia Tech

We will focus, in the rest of this publication, on mold clean-up and removal. However, the Virginia Cooperative Extension MOLD PREVENTION Fact Sheet has helpful information on solving and preventing water and moisture problems that can lead to mold problems.

Another key part of a mold remediation plan is to consider the extent of the mold contamination. This is critical to several decisions that must be made about cleaning and removing the mold. We are going to follow the protocol of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which considers small, medium, and large areas of mold contamination. Lets define what is meant by the different size areas, and then we can discuss more about how the size or extent of mold contamination determines mold clean-up and removal.

As you evaluate the amount of mold you have to clean and remove, do not forget to consider the possibility of hidden mold. This mold problem can greatly increase the amount or extent of a mold problem.

If you can see mold or smell the distinctive musty odor of mold, you have mold. If you have water problems in your home that have caused building materials to become wet for extended periods of time, you probably have mold. Testing for mold will most likely not tell you anything you do not already know you have mold, and it needs to be remediated.

Mold testing may document the type of mold, but this usually is not an issue in remediation. Mold testing can confirm mold growth, but that typically is known before testing is requested. Mold testing cannot tell you where the mold is growing. Mold testing takes time and this can interfere with getting the mold cleaned and removed.

There are no governmental standards for mold levels. Therefore, mold testing cannot be used to tell whether a building is in compliance with any standards for mold control.

Occasionally, mold testing may be advised. In some situations, a health concern suggests that the mold species needs to be identified. Litigation may require testing, especially to document reduction in mold levels with cleaning and removal. If you decide to test, a professional that follows a protocol from the American Industrial Hygiene Association (www.aiha.org) or the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (www.acgih.org) is recommended.

Small Areas of Mold (Less than About 10 Square Feet)

These recommendations assume that mold has not penetrated the surface of the materials. If the mold has grown into the materials, or the materials are water damaged, remove, seal in plastic bags, and discard as normal waste.

The following is the recommended method for mold cleaning for most household materials. The exception is gypsum wall board (dry wall). For wall board, skip steps 1 and 2.

Medium Areas of Mold (About 10 to 100 Square Feet)

As a minimum, the area of mold needs to be a limited containment area that separates it from the rest of the building to minimize the spread of mold spores. Limited containment requires:

With larger areas of mold contamination, there is likely to be materials where mold has penetrated the surface of the material. This is particularly true of cellulosic or porous materials like carpet, carpet backing, upholstery, wall board, insulation, and wood. These materials will need to be removed and discarded. Remove all moldy material plus material extending about 12 inches around the contaminated area. Seal the moldy materials in plastic bags while in the containment area and discard as normal waste.

Once the mold contaminated area has been isolated as a limited containment area and contaminated materials are discarded, the cleaning protocol is the same as for smaller areas of mold.

Large Area of Mold Contamination (Over 100 Square Feet)

As recommended above, mold contamination this extensive should be handled by a trained professional who will fully contain the mold contaminated area.

Chlorine bleach is a biocide, which means that it is a disinfectant chemical that will kill germs to control infections. Bleach may kill the mold spores, but it does not remove the mold hyphae. Using bleach to clean mold may not be adequate to stop mold growth or prevent health effects from mold byproducts. In addition, bleach evaporates easily and can affect indoor air quality. Therefore, in most situations, using a biocide to clean mold is not recommended.

Cleaning mold from flood waters or sewer back-up is a unique situation where biocides may be used. In these situations, the water leading to mold growth was contaminated and the biocide is part of the decontamination process. It would be very important that any detergents or cleaning products used to clean and remove mold are non-ammonia, in case they mix with bleach. Bleach and ammonia will form poisonous gas.

Personal protection is very important when working in mold contaminated areas or cleaning and/or removing mold. Anyone in the mold contaminated area should have the same personal protection equipment. A long sleeve shirt and long pants are suggested to protect arms and legs. In addition, the minimum safety protection is:

If working in a limited containment area, such as for a medium area of mold contamination, a half-face respirator with a HEPA filter is recommended.

Plus, the following additional protection is needed:

Any clothes, shoes, or protective equipment worn in the mold contaminated area should be removed in that area and cleaned before leaving the area. Alternatively, clothes and equipment can be placed in plastic bags and taken outside of the building for cleaning. This is to prevent mold spores from being distributed all over the building.

Link:
Mold Remediation | VCE Publications | Virginia Tech