Replies

1. 
   FastEddie1 | Dec 06, 2003 10:00pm | #1

   Bleach and water in a garden sprayer.  Lots of ventilation.

   Do it right, or do it twice.

2. 
   MojoMan | Dec 06, 2003 10:02pm | #2

   As long as the framing is not actually rotten, you could use a water/bleach mixture to clean things up. Allow everything to dry thoroughly before sealing it up. If you want to do more, I saw that a local mold abatement company painted what looks like a stain-blocking primer (Kilz) in the affected stud bays. I think the main thing is to get everything dry and keep it that way. Fungus can't grow without water.

   Al Mollitor, Sharon MA

1. 
   FastEddie1 | Dec 07, 2003 02:35am | #3

   Kilz is a nifty name, but it does nothing to kill mold and mildew.  It is a stain blocker and sealer.

   Do it right, or do it twice.

1. 
   joinery45 | Dec 07, 2003 02:49am | #4

   Mold needs moisture no water no live mold.

1. 
   FastEddie1 | Dec 07, 2003 06:15am | #6

   Right, but I have heard people say that they sprayed (or painted) Kilz on their mildewy walls, so everythig was going to be ok.

   Do it right, or do it twice.

1. 
   Pierre1 | Dec 07, 2003 06:38am | #7

   A local restoration (post-fire/flood etc) specialist tells me that mold/mildew spores and the resulting health effects on occupants will be the next big thing in residential litigation. Says that today's tighter building envelopes create ideal living conditions for mold/mildew, esp. when the building envelope allows water to enter otherwise sealed cavities.

2. 
   MojoMan | Dec 07, 2003 03:11am | #5

   I understand that. I was just reporting what I saw. It is also used after fire. I think the plan is to seal in odors, either smoke smell or mildew mustiness.

   Al Mollitor, Sharon MA

3. 
   rjw | Dec 07, 2003 06:50am | #8

   The mold experts I've been reading have been moving away from recommending bleach for cleanup - I believe becasue of it's potentially toxic effects, particulary if sprayed.

   Check out the EPA site for the latest:

   http://www.epa.gov/iaq/molds/moldresources.html#Basic%20Mold%20Cleanup

   _______________________

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   Tool Donations Sought

   I'm matching tool donors to a church mission to Haiti - we're shipping a bus converted to a medical facility in January (we hope) and can fill it with clothes, tools and all sorts of stuff needed in that poorest of all countries. A few hand tools or power tools can provide a livelihood for an otherwise destitute family. Please email me if you have tools to donate.

1. 
   Piffin | Dec 07, 2003 08:10am | #9

   Yeah, The vapours are really wicked when you use a lot of it, and they can be corrosive to some metal fasteners too. I wonder whether they hurt electrical connections, myself.

   I use a 10% chlorine and 90% water to scrub the really bad areas witha long handled brush.

   Then I use borates to treat all surfaces or inject rods where needed.

   Search for TimBore borate treatment or Boracare.

   Excellence is its own reward!

4. 
   SonnyLykos | Dec 07, 2003 08:29am | #10

   Home Depot sells a "Bacticide/Fungicide" for about $20/gallon. All molds are fungi and this product will kill all species. Either in a spray bottle or if a large area is involved, a garden pump sprayer.

   Even dormant spores can and will be distributed through out the house via air currents and the heating system ducts. Then if the enviroment they need to become reactivated again exists, they will come alive and spread further. So I also suggest that twice daily while working in the house, it's also sprayed into the heating/AC system filter. Mini droplets will then be distributed through out the duct system.

   If any family member has any type of respiratory problem like asthma, he can take an air sample from within the house and another outside (for comparative analysis) and send both to a local mold lab who will provide a report of which molds exist and their parts per million, and compare that to the outside sample.

1. 
   rjw | Dec 07, 2003 04:32pm | #11

   >>If any family member has any type of respiratory problem like asthma, he can take an air sample from within the house and another outside (for comparative analysis) and send both to a local mold lab who will provide a report of which molds exist and their parts per million, and compare that to the outside sample

   Be careful in choosing the company doing this - there are a bunch of home inspectors and other wagon jumpers who took the 2 day "make money in mold" courses that blossomed a couple of years ago.

   I'd stay with an accredited industrial hygienist or established environmental testing company.

   And check with your doc first to see if it's worthwhile.

   And remember, mold spores are everywhere (and can survive extreme conditions), your house will never be mold spore free - concentrate on preventing moist areas where the mold itself can grow and multiply.

   And check with ####

   _______________________

   Tool Donations Sought

   I'm matching tool donors to a church mission to Haiti - we're shipping a bus converted to a medical facility in January (we hope) and can fill it with clothes, tools and all sorts of stuff needed in that poorest of all countries. A few hand tools or power tools can provide a livelihood for an otherwise destitute family. Please email me if you have tools to donate.

1. 
   SonnyLykos | Dec 07, 2003 06:41pm | #12

   I agree.