Guidelines of Correctly Performing Mold Removal and Mold Clean Up

Mold is a fungus that is found naturally in our environment. While it is found all over, it becomes a problem when its spores reproduce inside your house or structure. Once it is identified that you have a mold issue, your next step is to get it got rid of as rapidly as possible.

Any Contractor can provide mold remediation, the obstacle is discovering one who can carry out the removal services without the mold returning or spreading throughout the home or commercial home. The following are the numerous guidelines that all mold removal contractors must be following.

The standards talked about will be the New York Health Department Guidelines, the EPA Guidelines, and the Institute of Inspection Cleaning and Restoration Certification Guidelines. Similar to all guidelines, you need to bear in mind that these are not rules or laws but tips that have had success and are used as benchmarks for successful mold removal.

The New York Health Department (NYPD) version of Mold Damage Restoration Guidelines, were the very first (one of the very first) standards produced for the public nationwide for mold removal. These guidelines, when the standard for mold damage clean-up, are practically never utilized since the EPA and the IICRC standards are more popular. However, the NYHD Guidelines are very comparable to the EPA Guidelines. You can check out these guidelines in full by going to the New York Health Department’s website and looking for their Mold Damage Restoration Guidelines.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has developed their own set of guidelines to help house owners and property owners on mold removal. The EPA developed their guidelines based upon the size and quantity of visible mold you have. The guidelines are for

( 1) less than 10 square feet,
( 2) 10-100 square feet and
( 3) over 100 square feet.

These guidelines recommend whether you should utilize containment and unfavorable air pressure, special disposal matches, face masks, and so on

. For instance, if your area is less than 10 square feet, you can do the removal yourself being sure to utilize a face mask with an N-95 respirator, safety glasses, and gloves – no containment is necessary. However, for anything over 10 square feet, the EPA recommends that you hire a professional with mold remediation experience and that you have containment built immediately. As well, mold market approved Disposable Protective Suits and Personal Protection Equipment must be used. You can see the full guidelines by going to the EPA’s site.

Mold testing after you have completed your remediation job is also crucial. Regrettably, the EPA guidelines do not entirely respond to how to test for mold when the removal is done. They do recommend that specialists who have mold experience must be utilized and that they ought to follow the methods recommended by the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) or other expert companies. Be certain that if someone claims to be a mold testing professional that their credentials are equal to the ACGIH credentials or are a Certified Industrial Hygienist. There is no school or training center whose credentials are as substantial or accepted.

The Institute of Inspection Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC) Mold Remediation S502 Guidelines are a very extensive source. They explain mold, mold problems, and detail how to perform mold removal. While the New York Health Department and the EPA Guidelines are readily available complimentary online, they come up short in their specifics on all questions and topics connected to mold and mold removal. The IICRC’s Guidelines are so well related to, that most, if not all Certified Industrial Hygienists use these guidelines for their suggestions on mold damage clean up.

If a residential or business home has possible signs of mold development, here are some suggestions. First, it is advisable to follow the IICRC S502 Guidelines due to the reality that Certified Industrial Hygienists utilize these standards in their reports. Second, although there are companies who declare to be mold testers, Certified Industrial Hygienists are the only “mold testing” professionals whose reports will pass in most federal and regional court systems. (Certified Industrial Hygienists are Scientists with scientific degrees versus someone who has a certificate from a mold testing school or certified mold lab.) Third, be sure to hire a company that has experience with mold removal and ideally is accredited by the IICRC. These tips are so important because of the health risks and legal liability that you could be faced with!