FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQ)

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FAQ Collected from the International Mould Questions Collection, 2003-2004.

Q. How do I remove mould off a painted surface without damaging the paint. Our bedroom was painted 2 years ago, and mould has recently reappeared, in the corner of the room which is exposed to the prevailing weather. We thought we had rectified the problem with ventilation, we will try a dehumidifier to see if that controls it but we want to remove the mould from the painted walls, hopefully without damaging the paint. Thank you.

A. By the way, our New Zealand mould website premieres in the next few weeks. If you have access to Borax laundry detergent [from USA] or the generic Borax powder [available in most nations], you can use a solution of Borax in distilled water to try to clean off the mould from the painted surface. The problem is that the mould may have grown too deeply into the paint and, possibly, even into the wall materials themselves. If Borax cannot clean off the mould, consider spraying hydrogen peroxide [usually available in drug stores] onto the mould growth to kill it. If the mould growth is too deeply embedded into the building materials, you will need to remove and replace the wall materials. You can get some valuable tips on mould remediation at Mould Removal

FOLLOW UP:

Q. We don't have a lot of mould at the moment, but I tried a bathroom preparation and it changed the colour of the paint.... so I stopped real quick... Do you think a dehumidifier would help the problem? In winter we do get condensation on the windows, but not as much now that we have a window open permanently with security stays.

I really appreciate your help on this, can you let me know the URL of the web site due to start in NZ.

A. http://www.new-zealand-home-mould-inspection-inspector.com. Visit in about a week or two weeks. It is currently being built by our webmasters. Your year-round humidity indoors needs to be in the 30 to 40% range. If it is in the 60% or more range some or all of the year, you are inviting mould to be a permanent guest in your house. Use a digital hygrometer [US $30] to measure humidity through out your house year-round. Yes, a programmable dehumidifier to keep indoor humidity to 30 to 40% is great. Be sure to check humidity in basement, crawl space, and attic areas, as well as rooms.

Q. Dear Mr. Fry, I have been unsuccessful in locating a mould inspector in my area. If you have some connections, would you please send me a reply. I live near London, Ontario, Canada. A couple of phone numbers would be wonderful. Thanks.

A. Thank you for inquiring. However, your area, Canada, is not yet covered by our Certified Mould Inspectors as of now. You can be trained yourself as mould professional and do your own professional mould inspection, mould remediation and mould testing while earning higher income, once you are certified. Please refer to the mould training page of the Canadian mould site Mould Training and the testimonial page at Mould Training Testimonials..

Or you can also do your own mould inspection and testing through the international mould test kits available at Mould Test Kits. Enclosed in these mould kits is a set of easy-to-follow instructions to guide you along the mould inspection and testing process.

Q. I was wondering how harmful black mould is on an unborn fetus. I am approximately 5 months pregnant and was just inform that our recently purchased home has black mould throughout it and that sump pump is way below standards. The people that sold us the home had painted over the mould and did not disclose this information to my husband and myself. Regards.

A. Miscarriage is one of the many health problems possibly caused by mould infestation in one's home. Please visit Mould and Health for details.

It is very important to get rid of moulds as soon as possible. Here are your options:

1. Conduct (preferably not you to avoid mould exposure) a mould testing and mould inspection using Do It Yourself Mould Test Kits which is now available internationally with free delivery.

2. Note also that ordinary paints cannot kill moulds, unless if the paint is mould-resistant.

3. Review your homeowner's insurance policy or your tenant’s insurance policy to discover what, if any, insurance coverage you have for water and mould damage from items such as broken pipes. Whether or not you are making an insurance claim for the water damage, your insurance agent or the claims adjusting office of your insurance company is another good source of leads for recommended professional cleanup companies. If you have trouble with your insurance company for water & mould damage, you may be wise to hire either an independent insurance adjuster [works only for your well-being against the insurance company on a commission basis] or an insurance-oriented attorney.

4. You need to know how seriously and where your home might be mould contaminated. Samples of any visible mould should be collected using the Scotch tape lift sampling method explained on Lift Tape Sampling. You can have your mould sample submitted and analyzed by certified mould laboratories, so that you will find out the toxicity level of your mould. You can use the result of the mould laboratory test as evidence, in case your mould problem will be brought to trial or any legal means.

Q. I live in an apartment in Canada. I live with my husband and kids. I have M.S. and also am waiting for an operation on my neck having deteriated disks. For the last year or so we all have been experiencing cold symptoms headaches ear and throat infections and more feeling sick and flu symptoms we cant seem to shake. The mould is in the bathroom all along the ceilings edges. The maintenance people came up a long time ago to fix the ceiling as the upstairs bathtub was falling through at this time I told them that they hadn't finished the job and showed the superintendent they never came back. We have an apartment check every year where the superintendent checks every room and hallway for problems and I have shown them this many times, now this black mould is all over the ceiling and expanding around the bathroom I

have had an excess of dust lately that I thought was just my lack of cleaning as I have been sick. Could this mould be adding to our sickness and if so what could it do to someone that already has a immune problem like M.S. and what actions can I take to make them properly get rid of it without the chance of getting sicker or having it return. I live in Waterdown Canada and any info you send would be appreciated.

A. With your family's serious health problems and the existence of substantial visible mould in your apartment, you need to move as soon as possible to a mould-safe apartment. Most landlords will not pay for mould testing and mould remediation to fix mould infestation problems [and if your landlord did, you would have to move anyway because mould remediation cannot be safely done in an occupied area]. Be sure to do mould decontamination of all of your clothing and personal property before you move so that you don't mould cross-contaminate where you move to. So that you will know how involved it is to do safe and effective mould remediation, please read the mould removal steps explained at Mould Removal.

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