Mold Bacteria Consulting Services

Serving Ontario and British Columbia

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Providing Mould Facts And Mould Training

In an effort to provide quality information we have created 2 websites dedicated to providing unbiased information on mould and mould training. For mould facts, visit http://www.mouldfacts.ca and for mould training, visit http://www.moldtraining.ca.

More technical mould information may be found at http://www.moldbacteria.com and if you can’t find what you are looking for give us a call at (905)290-9101.

Black Mould In My House

Close to 200 species of moulds have been reported from indoor environments. However, only a small percentage of this is commonly found indoors. A significant number of these moulds may appear black or greyish and hence the common term “black mould”.

How do I know if the black mould in my house is “toxic mould”?

Since many moulds may appear black, it’s only through laboratory identification of the mould that one can tell whether the mould is known to be toxigenic (“toxic”) or not.

How do I clean up black mould in my house

The key to preventing black mould growth is to eliminate moisture. Once mould has grown in a building it has to be removed. Regardless of the type of mould, the procedures used to remove mould are the same. However, the amount of mould present, the type of mould and the sensitivity of the occupants determines the level of remediation required. For example, in a hospital environment the safety measures taken in mould removal are more stringent than say in an industrial environment.

For more information regarding black mould, please call 905-290-9101.

Mold Training Schedule

A comprehensive one-day mold training course on indoor mold. The topics for this unique mold training course include:

  • how to recognize indoor mold,
  • how to develop effective sampling strategies,
  • how to interpret laboratory results and,
  • how to perform effective mold remediation/abatement.

For details and current course schedule please visit our mold training webpage at http://www.moldbacteria.com/training.html.

Certification Maintenance (CM) Points
The mold training course has been granted approval for CM points by the following organizations:

For registration, course dates or more details click mold training.

Mold Removal Guidelines

Once mold has grown in a building, it has to be removed (also referred to as mold removal, mold remediation, or mold abatement). There are various mold removal guidelines:

  • Mould Guidelines for the Canadian Construction Industry (2004): by Canadian Construction Association.
  • Mould Abatement Guidelines (2004): by Environmental Abatement Council of Ontario (EACO).
  • Guidelines on Assessment and Remediation of Fungi in Indoor Environments (2008): by the New York City Department of Health.
  • Standard and Reference Guide for Professional Mold Remediation (IICRC S520): by the Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC).
  • Mold Remediation in Schools and Commercial Buildings (2001): by the US Environmental Protection Agency.

Some of these mold removal guidelines can be obtained free online. When determining appropriate mold remediation level, one has to consider the total area affected (the perimeter of affected materials) and the density of the mold growth. The Guidelines for the Canadian Construction Industry recognizes 3 remediation levels for building finishes and components (e.g., drywall, ceiling tile, carpet, etc.). These are:

  • Level 1 (Small Scale): Areas less than 1 square metre (10 square feet)
  • Level ll (Medium Scale): Areas between 1-10 square metres (10-100 square feet)
  • Level lll (Large Scale): Areas greater than 10 square metres (≥100 square feet)

For more details about mold removal consult the various guidelines and/or consult a professional. For those working in the fields of mold investigation and remediation, you may want to register for our mold training course entitled “How To Recognize Indoor Mould, Develop Effective Sampling Strategies, Interpret Laboratory Results, And Remediate Mould Contamination“. For the course details and available dates click http://www.moldbacteria.com/training.html

For more information regarding mold removal please contact us at 905-290-9101 in Ontario or 604-435-6555 in British Columbia.

 

How To Get Rid of Mold Growth

One of the questions commonly asked by homeowners is how they could get rid of mold growth on ceiling tiles, carpet, walls and basement. To get rid of mold completely is difficult but we can control mold growth. For us to control mold growth we need to know the factors or conditions necessary for mold growth.

For mold to grow indoors:

  • There should be a source of viable spores or hyphal fragments of the mold that can regenerate into new mold growth. The main source of spores indoors is the outdoor. Building materials may also get contaminated with mold. Spores that have settled on surfaces may remain viable for many years. Once moisture is available these spores germinate and if the moisture is not eliminated, growth continues and more spores are produced which contribute to more mold growth. Settled dust is generally a reservoir of mold spores.How to get rid of mold growth
  • Like any other living organisms, mold require nutrients for growth. Dust, dirt, and some components of building materials are contain or are nutrients for mold growth.
  • For rapid growth optimal temperature is required. Generally molds can grow under a wide range of temperatures but at suboptimal temperatures growth is slow. The optimal temperature for most indoor molds is the temperature usually maintained in houses or offices for human comfort.
  • There should be adequate moisture to support growth. Moisture is the most critical factor. The level of moisture (together with other factors) determines the types of mold that will be more prevalent/dominant in the environment.

By manipulating anyone of the factors outlined above, we can control mold growth. However, we may have very little control on spores since spores infiltrate into our houses from outdoor all the time especially when we open the doors and windows. Also, although we can set the temperature in our houses to the level we want, mold can grow over a wide range of temperatures and therefore it is practically difficult to use temperature to control mold growth…unless we want to turn our houses and offices into freezers. Moisture is the ideal factor to control. Maintaining indoor humidity levels between 30-60% would effectively control mold growth. In addition to controlling moisture, we should also provide adequate ventilation. As mentioned above dust is a reservoir for spores. Therefore, regular vacuum cleaning would help reduce the spore load in the building and hence reduce the level of mold growth following a moisture problem.

If you have a question on how to get rid of mold growth, please call us at 905-290-9101.

 

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Legionella pneumophila – Guidelines for Laboratory Interpretation

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The Indoor Mold Is An Early Warning Device

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