Author: Admin

As you may know, mold is not good for your home or your health. When it goes undetected, mold can cause unsightly stains and bad odors in areas of your home, but also reduce the air quality, which can badly affect your health and cause breathing difficulties. One of the most common areas where mold can grow is in the basement. This is because of the typical humid conditions that you get in the basement, the potential for pipes to leak and water condensation on cold surfaces. This guide looks at how you can remove mold from your basement.

What You Will Need

• Protective Equipment (Gloves, Mask, Boot Covers, Safety glasses)
• Drop cloth
• Contractor bags
• White vinegar
• Bleach
• Baking soda
• Concrobium
• Sandpaper
• Steam Cleaner
• Dehumidifier
• Fan
• Pry bar

Before You Begin

Before you start removing the mold from your basement, it is important that you identify what caused the mold to grow in the first place and you fix that issue. This is crucial because, if you are unable to solve the root cause of why mold grew there in the first place, then it could keep coming back.

In addition, each problem will require a different solution. For example, if a large amount of mold is growing in hidden locations which you may struggle to access (such as behind a wall), then it will continue to grow unless it is fully removed. For some repairs, you might be able to do it yourself, however if the repair requires removing drywall, then you might be better off calling a local expert.

Step 1: Preparation

The first thing you should do before you begin removing any mold, is prepare the room and get yourself protected. This includes, wearing all the protective equipment which is mentioned in the above list, opening any windows and turning on the fans to ensure the room has proper ventilation and laying down drop cloths to protect the flooring.

Step 2: Remove & Dispose of Damaged Materials

The next step is to remove any materials which have been damaged by mold and disposed of according to the regulations of your local legislation. This could include removing drywall from your home, which can be done using a pry bar. In addition, you might have to remove fabrics which show signs of mold, such as curtains or carpets.

Step 3: Spray A Mold Killing Solution onto the Surface

After that you should spray a mold killing solution onto the surface which has been affected by mold. The different solutions which you can use includes;

• White vinegar- use diluted white vinegar on nonporous surfaces, such as tiles. You should apply the white vinegar directly onto the surface, leaving for an hour then scrubbed off with a brush. This solution should not be used on drywall, insulation or concrete as it could break down these materials
• Baking soda- Mix 2 cups of water with 1 teaspoon of baking soda and apply the solution to the affected areas with a cloth or scrub brush. You can also create a more powerful mixture by mixing 2 parts baking soda, 1 part vinegar and 1 part water. You should use this solution on grout, drywalls and more porous surfaces
• Bleach- Add 1 cup of liquid bleach to 1 gallon of warm water and mix. The solution can be applied with a scrub brush to clean mold from tiles, appliances, pipes and other nonporous surfaces.
• Concrobium- This solution is a specialized mold removal spray and can come as a spray or a powerful solution, which has to be mixed with water.

Step 4: Scrub Off the Mold & Allow to Dry

The last step is to choose which solution you are going to use to kill the mold from those above before applying with a stiff bristle brush.

If you are cleaning a porous surface, you should use a cloth instead to avoid damaging the material.

Once you have scrubbed the surface, you should allow the area to completely dry before you sand down and repaint.

Too Much Hassle? Ask a Professional

If you are wary of removing mold from the basement yourself, then why not consider choosing a professional to do it for you. At Above & Beyond, we offer 24 hours mold inspection, testing and removal for all areas of your home, including the basement. We have been operating for 25 years and serving the homes and businesses of New Jersey & New York. If you would like to find out more, then please contact us today for a quote.

When there are moist conditions in your air duct, then it can become common that you will start to see mold developing in them. The moisture can develop from when cool air from your air conditioning condenses inside the air duct units and mold spores begin to form. This blog post looks at the different signs that you may have mold growing in your air ducts and how you can remove the mold from the system.

How Do I Know I Have Mold Growing In My Air Ducts?

• You can smell mold throughout your home
• Black mold is visible around the air ducts, vents or drip pans

There are also some longer-term health effects which you may notice:#

• Allergy-like symptoms (watery/itchy eyes, runny nose, throat irritation)
• Headaches when you are at home but no anywhere else
• Fatigue, nausea and dizziness when you are at home

What Are The Steps To Remove Mold From The Air Vents?

1. Find a mold removal agent and mold inhibitor

Firstly you will need to get some mold removal agent or mold inhibitor. You can either:

– Buy an EPA approved product. You can buy this from most hardware stores.

– Make your own by mixing a tablespoon of household detergent, half a cup of baking soda and a cup of water for porous surfaces.

