Delaware’s warm weather has not only kicked off the spring flower season, but also the possibility of mold after a wet winter.
If the mold spot is smaller than 10 square feet then you can attempt to remedy it yourself. According to The Truth About Mold, by Susan Cooper and Mike Buettner, the steps to remediate mold
Mold comes in many forms and colors (photo by ntanu mihai)
- Wear a face mask, goggles, and rubber gloves. Don’t touch mold with bare skin.
- Seal off the area to prevent the tiny spores from spreading to other parts of the house during the removal process. Open the windows and cover heat registers and ventilation ducts.
- Wash the affected hard surface areas with a mild detergent solution, such as laundry detergent and warm water. As an added step, wipe the area with a solution of a quarter-cup bleach and one quart water.
- Dry the surface completely. Use fans and dehumidifiers or natural ventilation.
- Apply a borate-based detergent solution. Don’t rinse. This will help prevent the mold from growing again. (look for “borate” listed on the ingredient lables of laundry or dishwasher detergent.)
- Don’t take shortcuts. Never paint or caulk over moldy surfaces. The pain will peel and mold will resurface.
- Call a professional. Just when you think you finally won the battle against mold, you might see dormant spores reappear or even spread to clean areas of the house, particularly if proper removal procedures were not taken. You may need to call a mold remediation company to resolve the problem.
For more information on mold, the EPA has a great e-book, A Brief Guide to Mold, Moisture, and Your Home.
Toby, you have a picture of lichens not mold. Possibly Physcia adscendens or Physcia millegrana and Crustose Lichens.
Thanks Brian. I searched mold pictures in Stock.xchng and this is what came up. A good reason you need a person that KNOWS mold when doing remediation.