The average, healthy homeowner can perform cleaning of minor amounts of mould (less than 10 square feet) using the proper precautions and protective equipment.
It is however, not recommended for anyone suffering from respiratory issues or immunocompromised individuals.
There are many sources of guidance and information relating to mould remediation and the protocols involved. It is very important that you inform yourself before you attempt and remediation of mould by yourself.
Or you can call MouldMedic® to get their assistance or guidance.
If you have any further questions or concerns contact us at MouldMedic®. We will be more than glad to answer your questions or concerns.
Using bleach for mould remediation is not recommended.
There are products on the market today which contain the ingredient sodium hypochlorite which is just a fancy name for bleach. These are being marketed as the silver bullet for your mould problem. No matter how you package it, sodium hypochlorite is still only bleach, something that is not recommended in any mould remediation guidelines or protocols.
Using bleach is not an approved protocol for mould remediation for the following reasons:
- Bleach is toxic;
- Bleach only removes the discolouration; and
- The mould is still present and as such can have a health impact.
If you have any further questions or concerns contact us at MouldMedic®. We will be more than glad to answer your questions or concerns.
The New Jersey Department of Health in the USA has a good article on Sodium Hypochlorite (bleach)
Moving out during a mould remediation is usually not necessary, but is a question that many people ask, being worried about staying on the property during the remediation process and about the health risks involved.
In most cases mould remediation can be performed while you are still in the property as long as the proper containment and safety measures are in place. Only in extreme circumstances would moving out be necessary such as a full home remediation or where there are higher risk individuals on the premises.
If you have any further questions or concerns contact us at MouldMedic®. We will be more than glad to answer your questions or concerns.
Health Canada considers that mould growth in residential buildings may pose a health hazard. Health risks depend on exposure and, for asthma symptoms, on allergic sensitization. However, the large number of mould species and strains growing in buildings, as well as the large inter-individual variability in human response to mould exposure, preclude the derivation of exposure limits. Therefore, Health Canada recommends controlling humidity and diligently repairing any water damage in residences to prevent mould growth, and to thoroughly clean any visible or concealed mould growing in residential buildings.There are no formal Health Canada Guidelines relating to mould. These recommendations apply regardless of the mould species found to be growing in the building. (Canada Gazette – Vol. 141, No. 13 — March 31, 2007 GOVERNMENT NOTICES).
If you have any further questions or concerns contact us at MouldMedic®. We will be more than glad to answer your questions or concerns.
Humidity can be managed in many different ways in the home:
- By ensuring that your range hood is vented to the outside and being used during cooking;
- That bathroom exhaust fans are functional and used during and for a few minutes after taking showers, or if there are no exhaust fans, cracking open the window to allow the hot, humid air to escape.
- That dehumidifiers are used as necessary to bring the relative humidity down to an appropriate level.
- That dryers are not vented back indoors
- There are indoor dryer vents that are marketed as energy savers. They re-introduce hot humid air into the home, rather than venting it outdoors.
- That laundry is not hung to dry in the basement, since this spikes the relative humidity into a range that is required for mould growth.
If you have any further questions or concerns contact us at MouldMedic®. We will be more than glad to answer your questions or concerns.
Antibiotics are one of the signs that you might have a biological issue (mould). If you find yourself constantly on antibiotics or having to use puffers, there is a possibility that you have a mould situation. You cannot always see mould as sometimes it is hidden in the walls or ceilings. In cases such as that, it is recommend that you get an air quality test performed to find out what you are actually breathing in on a daily basis.
MouldMedic® recommends an air quality test to determine if you have a mould problem.
If you have any further questions or concerns contact us at MouldMedic®. We will be more than glad to answer your questions or concerns.
Currently there are no established standards for acceptable levels of indoor mould. Despite the lack of standards, mould is the latest environmental health issue generating public attention. Realtors are potentially liable for failure to disclose an environmental hazard.
As the issue of mould emerges in Canada, realtors should be as well informed as possible about the issues. The best advice to a seller is to disclose any water problems or presence of mould up front.
If you have any further questions or concerns contact us at MouldMedic®. We will be more than glad to answer your questions or concerns.
Many people are looking for discreet service as they do not want attention drawn to the fact that they may have a mould problem in the building. As such are concerned about marked vehicles attending at their property. At MouldMedic® we provide discrete and confidential services. If you are concerned about exposure, we will ensure that the vehicle that attends is unmarked. The same discretion is exercised when we deal with tenants. We assure that everything we do is done in professional manner.
If you have any further questions or concerns contact us at MouldMedic®. We will be more than glad to answer your questions or concerns.
Spraying mould is not a recommended protocol. Firstly, even if you could kill all the mould by spraying it, breathing in the dead spores or mould particles can still impact your health. The other part of this answer is that you have to correct the cause of the mould; otherwise it will always come back.
If you have any further questions or concerns contact us at MouldMedic®. We will be more than glad to answer your questions or concerns.
