As a mold inspector, many of my recommendations are for cleaning and the improvement of ventilation. Many times, mold and mildew growth in bathrooms, bedrooms and closets is due to poor ventilation like the lack of proper exhaust vent fans or the lack of a central heating and cooling filtration system. Many of my reports recommend cleaning or housekeeping be performed where there is visible mold/mildew in grout, seals, etc. The cleaning of surface growth on walls behind furniture can be done, as well, when the cause is poor ventilation of a bathroom. Cleaning is done using a bleach and water solution or an approved biocide such as Lysol. When the scope of work that needs to be done is beyond the ability or skill levels of a homeowner or a handyman, I will recommend professional Remediation.
Remediation is the specialized treatment and cleaning of mold-contaminated areas and materials that are treated as hazardous. All workers involved in remediation of mold are required to have personal protective equipment. The contaminated area is cordoned off and the plastic sheeting is secured to walls, ceilings and floors, using tape. An access is created using an opening with a vinyl zipper or an overlapping flap to keep contamination from escaping the contained area.
These trained workers remove all wet and damaged materials such as drywall, plaster, carpets and ceiling tiles. The materials are then removed from the area, and the structural members are thoroughly cleaned by a variety of methods including sanding, grinding, and treating with chemicals. The air within the contained area is cleaned by using air-scrubbing machines with H.E.P.A. filters (High Efficiency Particulate Absolute).
When the work is complete, and before walls and ceilings are closed back up, clearance testing should be performed. Clearance Testing is done by the mold inspector taking air samples that are submitted to a laboratory. This is the client's assurance that the remediation work has been completed properly.
There are no hard and fast rules for when remediation is necessary. There are only "guidelines" recommended by the U.S. EPA and the New York City Health Dept., but these agencies provide only guidelines and not laws. There are no firmly set rules.
Remediation is recommended based upon the experience of the inspector and what is practical for a homeowner. I always take into account the health of occupants and the seriousness of the situation when making a recommendation.
From my experiences, well over 40% of remediation of the interior side of exterior walls has found damage/deterioration of the stucco felt paper. Therefore, if only cleaning of visible surfaces is done instead of remediation where the plaster or drywall is not removed, then the damaged stucco felt paper will not be repaired properly in these areas. Then future moisture intrusion and likely re-contamination of mold will occur. This is an important point that the mold inspector must consider when deciding to recommend remediation.
Another example where it is not always practical for a home owner or handyman to handle a mold situation is in the area under a kitchen sink where one can only "see" moisture damage and mold contamination from 32 to 36 inches wide (the width of the sink cabinet). From considerable experience, when there is that much contamination visible, there is usually more moisture intrusion and mold contamination that is unseen inside the wall where the whole affected area may from 6 to 9 feet wide. This is not seen until all the drywall or plaster behind the sink cabinet, adjacent cabinet and the dishwasher are removed. Without this knowledge and the actual familiarity of this type of work, the untrained person can easily miss what is really necessary to be done, and if they discover it they could easily be overwhelmed buy the actual amount of work.
When remediation is attempted by a willing homeowner or the handyman in the employ of the homeowner, their remediation work will invariably NOT PASS clearance testing the first time. In many cases, the clearance testing may not pass until the third try. The added time and costs can be upsetting to the homeowner who was attempting to do the work at a reduced cost, rather than having a professional firm do the work. Many times this ends up costing more time and money than doing the recommended remediation.
As a final note: I recommend using a mold inspection company that does not perform any repairs or remediation and if you are given a proposal for tens of thousands of dollars for remediation, always, always seek a second opinion from another qualified mold inspection firm. And always, always obtain two or more quotes for remediation.
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