|
Hot Tip for Mold Prevention:
Airborne mold spores from live indoor plants can travel in air currents to
cause health problems for occupants and possible mold growth in the home
through mold cross-contamination. To help prevent mold, do not keep live
plants indoors. Also, you should not keep inside dried flowers and plants
upon which mold loves to feast, utilizing high indoor humidity to drive the
mold growth.
Hot Tip for Mold Prevention: Do not
store firewood anywhere inside a home or basement/crawl space, or outside
close to entry doors and windows. Store firewood away from the house, and
off the ground and covered by a waterproof tarp to reduce rain and high
humidity on the firewood, and thus minimize mold growth on the firewood.
Moldy firewood indoors or outdoors generates airborne mold spores that can
mold cross contaminate a home and its heating/cooling system.
Learn all of the mold
prevention steps you can do in preventive maintenance and in building a new
home or other building
to prevent mold infestation problems
by reading our new book
Do-It-BEST-Yourself Mold Prevention, Inspection, Testing, &
Remediation, available from Mold
Mart, or on our online
mold
products catalog.
Mold Prevention Tips
Also visit: More Mold Prevention Tips
Q.
We have 5 stores that have been affected by the hurricane in LA. What can
you suggest we do as a preventative measure that would not be harmful to our
clothing and personnel that would decrease or eliminate the potential of
mold growth before it happens. [Sept. 9, 2005]
A.
You are certainly wise to try to prevent mold growth
in the view of the Louisiana Hurricane Katrina. Your
first step should be to operate several programmable
dehumidifiers in each store area, warehouse area, and
office area to substantially reduce the high indoor
humidity [made much higher by the massive flooding,
with the resulting evaporation and humidity creation]
to a mold-discouraging 30 to 40 percent. Second, you should be reducing the airborne mold spores in
each area of your stores, warehouse, offices, by the use of the Friedrich
Air Cleaner, rated the most effective air cleaner by Consumer Reports magazine. The massive
flooding is going to create massive mold growth which will generate billions
of airborne mold spores to mold cross contaminate most homes and buildings
in southern Louisiana with elevated levels of airborne mold spores. Third,
you can spray the protective fungicidal coating, a
Mold
Home Remedy Recipe
on walls and ceilings, attic areas, basements, that
are out of sight and for which you don't mind having a
white protective coating that is the result of
spraying on surfaces. Fourth, you should be very vigilant for signs of mold
growth anywhere in your stores or on merchandise. Learn the 25 steps for
safe and effective
mold remediation.
Q. Can you tell me which
materials (i.e. used for bathroom floors and walls, under sinks, and so
on) are less likely to produce or encourage the growth of mold, and other
toxic pollutants? and which ones are more likely to collect these things?
[May 22, 2005]
A.
The very best is to use marble, or ceramic tile, set in concrete with
adequate amounts of waterproofing compounded mixed into the setting
concrete beneath the marble or ceramic tiles, and into the cement grout
between the tiles. Mold cannot eat cement, marble, or ceramic tile. Both
marble and ceramic tile can be washed easily and frequently to remove
deposited mold spores and organic dust or dirt [mold food]. By using
enough waterproofing compound in the setting cement and in the grout, the
tile or marble is an effective moisture barrier to keep moisture from
rising up [wicking up] from the concrete or wood or earth beneath the
marble or tiles. Similarly, surface water [cleaning, spills, flooding] on
top of the marble or tiles will not penetrate the marble or tiles to get
to any wood surfaces beneath the marble or tiles. Marble and ceramic tile
can be installed on either a concrete floor, or a properly built wood
floor. If possible, avoid or minimize using any cellulose-based building
materials such as wood, OSB, plywood, drywall, etc. Read many more
mold prevention
tips in the mold prevention section of
Do-It-Best-Yourself Mold Prevention, Inspection, and Remediation.
Q.
I have a new cedar fence bordering my Trex deck, which has a green
coloration starting on the side, which gets very little sun. How can I
remove it without damaging the fence or deck? The fence is not stained.
[May 20, 2005]
A.
Scrub thoroughly with Borax laundry detergent, a
natural mold cleaner, in warm water. If there is any
remaining mold growth, physically remove it with such
power tools as sander, planer, and grinder with wire
brush attachment. You can use a low-cost
Mold Home
Remedy Recipe. Then paint with a high-quality
outdoor, oil-based paint containing adequate amounts of mildicide. Then,
use a high-pressure sprayer, from time to time, using Borax laundry
detergent as the cleansing agent to wash away deposited landed mold
spores/organic dust/dirt from the surface of the fence.
