This post was originally published on 4/23/2020 and updated on 2/3/2022 for accuracy and a larger scope of information.
Black mold is naturally something we want to steer clear from, and with good reason. Black mold is toxic, and a lot of care is needed while handling it to prevent further spreading the infestation. Unfortunately, the crawl space of our home is very susceptible to moisture intrusion (unless they have been encapsulated!). This moisture intrusion is what gives way to rapid mold growth. The following tips will shed some light on how to properly get rid of black mold. However, the safest and most reliable way is to entrust the job to black mold removal professionals that can remedy the situation completely and with the proper equipment.
Everybody has different levels of allergens they can stand. Even so, continuous exposure to allergens even without regularly suffering from allergies can make the experience of living in affected places unpleasant. If you have asthma, immune suppression, and respiratory allergies, you will find living with black mold as a borderline torturous experience, feeling it more than regular folks. Some of the signs of being exposed to black mold include causing a stuffy nose, skin and eye irritation, and wheezing. Over a long period of exposure, you can start to experience worse symptoms such as shortness of breath, fever, and nausea.
If you have a black mold problem, you are probably wondering how it gets into the house to affect you. Because of the Stack Effect, there is air circulation between the air inside the house and the crawl space. Air from the crawl space rises through from underneath the house into the main living space carrying with it the black mold spores. Other times you will find it on your clothes, pet fur, and winds that blow into your living space. Drywalls, gypsum boards, carpets, and other building materials can soak up water creating a conducive environment for the growth of a black mold colony. This is why you will find most of the black mold colonies around areas with drainage issues, leaky pipes, or flooding spaces.
If any step of the black mold removal process is taken too lightly or is compromised, your family could be put at risk for being afflicted by the health issues that come from breathing in the spores. Click To Tweet
If the extent of the black mold is too high, it will be impossible to remove the entire colony, hence most people will go for removing the affected panels. Removing the panels is one thing, but proper black mold remediation at home or in large spaces is best left to the professionals. It is not only safer for you in the end, but it also means you are guaranteed high-quality work. However, if you insist on going through with it, the following steps will help.
First off, you will want to make sure that none of your skin is exposed during black mold removal. You will want to either wear a suit made from a material that is easily washable or regular clothing that will be disposed of once the job is complete. You need to cover all of the features of your face by wearing goggles and a respirator mask, as well as wear gloves. Another preparation you must make is to seal off adjacent rooms with plastic sheeting to avoid spore contamination.
Once the spores have been removed from the wall or other food source they are feeding on, they need to be transferred to plastic bags and sealed completely shut. After carefully isolating the black mold spores from the bags, it is important to call your local professional to know where it is best to dispose of them. Another important variable to call a professional about is to determine whether or not the mold you are about to remove has reached so far into the surface of its current spot that the whole board or wall panel should be replaced!
A key to preventing black mold growth from recurring is to locate the source of moisture that was causing the infestation in the first place. The mold will be back and with the same tenacity as before if the source of moisture is not corrected, whether it be a small leak or simply high humidity,
If any step of the black mold removal process is taken too lightly or is compromised, your family could be put at risk for being afflicted by the health issues that come from breathing in the spores. Some signs of black mold affecting your family could present themselves in symptoms similar to those of the common cold and the flu virus; cough, runny nose, wheezing, itchy/runny eyes, sneezing, and sore throat. These symptoms could manifest into worse conditions and prove troublesome for the health of your family.
Your local crawl space encapsulation and repair professionals here at Barrier Waterproofing Systems advise you to only approach a black mold removal project if you have the experience and proper equipment to do so. Otherwise, give us a call at (615) 257-1060 for a FREE evaluation of your mold growth problems and to identify how we can help.
