Killing Mold is Not the True Answer

When most homeowners find mold in their homes, the first question that they typically ask themselves is “how do I kill it?”. This is not exactly the correct question that you should be asking yourself if you find the same problem in your home, because mold is literally everywhere. We will never be able to totally get rid of the mold in our homes or our air, but what we can do is reduce the amount that we breathe in to the point that it has no affect on our health.

The question that you need to be asking yourself is how to clean up the infestation that exists in your home to the point where it will not cause you any problems. Even dead mold and dead mold spores can cause allergic reactions, even though they are not able to grow anymore. Touching it can still give you rashes, because the body still recognizes it as something that it is allergic to, whether it is alive or dead.

What does not work is bleach. This will work on hard surfaces like tile or linoleum, but when it comes to porous surfaces such as drywall, it is not generally effective. It will not always be able to reach the whole infection in the drywall and if the mold has infected the whole depth of the board, no amount of bleach is going to get deep enough into the drywall to get rid of it. Many times you have to physically remove the infection by getting rid of the building materials that have it on them. This can be drywall, wooden beams, clothes, or anything else organic in your home.

Hire a mold inspector to come to your house if you suspect that there might be mold on your property. If it is visible to you, then you can go to the next step and hire someone to remove it for you or if you know anything about construction and interior remodeling, you can probably do it on your own. Make sure you have the proper equipment, though, so you can do it safely. Respirators with HEPA filters attached to them are best and having disposable coveralls made of plastic will also help. Latex gloves, shoe covers, and some duct tape to seal up the gaps in your suit are necessary, as well.

Jim Corkern is a writer and respected contributor to the Water damage restoration and mold remediation Industry. Visit his sites for more information.
http://www.floodingct.info
http://www.floodedbasementnj.info