Toxic mould~airborne mould ~inhalation of mould~ heath hazards of mould, removing mould odour, removing airborne mould

Welcome to Mould Busters (part of Building Forensics Ltd)

There is a lot of nonsense spoken about mould removal and here are a few basic facts

Mould growth is natural in the outdoor environment but not normally found extensively indoors
The mould species that often cause health impact in properties are usually below detectable levels in the outside air
Not all people are affected by all moulds but some are genetically prone or become sensitised by chronic exposure
Mould is caused by water damage, so stop it and remediate it before you even consider mould removal
Not all mould is toxic but all mould is allergenic and even mould that can produce toxins only do so under stress
Moulds become stressed when faced with other mould species, bacteria and bleach or fungicide use.
Apart from visible mould growth, mould can be hidden in cavities, behind wallpaper under carpets and most importantly airborne.
You can sometimes make assessments from odour, water staining and presume damage or building related illness
The WHO state the inhalation of mould is over 40 x more hazardous than visible growth see WHO paper
While most focus on mould there are many other health related contaminates associated with water damage

If you have a mould problem you have four steps:

Deal with cause of moisture
Remove surface mould growth
Contact Mould Busters for free quotation to remove airborne contamination (the highest risk & health hazard) (Page 759)
Request free advice from Mould Busters for large scale projects which are over 5 square meters or commercial projects

From many years experience we have found most "mould experts" simply wash off mould with bleach and paint over it. It usually returns because if the substrate was wet, mould will grow again. We recommend you follow NHS advice below regarding mould removal. This doesn't work (see more)

We respectfully suggest you consider the aftermath of mould and water damage associated contaminates which remain in the air or can be re aerosolised.

How do I get rid of damp and mould?

If you have damp or mould the first thing to do is find the cause.Damp and mould can affect your health, so it's important to get rid of it.

Causes of damp and mould

Damp and mould are caused by excess moisture.Moisture in buildings can be caused by leaking pipes, rising damp in basements or ground floors, or rain seeping in because of damage to the roof or around window frames.

In a newly-built home damp can occur if the water used when the house was built is still drying out.

Condensation

Excess moisture indoors can also be caused by condensation.Condensation forms when the air indoors can't hold any more moisture.Cooking, showering, drying clothes indoors and breathing without adequate ventilation can all cause excess moisture.Droplets can form on indoor surfaces such as mirrors, windowsills and on walls, particularly when they're cold.

You can help prevent the build-up of condensation by:

� putting lids on saucepans, drying washing outside and avoiding using paraffin or bottled gas heaters

� opening the bedroom window for 15 minutes each morning

� making sure your home is well insulated

� heating your home a little more

� ventilating rooms regularly and leaving doors open to allow air to circulate, unless you're cooking or showering

� if you're cooking, showering or bathing � opening the window, putting the fan on and closing the door of the room you're in

Repairs may be needed to get rid of any leaks or to improve ventilation.Once your home has been repaired, or if your home is damp because it's newly built, it may take weeks of heating and ventilating it to dry it out.

How to remove mould

Once you've identified and fixed the source of moisture in your home you can get rid of any mould.You may be able to remove mould yourself, or you may need to get a professional to remove it.

Only remove mould yourself if it's caused by condensation and covers an area less than one metre squared (1x1 metre or 3x3 feet).Don�t try to remove the mould yourself if it�s caused by sewage or other contaminated water.

Protect yourself from mould spores by wearing goggles, long rubber gloves and a mask that covers your nose and mouth.Open the windows but keep doors closed to prevent spores spreading to other areas of the house.

� Have a plastic bag ready to take away any soft furnishings, clothes and soft toys that are mouldy.Soft furnishings should be shampooed and clothes professionally dry cleaned.

� Fill a bucket with water and some mild detergent, such as washing up liquid or a soap used for hand-washing clothes.

� Use a rag dipped in the soapy water to carefully wipe the mould off the wall.Be careful not to brush it, as this can release mould spores.

� When you've finished, use a dry rag to remove the moisture from the wall.

� Afterwards, put the rags in a plastic bag and throw them away.

� All the surfaces in the room should be thoroughly cleaned by either wet wiping or vacuuming to remove any spores.

End of NHS advice

If you have serious health issues and possible building related illness we suggest you contact www.buildingforensics.co.uk

The World Health Organisation (WHO) state all mould is allergenic and some species are toxic. WHO also state the greatest hazard from mould is inhalation estimated at perhaps 40 times the risk of surface mould.

Significantly dead mould and its fragments are even more hazardous than live mould because they produce small particles and fragments often less than 5 micron (a full stop in a news paper is 60 micron)

The human body only has natural defence for particles down to 7 microns. This means mould fragments can pass the human defence and travel directly to the lower respiratory system and enter the blood stream through alveoli.

This well documented process explains why people suffer health symptoms without touching or even seeing mould.

Typical symptoms of mould exposure include effects to respiratory system, skin and eye, stomach, chronic fatigue and brain fog. See Health Hazards page for full list.

International opinion now recognises a certain genotype is particularly prone to mould exposure and its health effects (see symptoms on Health Hazards page)

Mould Busters provide a solution by special fogging techniques and this process causes all airborne contamination to fall to horizontal surfaces within 4 hours and provides measurable results.

The process is colloidal action similar to that used in swimming pools where a chemical is added to the water to cause all contaminates to fall to the pool floor where it is vacuumed up.

In the Mould Busters process the special chemical is aerosolised into the air where it reacts with all airborne contamination, causing it it to fall to horizontal surfaces for simple conventional cleaning

Air cleaning only available in London & Home Counties at present