I'm sure most of you have had to clean mold from one of your new homes. In almost all cases, it's NOT the manufacturer's fault. Their factories are very well ventilated and the material is kept clean and dry. I have never been in a factory with sustainable humidity levels above 40%, the percentage needed to sustain mold growth. I've been doing a lot of research on mold lately because the last couple of years I've seen an uptick in the number of new modulars with mold problems.
I visited a home in the mid Atlantic area two years ago that was completely black inside and out. It was a spec and had never been occupied and the builder couldn't sell it in that condition. He had closed it up for a couple of weeks when he went of vacation. Just TWO WEEKS! The painters and drywallers had just finished and the humidity was close to 98% the entire 2 weeks.
When he got back, he noticed quite a bit of mold throughout the house but thought he could just do a good cleaning and that would take care of the problem. It continued to spread and he finally had to completely gut the house, take off the siding and shingles and remove all the insulation. He hired a company to spray the wood structure and plywood and then he rebuilt the entire house. Cost: $105,000.
I'm not sure he declared the mold problem when he sold the house, but I sure wouldn't want to be the new homeowner! And if the mold comes back, the new owners will not only sue the builder but also the manufacturer and anyone else that had a hand in the cleanup and repair. So be very careful, mold is a very hot topic with home buyers.
According to Vicki Lankarge in her book “What Every Home Owner Needs to Know About Mold & What to Do About It,” mold remediation can be broken up into 5 levels: level one being the least contamination, level four being the most, and level five HVAC and air conditioning systems.
When dealing with mold contamination in your home it can be difficult to decide when a mold remediator is needed or what you can take care of yourself.
In the following 5 levels, you will have a guideline to go by when removing mold from your home :
5 Levels of Mold Remediation
Level I (10 square feet or less)
Smaller infestations categorized in level I is mostly found on ceilings or baseboards. Level I mold contamination may be cleaned without hiring a mold remediator, but there are several important safety precautions that you need to know :
1. Do not attempt cleaning mold if you suffer from asthma, allergies, or immune disorders
2. Wear gloves, eye protection, and an N95 disposable respirator
3. Vacate from your work area any infants less than 12 months old, individuals recovering from recent surgery, anyone with a suppressed immune system, or people with chronic lung diseases such as asthma, sever allergies, emphysema, etc.
4. Contaminated materials that cannot be cleaned should be removed from your home in a sealed plastic bag to prevent an infestation in another part of your home.
5. Clean your work area when you’re done with a damp cloth or mop.
6. Make sure all areas are left dry and visibly free of mold contamination.
Level II (10-30 square feet)
To remove mold from an area category the size of level II (probably one wall panel), the same precautions used in level I should be taken as well as the following :
1. Moldy materials should be covered with plastic sheets and sealed with tape before any handling or removal of materials. This will contain dust and debris. It may be wise to double wrap in plastic before escorting the moldy material from your home.
2. When the mold removal is finished, vacuum the work area with a HEPA vacuum. Clean the area with a damp cloth or mop.
Level III (30-100 square feet)
Mold contamination this size (patches of mold on several wall panels), should still be handled with the same precautions as level I and II as well as the following added measures :
1. Seal ventilation ducts/grills in the work area and areas directly adjacent with plastic sheeting.
2. Vacate everyone from your work area until work is completed. Further vacate adjacent work areas of any infants less than 12 months old, individuals recovering from recent surgery, anyone with a suppressed immune system, or people with chronic lung diseases such as asthma, sever allergies, emphysema, etc.
Level IV (greater than 100 square feet)
An infestation depending on how much greater than 100 square feet may require the assistance of a mold remediator. If not, the same requirements should be followed as were needed in levels I, II, and III along with the following :
1. Every worker must be trained in the handling of hazardous materials and equipped with full face respirators with high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) cartridges, with disposable protective clothing covering both head and shoes.
2. Make sure workers completely isolate their work area from the rest of your home with sheeting sealed with duct tape, including ventilation ducts/grills, fixtures, and any other openings.
3. Make sure workers set up and use a “decontamination room,” or a chamber taped off with plastic sheeting. The outside of sealed bags containing contaminated material should be wiped down with a damp cloth or HEPA vacuumed in the decontamination chamber prior to their removal.
4. Air monitoring should be conducted prior to moving back into your home to determine if it is fit to reoccupy.
Level V (Air Conditioners and HVAC Systems)
If there is a small area of mold growth beneath your air conditioning system it would be safe to apply precautions from levels I and II to remediate the mold contamination. However, all remediation procedures for air conditioning units and HVAC systems should be left to professionals. Procedures for level V remediation for areas larger than 10 square feet are the same for all previous levels with the following precautionary measures added :
1. Shut down the HVAC system prior to remediation.
2. Growth-supporting materials that are contaminated, such as the paper on the insulation of interior lined ducts and filters, should be removed and sealed in plastic bags.
