One of the fears of homeowners is to see mold settle in their homes. These are plant organisms that are very dangerous to health. The main cause of mold appearance is moisture. If you see these microscopic fungal particles in your home, react immediately. Groupe Environnement Santé Québec shows you how to carry out mold decontamination.
Identify the source of mold
To decontaminate mold in your home, you must first identify the cause. As soon as it is identified, we must think about correcting it. Molds are often present in areas with high humidity. For this, you will find them in cold and poorly ventilated areas of the house or in places that are exposed to steam.
On the other hand, it should be noted that sometimes mold grows inside the walls. It can also proliferate within the ceiling. In these cases, it is complicated for you to identify the source of these microscopic mushroom particles. On the contrary, it requires the keen eye of a specialist in the field.
Limit the contaminated perimeter
Mold spores can be particularly airborne. It is for this reason that it is essential to isolate from the rest of the dwelling the area they have already colonized. To do this, use a plastic sheet to cover the contaminated area. After which seal the rest of the house. In addition, you need to turn off the ventilation system. All this must be done before touching mold.
Protecting yourself
Before touching mold, it is imperative to protect yourself adequately. Above all, do not use ordinary textile, as it has pores that can help transport these fungi from one place to another. In addition, the protections usually used against paint will not be really effective. Protect yourself with a suit consisting of:
- Long sleeves;
- Dust mask;
- Safety glasses.
Finally, don’t forget to put on a pair of high boots.
Clean up the contaminated area
Cleaning can be done with borax when the contaminated area is small. Borax is a white powder accessible in supermarkets and precisely in the “laundry products” section. Make a mixture of this cleaner with water and then apply everything on the contaminated area.
Borax is a lethal product well indicated to fight mold. It also prevents them from appearing again. Unfortunately, this liquid mixture is not suitable for the decontamination of mold present on porous surfaces (carpets, gypsum, etc.). It is impossible in these cases to completely eliminate these fungi from these surfaces. The ideal is to remove them entirely.
Whitening detergents are ineffective against significant mold contamination. On the contrary, they prepare a favorable ground for their development.
It should be noted that the cleaning of the contaminated area should not be done by a person prone to chronic pathologies including respiratory diseases.
Install an air cleaner
This is just an additional precaution to prevent the appearance of these fungi in other places of the house. Being at negative pressure, the air cleaner will remove all microscopic fungal particles that would end up in the air as a result of decontamination.
Contact a mold decontamination professional
Often, the mold decontamination operation is not as simple as the previous steps show. Indeed, there are several situations where the intervention of a decontamination expert like GESQ is essential. These situations are:
- Porous contaminated area;
- Presence of black mold;
- Infected area greater than 1 min 2 s;
- Source of moisture not detected;
- Lack of knowledge of the extent of mold damage.
A mold decontamination done by an individual is without any guarantee of effectiveness. Poor mold treatment promotes the appearance of these fungi again. Mold decontamination is an expert’s business. After the intervention of the Groupe environnement santé Québec, you can be sure to be rid of these microscopic fungi.
