Re: Spraying for Mold?

[Guest guest]

Joanne,

There are dozens and dozens of " sprays " and other " magic

bullets " available for killing and preventing mold. Unfortunately,

most are brag and bluster and irrelevant to the problem.

A small amount of mold, whatever that means, in the crawlspace

can be wiped or sanded off to remove it. If the moisture source is

gone or stopped than no more mold will grow. Problem solved.

If the current mold is sprayed without removal then the EPA label

regulation is probably being violated because it requires removal

first. Killing mold won't stop new mold from growing on the wet

spot. Preventive sprays (?) or, better, coatings can delay growth

of new mold on the wet spot but only for a few weeks.

The key is to stop the moisture and remove what has already

grown on surfaces in the crawlspace. That's it.

Because the moisture source is a known plumbing leak and it has

been repaired then a cleanup of the affected area is all that is

required. BTW, there is more to dampness indoor than just mold.

Addressing only the mold without the other effects is a mistake.

Fortunately, the removal of mold is also the removal of the other

problems. I added this last bit to emphasize that if those advising

your daughter were really interested in helping they would not talk

only about mold.

Carl Grimes

Healthy Habitats LLC

-----

My daughter just purchased a house in Georgia that was found to have a

small amount of mold underneath it in a crawl space. A plumbing leak

that caused the mold has now been repaired. She is being advised that

there is a product which can be sprayed over the mold inside this crawl

space to stop further growth. Anyone ever heard of such a spray?

Joanne

----------

The following section of this message contains a file attachment

prepared for transmission using the Internet MIME message format.

If you are using Pegasus Mail, or any other MIME-compliant system,

you should be able to save it or view it from within your mailer.

If you cannot, please ask your system administrator for assistance.

---- File information -----------

File: DEFAULT.BMP

Date: 16 Jun 2009, 0:10

Size: 358 bytes.

Type: Unknown

[Guest guest]

Joanne,

I fully agree with Carl's advice. Spraying mold might " kill " the mold, but new

growth will eventually occur if the moisture issue is not addressed.

Another issue of importance is that dead mold is still allergenic, and people

can react equally dead and live mold. The act of " spraying " the mold can

aerosolize the mold spores. Once aerosolized that will eventually enter the

occupied spaces due to pressure differentials, stack effect, and vapor

diffusion.

Any work that is done in the crawlspace must be performed under containment

conditions, with the crawlspace depressurized with HEPA-filtered negative air.

I also recommend protecting the indoor environment by covering the floor above

the work area. If carpet is present, the carpeting and pad should be disengaged

and the sub-floor covered.

I would be concerned that mold in the crawlspace has already entered the

occupied spaces. Collection of a composite dust sample to be submitted for ERMI

analysis is recommended to assess the moldiness of the occupied areas.

Connie Morbach, M.S., CHMM, CIE

Sanit-Air, Inc.

cleanlinest.com

>

> Joanne,

>

> There are dozens and dozens of " sprays " and other " magic

> bullets " available for killing and preventing mold. Unfortunately,

> most are brag and bluster and irrelevant to the problem.

>

> A small amount of mold, whatever that means, in the crawlspace

> can be wiped or sanded off to remove it. If the moisture source is

> gone or stopped than no more mold will grow. Problem solved.

>

> >

> Carl Grimes

> Healthy Habitats LLC

>