About Toxic Mold Decontamination and Remediation

Toxic mold can be deadly if it is not properly cared for and treated as soon as it is noticed. Because mold can be toxic and kill easily, quick treatment is best for everyone. Toxic mold can cause a myriad of other health problems that can affect you the rest of your life. A professional should do decontamination and remediation if possible.

• In recent years, sanding, scraping and removing the toxic mold was the only option available for decontaminating the house. This was ineffective because the toxic mold would live in every moist, damp area and would breed and spread to other areas of the plaster and wood framework of the house.


• Dry ice blasting is becoming a popular way to remove toxic mold. Dry ice is liquid carbon dioxide that is sprayed onto the mold similar to how you would pressure wash the outside of a house. The dry ice freezes the mold and retards the rest of the cells that continue to grow. Once the mold has been frozen, the particles will go into the air, which can be easily filtered out through a HEPA filter. It is much safer than scraping the mold off and hoping that it does not grow back.


• Applying bleach to the mold is another way to decontaminate and remove the mold that is already present. Many apartment complexes use this technique because it is inexpensive and will clean mold off the walls so that potential renters will not see it. The problem with using bleach to kill the mold is that it will only kill and remove the mold that is visible. Any spores that are lingering beneath the plaster or in the framework will continue to grow and spawn, creating a new mold problem within a few months.


• Removing and replacing drywall and framework is a failsafe way of removing toxic mold from the home. For best results, this should be done during the summer when the air is dry and it is not raining. Replacing framework and drywall can be very costly; however, especially if you have a large area to fix.


• Keeping areas such as the bathroom and kitchen where toxic mold is most likely to grow dry and clean is one of the best ways to prevent toxic mold from growing. Combine this with the use of a HEPA filter to suck out any spores that may be in the air and you will be less likely to get toxic mold in the home at all.