3. A variety of biocides - broad spectrum antimicrobial agents designed to prevent the growth of microorganisms - are recommended by HVAC manufacturers for use with HVAC components, such as cooling coils and condensation pans. HVAC manufacturers should be consulted for the products they recommend for use in their systems.
I visited a home in the mid Atlantic area two years ago that was completely black inside and out. It was a spec and had never been occupied and the builder couldn't sell it in that condition. He had closed it up for a couple of weeks when he went of vacation. Just TWO WEEKS! The painters and drywallers had just finished and the humidity was close to 98% the entire 2 weeks.
When he got back, he noticed quite a bit of mold throughout the house but thought he could just do a good cleaning and that would take care of the problem. It continued to spread and he finally had to completely gut the house, take off the siding and shingles and remove all the insulation. He hired a company to spray the wood structure and plywood and then he rebuilt the entire house. Cost: $105,000.
I'm not sure he declared the mold problem when he sold the house, but I sure wouldn't want to be the new homeowner! And if the mold comes back, the new owners will not only sue the builder but also the manufacturer and anyone else that had a hand in the cleanup and repair. So be very careful, mold is a very hot topic with home buyers.
According to Vicki Lankarge in her book “What Every Home Owner Needs to Know About Mold & What to Do About It,” mold remediation can be broken up into 5 levels: level one being the least contamination, level four being the most, and level five HVAC and air conditioning systems.
When dealing with mold contamination in your home it can be difficult to decide when a mold remediator is needed or what you can take care of yourself.
In the following 5 levels, you will have a guideline to go by when removing mold from your home :
5 Levels of Mold Remediation
Level I (10 square feet or less)
Smaller infestations categorized in level I is mostly found on ceilings or baseboards. Level I mold contamination may be cleaned without hiring a mold remediator, but there are several important safety precautions that you need to know :
1. Do not attempt cleaning mold if you suffer from asthma, allergies, or immune disorders
2. Wear gloves, eye protection, and an N95 disposable respirator
3. Vacate from your work area any infants less than 12 months old, individuals recovering from recent surgery, anyone with a suppressed immune system, or people with chronic lung diseases such as asthma, sever allergies, emphysema, etc.
4. Contaminated materials that cannot be cleaned should be removed from your home in a sealed plastic bag to prevent an infestation in another part of your home.
5. Clean your work area when you’re done with a damp cloth or mop.
6. Make sure all areas are left dry and visibly free of mold contamination.
Level II (10-30 square feet)
To remove mold from an area category the size of level II (probably one wall panel), the same precautions used in level I should be taken as well as the following :
1. Moldy materials should be covered with plastic sheets and sealed with tape before any handling or removal of materials. This will contain dust and debris. It may be wise to double wrap in plastic before escorting the moldy material from your home.
2. When the mold removal is finished, vacuum the work area with a HEPA vacuum. Clean the area with a damp cloth or mop.
Level III (30-100 square feet)
Mold contamination this size (patches of mold on several wall panels), should still be handled with the same precautions as level I and II as well as the following added measures :
1. Seal ventilation ducts/grills in the work area and areas directly adjacent with plastic sheeting.
2. Vacate everyone from your work area until work is completed. Further vacate adjacent work areas of any infants less than 12 months old, individuals recovering from recent surgery, anyone with a suppressed immune system, or people with chronic lung diseases such as asthma, sever allergies, emphysema, etc.
Level IV (greater than 100 square feet)
An infestation depending on how much greater than 100 square feet may require the assistance of a mold remediator. If not, the same requirements should be followed as were needed in levels I, II, and III along with the following :
1. Every worker must be trained in the handling of hazardous materials and equipped with full face respirators with high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) cartridges, with disposable protective clothing covering both head and shoes.
2. Make sure workers completely isolate their work area from the rest of your home with sheeting sealed with duct tape, including ventilation ducts/grills, fixtures, and any other openings.
3. Make sure workers set up and use a “decontamination room,” or a chamber taped off with plastic sheeting. The outside of sealed bags containing contaminated material should be wiped down with a damp cloth or HEPA vacuumed in the decontamination chamber prior to their removal.
4. Air monitoring should be conducted prior to moving back into your home to determine if it is fit to reoccupy.
Level V (Air Conditioners and HVAC Systems)
If there is a small area of mold growth beneath your air conditioning system it would be safe to apply precautions from levels I and II to remediate the mold contamination. However, all remediation procedures for air conditioning units and HVAC systems should be left to professionals. Procedures for level V remediation for areas larger than 10 square feet are the same for all previous levels with the following precautionary measures added :
1. Shut down the HVAC system prior to remediation.
2. Growth-supporting materials that are contaminated, such as the paper on the insulation of interior lined ducts and filters, should be removed and sealed in plastic bags.
3. A variety of biocides - broad spectrum antimicrobial agents designed to prevent the growth of microorganisms - are recommended by HVAC manufacturers for use with HVAC components, such as cooling coils and condensation pans. HVAC manufacturers should be consulted for the products they recommend for use in their systems.
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