Mold remediation Method on Wood Surfaces

Mold remediation method would always depend of the type of material contaminated. Non-porous materials, for instance, would only require scrubbing, cleaning, and disinfecting. Porous materials, on the other hand, require disposal: no amount of cleaning can eliminate molds that have saturated sub-surfaces of such materials. Semi-porous materials like woods and plywood need to be evaluated whether they can still be salvaged before starting mold cleanup method.

Most houses interior is made up of wood, and majority of house materials are also made of woods. Because woods can collect moisture, they are also like places for mold growth. Woods are semi-porous materials. How, then, does one proceed with mold remediation on woods?

As it is with other materials, mold remediation is done with the objective of removing every inch of mold material on woods. Now, there are woods with smooth surfaces, and those with hard-to-reach, irregular surfaces.

To clean woods with surfaces, mold remediation methods that can be used include damp wiping or power washing. To wipe contaminated surfaces, use detergent-water mixture. Use a clean rag or towel, and replace towel as often as needed. See to it that you don’t wipe moldy rag on uncontaminated surface. Do not use the same rag over and over again to remove mold from every surface. This is in order to prevent spread of molds and mold spores. What you can is to fold towel, and use the clean part to wipe a new spot.

For mold remediation of molds on hard-to-reach surfaces (such as when you need to clean surfaces with nail edges sticking out), hand wiping is not possible. The best way to clean such surfaces is to use power spray cleaning or media blasting using dry ice or baking soda.

If media blasting with liquid would create water leaks on surface below, dry process blasting is recommended. Dry process blasting involves use frozen carbon dioxide or baking soda. The process should be followed by HEPA vacuum cleaning.

To clean surfaces created by cross-bracing or wood trusses, media blasting/power spray cleaning is also recommended. The process should be followed by HEPA vacuum cleaning.

How effective is sanding in mold cleaning wood surfaces? Sanding is a slow and laborious mold remediation option. It may be used for small surfaces, but where contaminated area is a whole room, sanding is impractical.

After moldy surfaces have been cleaned, drying the areas is absolutely necessary. Mold spores are always present in the environment. No amount of cleaning can wipe out mold spores from the surrounding. If you leave the surfaces dry, you don’t give mold spores a chance for new growth.

Application of fungicide sealant is one method that some mold remediation companies use to prevent future growth of molds. Fungicide sealants prevent buildup of moisture on wooden materials. They, thereby, prevent molds from growing again.

Regardless of whatever mold remediation method you use, it is also absolutely necessary that you seal contaminated area to prevent mold spores from spreading into other areas of your home or property.