White fuzzy growth is discovered on the concrete walls, floor, or on cement blocks. Is it mould?
It could be mould, however it is also possible that it is efflorescence (crystallization of the salts leached from the mortar due to water seepage). This is a very common situation especially if it is on the walls of a cement block foundation. If you look closely, using a magnifying glass, you will see that it has a crystalline structure, with sharp edges and angles. Mould will not have this crystalline structure.
There are companies that will tell you that it is mould, but beware.
If you have any further questions or concerns contact us at MouldMedic®. We will be more than glad to answer your questions or concerns.
Increasing humidity is the one thing that you don’t want to do in a mould situation. Turning up the humidifier will provide more moisture to support mould growth. This will in turn cause more irritation and therefore require more humidity, which will support more mould growth.
If you have any further questions or concerns contact us at MouldMedic®. We will be more than glad to answer your questions or concerns.
Mould is a sensitizer. Once you have been exposed to mould, you are sensitized to future exposures.
The next time, it may not take as much mould or as long an exposure to produce symptoms. People that have been exposed to mould for a long period of time react very quickly to further exposures. As such it is important that you reduce or eliminate your risk of mould exposure as much as possible.
If you have any further questions or concerns contact us at MouldMedic®. We will be more than glad to answer your questions or concerns.
Windows sweating? Mould growing at the bottoms of the windows? The problems may be the windows, however sometimes, and more often that is not the problem. Sweating windows in the winter usually point to a problem of high humidity inside the building.
Poor ventilation, too small or non-functioning exhaust fans, a large number of occupants, or even cooking style can cause high relative humidity levels.
Many clients, after seeing that their windows are sweating, call in a window company. The window company does, guess what? They sell them a houseful of new windows. Now having new windows installed is nice, but what if you really don’t need new windows. Is there somewhere else you can put your money?
Hold off on replacing those costly windows until you have had an indoor environmental analysis done by MouldMedic®.
If you have any further questions or concerns contact us at MouldMedic®. We will be more than glad to answer your questions or concerns.
In a lot of cases you may have visible mould, however you also may have mould but it may be invisible. If you have a leak inside the walls, mould may take a long time to present itself. Sometimes it can take years if the leak is very minor.
By the time an internal leak becomes visible on the interior surface of a wall, ceiling or a floor area, it has already taken a substantial hold on the hidden side of the surface.
If you have a high humidity problem the mould will usually be more prevalent on the interior surface with nothing behind the drywall, however this is something that should be inspected by a qualified mould company.
If you have any further questions or concerns contact us at MouldMedic®. We will be more than glad to answer your questions or concerns.
Are you wondering if mould is as bad as asbestos? They are different in the sense that one is biological and the other is mineral. One the body can fight, the other becomes permanent. Asbestos exposure impacts have been widely documented, however mould exposure is still an uncertain science.
There are situations where asbestos exposure and mould exposure work together to create a bigger problem.
If you have any further questions or concerns contact us at MouldMedic®. We will be more than glad to answer your questions or concerns.
Are you a tenant with mould? If you are a tenant, and If your landlord is not listening to your concerns about possible or actual mould that you may have in your unit, you can put it to them in writing, giving them a reasonable opportunity to correct the situation.
If they still do not take care of the situation you can contact your municipal or regional health department, who will usually send out an inspector who will assist you in dealing with the mould issue and your landlord. They will inspect the unit and give the landlord an order in writing, with a deadline. Non-compliance can result in fines.
If you have any further questions or concerns contact us at MouldMedic®. We will be more than glad to answer your questions or concerns.
Some people tell you to use Lysol to remediate your mould.
MouldMedic® does not recommend “quick and easy” cures. “Quick cures” that you may have heard about such as spraying Lysol on objects or cleaning them with bleach may cause additional damage to items or be toxic to people These methods are also often ineffective.
If you have a mould/mold problem you should contact a professional and get their input. Mould can have negative impacts on your health in both the short and the long terms. It does not make sense to risk your health.
If you have any further questions or concerns contact us at MouldMedic®. We will be more than glad to answer your questions or concerns.
The reaction to mould depends on how much a person is exposed to, the health and age of a person and the person’s sensitivities or allergies. The same exposure to mould may cause varying health effects from one person to another. Exposure to mould can cause a variety of symptoms. Sensitive people who have touched or inhaled mould or mould spores may have allergic reactions such as a runny nose, sneezing, nasal congestion, watery eyes, skin rash and itching. Moulds can trigger asthma attacks in people who are allergic to moulds, causing wheezing, chest tightness and shortness of breath.
If you have any further questions or concerns contact us at MouldMedic®. We will be more than glad to answer your questions or concerns.
Attic mould is common in cold climates. The main reason that this mould in the attic occurs is that some renovators take shortcuts. They do not vent bathrooms or kitchens through the roof, but duct moist, warm air right into the attic. This provides the mould with a great place to take root and grow.