– Alternatively, for non-porous surfaces mix 1 part bleach with 16 parts of water

2. Wear protective clothing

One of the essentials that you must wear when you remove mold from the air ducts of your home is an N95 mask, protective eyewear, rubber gloves and coveralls.

This is so that you are fully protected from the mold-killing agent and the mold itself.

3. Turn off your HVAC system

Next you should turn off the power of your HVAC system so you can have safe access to your air ducts, heating and cooling systems, evaporator coil and drip pans.

4. Choose your removal option:

i) Scrub & Vacuum- If you decide to scrub and vacuum the mold away, then you should soak the mold in the ducts and around the vent opening with your cleaning agent before leaving for 5 minutes.

After 5 mins, you should then use a brush or rags to scrub the area in a circular motion to remove the mold and clean any excess solution with paper towels.

Next you should vacuum the area as an extra precaution and to ensure that the vent is fully dry.

Finally, you should remove all disposable air filters and dispose them by placing them, paper towels and used rags in thick trash bags.

ii) Use a mold removal fogger machine- Alternatively, you can use a mold removal fogger machine, which can either be bought or rented from a hardware store. The machine works by turning the mold solution into a fine mist and evenly applying the solution across the surface.

If you use this method, you should follow the insutructions from the manufacturer and you will most likely need to cover all of the hearing vents in your home. You can use cardboard and masking tape to keep them covered.

5. Apply the mold inhibitor

After the duct has been cleaned, you should then apply the mold inhibitor to all the components of the HVAC system to mitigate any new mold growth.

6. Install new air filters

7. Monitor for new growth

Finally, you should keep an eye out for new mold growth and if you see it coming back, you should do it all again. If the mold keeps coming back then you should have the system professionally evaluated in case there is a hidden mold or moisture problem which needs to be repaired.

Professional Mold Removal from Above & Beyond

Mold in your air ducts can cause serious health problems for you and your family and, quite often, mold removal is a major DIY project. However, if you feel this could be a bit too challenging for yourself or would like the certainty of a professional to effectively remove the mold from your air duct, then why not get in touch with Above & Beyond. We offer mold inspection and mold removal services across New Jersey state and New York City. We also offer 24/7 emergency service, so you can have peace of mind you can get in touch any time of day.

Mold grows where it gets appropriate moisture, temperature, and food. Typically, it grows in kitchen, basement, or bathroom, but it can develop in other places in your home such as attic, crawl space and air ducts if it finds appropriate conditions. The climate and your living habits contribute a great deal to mold growth.

Mold can grow within 48 hours after it finds the right conditions. If your home has water leakage in pipes or walls, possibility of mold growth will increase. It can grow on carpet, cardboard, clothes, ceiling, leather, and even on books. It is important that you address its growth as soon as you smell or see it growing.

To eliminate possibility of mold growth, you will have to start with mold inspection. You can find number of qualified mold inspectors in your area. Just call the one that offers best services and value for your money. The inspector will perform number of tests to determine the mold growth. If the outcome is positive, you will have to ask for mold remediation services so that you can get rid of mold and enjoy fresh air again.

To eliminate mold, mold remediation service provider will identify moisture sources. Unless these are addressed, mold will come back again. Any efforts of removing mold will go to waste as moisture will help mold growth and it will be back within six months. A qualified contractor providing mold remediation services will control moisture before doing anything else with the mold. The contractor will also ensure that there is no moisture after mold has been removed.

Many people believe that they can eliminate the mold using household methods. They will search for cleaning, biocides and disinfectant products to remove mold. However, none of these helps with mold remediation. In addition to no results from such efforts, you will be exposing residents to allergies and toxic breathing by using such products without taking help from an expert.

Although there is proof that biocides will kill mold spores preventing its growth, these products are unsafe to use without taking proper care. In addition to that, these chemicals will never remove the mold but they will only kill the spores. The only way to get rid of mold from your home on long-term basis is to either remove it completely or get rid of the thing where it’s growing.

In order to decide the course of action, mold remediation service provider will check the nature of material, it’s ability to absorb and the growth of mold on it. This will help to determine whether to remove the material and clean it up to get rid of mold growing on it. Typically, non-porous and semi-porous materials will be easy to clean up and re-use but porous materials will have to go out of the building. Since porous materials absorb moisture resulting in inner-growing mold, they are hard to clean. Even if cleaned on the surface, they may still have mold pores inside. The best way to deal with these materials is to get rid of them.