5 Dangerous Mistakes DIYers Make During Basement Mold Removal Efforts

You've discovered a mold problem in the basement of your home, and you believe you can take care of the problem on your own. However, there is a lot of room to make mistakes when it comes to DIY mold removal. 

1. Not determining what kind of mold they are dealing with. 

Before you even attempt to eradicate a mold problem, you should know what type of mold you are dealing with. Knowing the type of mold will: 

• Tell you how dangerous it is to mess with 
• How likely it is to spread 
• How you should properly protect yourself and your household members 

2. Not wearing the proper protective gear.

While cleaning up a mold problem, it is critical that you wear the proper protective gear. You should have on a mask that is capable of blocking the mold spores as you breathe, you should be wearing gloves, and it is best if you have on goggles to protect your eyes. When professionals come to your home for mold removal, you will notice they are outfitted completely in protective gear.

3. Not making sure the basement is properly ventilated. 

Proper ventilation is important any time you are working on a mold problem. You want good airflow through the basement that leads to the outdoors and not airflow that leads to the rest of the house. Professionals utilize specifically designed ventilation systems to properly carry the air with mold particles outdoors. 

4. Not being thorough enough.

Mold problems can look like they are basically surface-level issues. However, mold has this sneaky ability to get into a lot of places that are not necessarily visible. The problem here is if you do not get all the present mold, you will just face the same issues as the spores repopulate in the basement. For example, if you can only see mold on one basement wall, you will probably only clean that area. However, there can be microscopic mold spores hanging out on multiple other surfaces. 

5. Not using effective cleaning agents. 

Removing mold can be such a complicated process because most types of mold respond in different ways to different cleaning agents. Many people will go for bleach and water thinking this should be effective for everything. While bleach and water can be effective for some types of mold, even then, you have to get the ratio just right for the solution to be effective. Mold removal services utilize different methods and agents depending on the type of mold. 

If you are attempting mold removal, consult a professional first and do your research.