Mold tips They're Getting Better

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Mold tips

September 24, 2005

Mold tips

Shreveport,LA

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To prevent mold growth after flooding:

Remove wet carpeting right away. It's best to discard it, but if you

choose to salvage carpet, clean, disinfect and dry quickly with

professional equipment or outdoors. Never reuse flooded padding.

Cut away wet wallboard and remove all wet and damp insulation right

away -- even if wallboard appears to dry. Wet insulation will stay

wet far too long, leading to the growth of hidden unhealthy mold and

decay fungi inside the walls.

Clean with non-phosphate detergents (any phosphate residue is mold

food). If you disinfect, follow directions carefully and never mix

bleach with ammonia or acids (vinegar). Disinfectants can kill

molds, but they do not prevent regrowth.

Do all you can to speed the drying of subfloors, slabs and wall

framing before replacing insulation, wallboard and flooring. Use air

conditioning or heaters, fans and, better yet, a dehumidifier. Water

damage restoration contractors with special equipment (dehumidifying

blowers) can provide the fastest drying.

Test the moisture content of studs and sheathing (using a moisture

detector) before replacing insulation. Wood should drop below 20

percent moisture content by weight before you close the wall.

Do not use vinyl wallpaper. It prevents further drying of the inside

of the wall by blocking air flow.

Minimize your exposure during cleanup. People are mainly exposed to

mold by breathing spores or fragments, but you can also be exposed

through skin contact. Wearing gloves and a respirator that can

filter mold spores (N-95 or better) is recommended.

Isolate work area and ventilate to outdoors. Disturbing mold

colonies can cause a massive release of spores, so seal off the

contaminated area from the rest of the house. If power is on, use a

fan to exhaust air to the outdoors.

Remove and discard moldy materials. Porous moldy or sewage-

contaminated materials should be removed, bagged and thrown away--

including gypsum wallboard, insulation, plaster, carpet/carpet pad,

ceiling tiles, processed wood products and paper. To minimize the

spread of spores, cover moldy material with plastic to contain

spores before removing and discard it. Even if not moldy, all wet

fibrous insulation and other materials that are unlikely to dry

quickly enough should be removed and replaced.

Clean surfaces. Surface mold on nonporous materials such as hard

plastic, concrete, glass, metal and solid wood usually can be

cleaned. Cleaning must remove, not just kill, the mold, because dead

spores can still cause health problems.

After cleaning, you may choose to use a disinfectant to kill any

mold missed by the cleaning. In the case of sewage contamination,

disinfection must be performed. Contact your local health department

for appropriate advice. On colorfast, nonmetal surfaces, you may

disinfect with a solution of ¼ to ½ cup bleach per gallon of water.

Do not use in the air system. Milder, less corrosive disinfectants

include alcohols, disinfecting cleaners and hydrogen peroxide.

Always handle with caution. Never mix bleach with ammonia, and test

on a small area.

Speed dry. Dry all wet materials as quickly as possible. Use air

conditioning or heat with fans and dehumidifiers, if possible. New

mold colonies can form in as little as three days if materials stay

wet. Wood and other materials that may look dry can still be wet

enough to support regrowth.

Find more information online at lsuagcenter.com and epa.gov/mold.

Source: LSU AgCenter

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©The Shreveport Times

September 24, 2005