We often find mould growing in situations where the bathroom venting is not installed according to proper building codes. Where ducting is directly vented into the attic instead of using a proper roof vent. Attic mould also grows where soffits are blocked during insulation upgrades.
If you have any further questions or concerns contact us at MouldMedic®. We will be more than glad to answer your questions or concerns.
Worried about future mould and how you can prevent it from reoccurring? The solution for this is simple.
Once the complete your mould remediation work, you should ask your remediator for the root cause of your mould situation. A knowledgeable service provider should be able to tell you the root cause of the problem. Ask them to tell you what you need to do to reduce or eliminate the risk of repeat mould.
A professional remediation company should not want you back as a repeat customer. Most of them will be more than happy to provide you with the right information.
MouldMedic® can assist you to put together a plan for managing the environmental conditions that support mould growth and thereby reduce and/or eliminate the risk of future mould.
Mould needs what to grow? It needs three things: Food, moisture and the appropriate temperature range. Many materials found in the home can be a food source for mould. This includes wallpaper, glues used to install carpet, backing paper on drywall, dust and dirt, leather, cotton, linen, cardboard, newspapers, etc. The other primary ingredient is moisture and this can be in the form of liquid water or high humidity. Different moulds require different levels of humidity. Most moulds will grow at a temperature range between 40°F (4.5°C) and 100°F (38°C). In summary, when the appropriate amount of moisture is present, there is a good possibility for mould growth.
zIf you have any further questions or concerns contact us at MouldMedic®. We will be more than glad to answer your questions or concerns.
Mushrooms growing on a wall or baseboard usually are indicators of something serious going on.
Do not leave them to continue as they will degrade your property by digesting the materials that they are growing on. The culprit that causes mushrooms to grow indoors is very similar to how they are grown commercially; high nutrients in their surroundings. High nutrients in the walls or ceiling of a home are indicators of sewage contamination. Very often the culprit is a cracked or broken drain or main stack feeding nutrients to support this type of growth. In this type of situation you may also have a problem with E. coli as well as the mould.
If you have any further questions or concerns contact us at MouldMedic®. We will be more than glad to answer your questions or concerns.
“Black mould” is what seems to scare most people who consider it a dangerous and a toxic mould. This mould type is actually scientifically named “Stachybotrys chartarum” or “Stachybotrys agra”. Contrary to being a black mould it is actually dark green.
This is the mould that has developed a bad reputation and appears to be the one that concerns most people with regards to the impact on their health.
All mould in large quantities can impact your health. There is no such thing as good mould growing in your building.
If you have any further questions or concerns contact us at MouldMedic®. We will be more than glad to answer your questions or concerns.
An air quality test will help to identify areas of potential concern within the property.
It will help the inspector to diagnose the potential source and cause of the mould as well as provide your physician with a record of your air quality and potential impact on your health.
MouldMedic® can perform a mould inspection in conjunction with an air quality test and provide you with a written report that will outline any problems, concerns and recommended solutions to your situation.
If you have any further questions or concerns contact us at MouldMedic®. We will be more than glad to answer your questions or concerns.Ai
Dangerous mould. That is something that everyone talks about, yet there is no specific dangerous mould. The one that most people often refer to is what they call “black mould”. This is Stachybotrys and yes, in large quantities or in a pervasive growth situation, it can be a health hazard.
Any moulds in large quantities also have the potential to negatively impact your health.
If you have any further questions or concerns contact us at MouldMedic®. We will be more than glad to answer your questions or concerns.
Mould related illnesses can occur with any individual, however there are other individuals that are considered high risk.
High risk individuals are people who are known to have respiratory issues, immunocompromised individuals, the very young and the very old are most at risk.
The very young have an underdeveloped immune system which makes it difficult for them to fight off infections.
The very old have an immune system which is not as robust as when they were younger and are more susceptible to infections and physical ailments.
If you have any further questions or concerns contact us at MouldMedic®. We will be more than glad to answer your questions or concerns.
If you wonder why your mould comes back there are a number of reasons:
Firstly if you have not dealt with the root cause of the mould problem, be it high humidity or a water lead, you will have a repeat occurrence. This is because mould spores are naturally found in the air. Every time you open the door to enter or leave or every time you open a window, mould spores will find their way in with the drafts. Given the three things that mould needs to germinated and grow being moisture, food and temperature, it will keep coming back if you do not correct the environmental conditions that support its growth.
If you have any further questions or concerns contact us at MouldMedic®. We will be more than glad to answer your questions or concerns.
Mould takeover is not something that you should worry about. This is a very common fear and it usually stems from either false information or dramatized documentaries. Yes there are situations which could be of a concern, however taking the proper precautions and calling a qualified professional should help to put you at ease.
Mould will only grow where the moisture and food conditions support its growth. It will not take over your home, unless you provide it with the right conditions.
If you have any further questions or concerns contact us at MouldMedic®. We will be more than glad to answer your questions or concerns.