Homework: Dealing with mold

 1. All wet

Mold is a living organism that thrives in wet or even damp environments. The food source for mold is generally cellulose materials such as the paper on drywall, wood products or paints on concrete blocks. Mold can even appear on the surface of metal if an oily residue has accumulated over the years.

2. At the root of it

Basically, a house and its contents are a food source for mold. Many people have the misconception that molds can be cleaned with household bleach. When you try, the immediate result you see is that the molds disappear when the bleach is applied. But what you don't see is that the underlying root system of this living organism is unaffected by the bleach, and the molds will reappear within a few days.

3. Cut it out

You can't clean mold; it must be removed from the premises. In the case of mold-infested drywall, paneling and acoustical ceiling tiles, the damaged areas should be cut out and discarded.

4. In a scrape

If the mold is on the wood floor system or studs of a home, the wood should be sanded to remove the root system and then a mold-treatment chemical applied. You do not often see mold on older homes with plastered walls, but it will appear on the paint on the plaster. In that case, the paint should be scraped off to remove the root system before repainting.

5. Put on a coat

If there is mold on wood furniture, it should be sanded before applying a protective finish coat to the wood. Upholstered furniture and leather products should be discarded. Clothing, drapes and bed coverings can be dry-cleaned or washed to remove the mold spores.

6. A spore subject

Mold usually does not appear on fabrics, but fabrics can carry mold spores that can be transferred to cellulose and wood products of the home. Wet or damp carpeting should be removed to allow the wood-floor surface to dry.

7. Vinyl flooring

After the carpeting is removed and the floor is dry, the mold spores can be sanded from the exposed wood before new floor coverings are installed. Vinyl floor coverings also must be removed if you notice dark spots forming under the finished surface of the vinyl.

8. Decay not OK

Try not to confuse decay damage in wood with mold. Mold affects the surface of the wood; decay affects the integrity of the wood and causes structural damage. It's easy to test wood for mold by pressing a screwdriver against the discolored area. If the wood is covered with mold, it will have some resistance to the probe. If the wood is decayed, the probe will easily pass through the surface and into the heart of the wood.

9. Wood chucking

In most cases, decayed wood should be replaced using pressure-treated lumber. If you have a large mold problem in your home, it should be professionally mitigated and the humidity in that area of the home should be mechanically controlled with a dehumidifier or an opening from the air-conditioning duct system.

10. Dry reason

The most important control for mold in any home is humidity control. Keep the area dry, because without moisture, molds might be present, but they cannot thrive. For more information on mold, visit epa.gov/mold.