Q.
We built a beautiful log home 11 years ago in a
wonderful wooded area. We now have to redo the logs
this year. Our 3 foot pine eves have
what we think is
mold on a good portion of all of them. How do we get
rid of the black (mold)? How do we treat
them so that
it doesn't happen again?
Also, our cedar fascia is
black and must be retreated. We are beginning to think
we should cut down every tree surrounding
our property
so that this
doesn't happen again. [May
16, 2005]
A. It
will certainly help to cut a few trees to allow direct sunlight [with mold
killing ultraviolet rays] to bathe more of your house with sunrays.
To get rid of the present mold growth, you should follow the 25 steps for
safe and effective
mold remediation. After you get rid of the current
mold problem, seal your logs with several coatings of a clear, liquid
plastic to make sure no moisture gets into the wood to enable mold to
grow therein. You also ought to use periodically a pressure sprayer to
wash away the mold spores and organic dirt that land or get deposited
onto the log surfaces and crevices to help prevent the mold growth that
begins with the mold eating the organic dirt and then spreading into
the wood itself.
Q. Do you have a fungicide suitable
for spraying on unpainted sheet rock and, if so, how long will the sheet
rock be protected ?
[April 26, 2005]
A.
If possible, use a low-cost
Mold
Home Remedy Recipe. The mold protection should last for years, but if there is a water problem
making the drywall wet continually by a plumbing water leak, roof leak,
etc., the drywall is going to be wet for more than 24 hours [the minimum
time for mold growth to begin growing], and thus there can be internal
mold growth inside the drywall.. Fungicides can only kill mold and protect
against future mold growth to the extent that they can soak into building
materials. Learn the 25 steps for safe and effective
mold remediation.
Q. What can I put into my home safe to
prevent mold and mildew problems? [April 24, 2005]
A. Here are some tips to protect the interior of your security
safe against mold growth---
1.
Thoroughly wash all interior surfaces of the safe with Borax laundry
detergent, a natural mold cleaner, in warm water.
2. You
can use a low-cost
Mold
Home Remedy Recipe.
Q. I purchased a home that was
built in the mid 1960's and I am remodeling it. I have the walls exposed
(no sheet rocking) and would like to know what would be the best
preventative measure to take to prevent mold. What would you suggest?
[March 23, 2005]
A. Carefully inspect the timbers and all interior surfaces for
any water and mold damage. If there is any, you need to remove such water
or mold damaged materials, or at least do adequate and thorough mold
remediation, as explained in the 25 steps recommended for safe and
effective
mold remediation. You can use a low-cost
Mold
Home Remedy Recipe to be assured that there are no
remaining, living mold spores in the remodeling area
[mold spores are too small to be seen with the naked
eye]. Then, spray one wet coating of
a low-cost
Mold
Home Remedy Recipe fungicidal coating. Prior to
closing in the walls, you would be wise to mold test the surfaces with the
Scotch
tape lift sampling method of mold sample collection, and to mold test
the room air with do-it-yourself mold test kits available at a large
hardware, home improvement, or safety store.
Q.
I have a question on preventing mold in my basement. I have a basement that
I am going to install wood and drywall in the next few months. Is there
anything you would recommend on the concrete walls or on the front of the
wood/insulation before I install the drywall. I wanted to prevent mold
from ever growing. [Jan. 29, 2005]
A.
You should consider doing one or more of the following to mold-proof your
basement in advance of doing basement finishing with wood, insulation, and
drywall. First, carefully inspect all surfaces of the basement for
possible water and mold problems. Second, use a hidden moisture meter to
scan the floors and walls to determine if there are
elevated levels of moisture in them. Third,
if there are no other present moisture or mold
problems to take care of, then apply about a
one-quarter to one-half inch thick of a cement coating
containing adequate amounts of waterproofing compound
to the walls to provide extra protection against
future water penetration. Fourth, consider making your
flooring ceramic tile set in cement with waterproofing
compound and using cement as the tile grout, also
utilizing waterproofing compound in the grout.
Q.
