Montrose, MI, April 29, 2015 -- “Attic mold growth is a major and common problem in homes and commercial buildings in the USA, Canada, UK, Europe, Asia, and world-wide because of roof leaks and/or inadequate attic ventilation,” notes Phillip Fry, Certified Environmental Hygienist, Professional Industrial Hygienist, author of five mold books, and webmaster since 1999 of the frequently-visited educational website www.moldinspector.com.

Fry recommends that the following Upkeep Masters, LLC, proven eighteen steps be taken for the safe and effective removal of attic mold growth---

1. Find and repair all roof leaks that enable water to get into the attic.

2. Increase attic ventilation by adding more roof vents, more roof overhang soffit vents, and a humidstat-controlled electric exhaust fan in the attic that turns on automatically to exhaust humid attic air outward whenever the attic humidity hits a humidstat setting such as 50 to 60% humidity.

3. All attic mold removal workers must wear at all times in the attic the following personal protective equipment: respirator mask with filters rated to collect volatile organic compounds, eye goggles with no holes (“Chem-Splash” type), disposable vinyl gloves, and Tyvek or comparable enviro body suits with built in park hoods and booties.

4. Take mold test surface samplings of the worst attic mold growth, as well as of the attic air, to serve as a comparison benchmark later after mold removal when clearance tests are done in the attic to determine how successfully and totally the mold has been removed.

5. Seal off the attic area from the rest of the house or building with an entry and exit chamber or room made of 6 mil thick, clear plastic sheeting, with a zippered entrance cut and taped into the plastic sheeting. The sheeting must be tight wall to wall and floor to ceiling.

6. Do an initial kill of as much attic mold as possible by running high output ozone generators for eight hours in the attic. Learn about the mold-killing effectiveness of ozone blasters at www.ozonegeneratorkillsmold.com.

7. Lift up the insulation bats or check beneath other types of insulation to investigate whether mold growth has spread to the timbers and flooring alongside and beneath the insulation.

8. If there is mold growth along side or beneath the insulation, or on the paper backing of insulation or on dust and dirt that has settled onto the insulation material, of if the insulation is wet or has been wet, remove and discard the insulation. Install new insulation after the attic mold remediation project is done, including successful clearance testing.

9. If there has been no mold contamination of the insulation and the insulation looks good, or after the removal of mold-impacted insulation, cover the attic floor with new, thick cloth coverings to protect it from mold cross contamination and falling debris generated by the blasting or grinding processes used in the attic mold removal process. Put two foot wide plywood walkways on top of the cloth covering so that workers can do the mold remediation steps without stepping through the ceilings below the attic.

10. During the attic mold removal process, maintain negative air pressure inside the attic by connecting one or more air scrubbers with flexible hosing from the attic area to the scrubbers that will be located on the ground or elsewhere in the building. Air scrubbers use large, thick HEPA filters to remove airborne mold spores and activated carbon filters to remove airborne mold mycotoxins (poisonous, volatile organic compound gases thrown into the air during toxic mold growth). Air scrubbers remove over 99% of airborne mold spores and mycotoxins, with the scrubber output directly vented by more flexible hosing to the outdoors. Negative air pressure makes the entire attic into a giant vacuum cleaner by continually removing more attic air than is coming into the attic.

11. HEPA vacuum all attic timbers to remove as much landed dirt and mold spores as possible.

12. Use high pressure abrasive blasting or grinders with wire brush attachments to remove all surface mold growth to make the cleaned wood surfaces visibly mold-free.

13. Do a second HEPA vacuuming of all attic timbers as well as vacuuming up the removed mold spores and wood debris now resting on top of the floor covering as the result of the abrasive mold removal step described above.

14. Rollup the cloth floor coverings and put them into 6 mil thick contractor trash bags. Then put each bag inside a second bag (“double bagging”). Remove these bags throw an attic window or the closest other window or door.

15. Follow up with a second eight hour high output ozone gas treatment.

16. After the second ozone treatment, fog an EPA-registered fungicide throughout the entire attic as an additional mold-killing step.

17. After the fungicidal fogging, spray all attic wood surfaces with a see-through clear, EPA-registered anti-microbial, encapsulation coating to help prevent future mold growth. Don’t use a white or black coating that would hide future mold growth or mold not properly removed in the current mold removal project.

18. Take surface samples from the cleaned wood plus attic air samples for lab analysis to compare the levels of mold after mold remediation with the mold levels existing before the project. If mold levels are still high, repeat one or more of the above steps so that the attic finally tests as mold-safe.

To get an EnviroFry Upkeep Masters, LLC, bid to remove mold growth anywhere in a residence, commercial building, or workplace in Midwestern, Eastern, and Southern USA, email mold consultant Phillip Fry [email protected], or phone toll-free 866-300-1616 or cell 480-310-7970, or visit website: www.moldexpertconsultants.com.

Contact:
Phillip Fry, vice president
EnviroFry’s Upkeep Masters, LLC
10104 Sheridan Rd.,
Montrose, MI 48457
Phone Toll-Free 866-300-1616
Cell 480-310-7970
[email protected]
http://www.moldexpertconsultants.com