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Janet Allinger

Mold

A little bit of mold (a small section of wall) can be handled by you, while a lot of mold (entire rooms) should be tackled by a mold remediation specialist. Some mold is worse than others, but a test done by a pro or via a kit from a home center is the only way to truly verify what mold you have. Do not immediately try removing the mold or you run the risk of releasing the spores, which are what cause health problems. Do your best to seal off the area and keep kids or people with respiratory problems away. Mix up a light bleach solution, don a dust mask and start wiping the mold down with the bleach solution. It will kill the mold. If it's drywall, cut out the affected area and trash it. Track down the source of the moisture and fix it. A leak or moisture retention (not enough ventilation) are primary causes. Make sure the area is dry and repair the drywall. Raw wood can be washed with bleach, then treated with a boric acid powder solution to keep the mold from returning.