I'm redesigning a master bathroom. I'd like to put two closets (for
clothing) in the bathroom. There will be a vent in the bathroom ceiling
but I'm concerned about mildew or mold growing on my clothing. Is this
something I should be concerned about? [Jan. 23, 2005]
A.
That would be ok if you install a powerful exhaust fan
that takes humid bathroom air directly to the
outdoors. You would need to run it during and after
all showers and tub baths. You might also consider
utilizing in the bathroom [away from tub and shower] a
programmable dehumidifier which keeps bathroom
humidity to a mold-discouraging 30 to 40%. You need
plenty of ventilation in the attic area if you want to
avoid mold growth on your clothing. I would recommend
that you install full louver closet doors to allow
plenty of air movement.
You can use a low-cost
Mold
Home Remedy Recipe.
The floors and walls, including the floor of the
closet should be ceramic tile set in cement which has
adequate amounts of waterproofing compound. The tile
should have cement as the grout [in any color you
desire] with waterproofing compound. Closet walls and
the louver doors need to be treated with an glossy or semi glossy enamel paint and/or
with a clear plastic coating painted on as barriers to water penetration
of the building materials.
Q.
Are house plants dangerous for people allergic to mold
and house dust? [Dec. 19, 2004]
A. Yes, because indoor plants thrive well
indoors with regular watering. Mold loves to grow on
plants, dead plant material, soil, and fertilizers.
The mold growth throws into the air large number of
airborne mold spores which can mold cross contaminate
the house and cause mold health problems for
occupants. Having no LIVE or DEAD indoor plants makes
for good mold prevention. Only plastic and silk plants
are safe because of no mold spore generation.
Q. We
are in the process of designing and building a new home.
What precautions should we take to prevent future mold
infestation in our home? [June 3, 2004]
A..
To prevent mold growth in new home construction, all
wood, plywood, chipboard, drywall, and other
cellulose-based construction materials must never be
stored on the ground during construction, or be
left uncovered outdoors [to keep the materials dry if it
rains]. To provide a defense against mold growth, until
the house is completely shingled and sided and windows
and doors installed, the house-under-construction should
be covered completely at the end of every work day to
keep the home from being rained on. Beneath your roof
shingles should be a high-quality roofing membrane to
waterproof your proof. Covering every night is
time-consuming, but it is far better than owning a
mold-infested home which will harm both your health and
your finances. Inspect all timbers and building
materials for visual evidence of mold growth [e.g.,
black or dark blue or green stains on timbers]. Spray
all timbers, plywood, chipboard, drywall, etc. on all
surfaces with at least two set sprayings of wood protectant [
Mold
Home Remedy Recipes ], with drying in between
the sprayings. Make sure your plumbing water supply,
drain, and sewer pipes and plumbing fixtures are of the
highest quality and installed by a master plumber, and
not by some untrained illegal immigrants [a huge quality
control problem in the home building industry]. Be sure
your concrete floor slab, garage concrete floor, and
basement floors and walls are built with sufficient
amounts of waterproofing compound mixed into the
concrete to make the concrete absolutely impervious to
water penetration. Install a high quality water proof
barrier [not just plastic sheeting] beneath concrete
floors as an additional water barrier to keep water from
rising out of the ground to wet the concrete and
therefore the wood walls resting on the concrete floors.
When you first have water running in your plumbing
system, use a hidden moisture meter to scan
all floors, walls, and ceilings for hidden water leaks.
Make sure your heating/cooling ducts are made of sheet
metal with any insulation being on the outside of the
ducts, not inside the ducts. Sheet metal ducts without
insulation inside can be cleaned of mold contamination
if ever necessary in the future. Make sure all dryer,
kitchen, and bathroom vents go by well-connected pipe
directly outdoors and not in the attic, crawl space, or
walls or ceiling. Install high-capacity ultraviolet lights
[388,000 uwats per second of exposure to air
movement] in the return air ducts of your
heating/cooling system to kill all airborne mold spores
and other biological airborne threats.. Install a "mass
media", very thick hepa filter in the return air duct to
filter out airborne mold spores and other pollutants.
Building Bathrooms Out
of Marble and Glass Block
Prevent mold by making your bathroom floors and walls out of marble
[set in cement with cement containing adequate amounts of waterproofing
compound]. and/or glass blocks [set with non-wood-based rods which are sold
with the blocks, or in cement with adequate amounts of waterproofing
compound].
|
