Rehabbing a house with lots of mold. What works best to kill it?

Question

The home had a leak in the roof and the ac was off causing mold to spread throughout the house. I plan on tearing down the sheetrock from the ceilings and walls with mold on them.

I have all of the safety equipment but am not sure of the best solution to use on the mold. I have seen so many different kinds and would like to know what works best.

Any suggestions??

Answer 1

Many people have listed my recommendation. Bleach.

Here is the most important. Wear OLD CLOTHES. Light colors if possible. This way any drips or splatters won't show or you can trash them or save them for painting.

You might be wise to wear a mask while you do this job .

This is how I scrub my shower walls (8 ft high) and would work for you. Get a window scrubber (long 3 ft handle and a fuzzy cover for the rubber squeegee) to scrub the walls to the ceiling. Use a dish pan for the bleach and water solution.

NEVER MIX ANY CHEMICALS WITH BLEACH. Many can convert to a gas and do serious lung damage or even kill you . Using a quart spray bottle to spray on the solution, might be beneficial, before starting the scrubbing. Start at the ceiling with the spraying.

Good Luck.

Answer 2

First you might want to pick up a mold test kit to determine what type(s) of mold you have growing which will help you make the right decision. For the most part any area covered with mold that is larger than 3' X 3' it may just be easier in the long run to hire a professional to handle the problem since they are at least bonded. You can use a dehumidifier to help reduce the spread as well to keep the moister level in check and use fans to keep air circulating and a simple yet effective mold cleaner is 1 gallon of water to 1 cup bleach.

Answer 3

A reliable professional service. It's a very difficult problem to remedy on a large scale. Though if you really want to do it yourself, use detergent and water, apply it and allow to thoroughly dry- throw out any paper items and sand off any mold on wood.

Here's some detailed links: http://www.epa.gov/iaq/molds/moldresources.html
http://www.ag.ndsu.edu/pubs/yf/home/ae1202w.htm

Answer 4

I've used bleach. It works very well and is also effective at ruining your favorite pair of jeans. Anything that can't be washed with bleach may have to be thrown away.

Answer 5

Since it's a do it yourself thing.. I'd just use bleach water. Bleach kills everything and it's cheapest. Good luck.