Digging my Way to Mold in Metuchen, NJ

Challenge

Recently, I got a call from a client in Metuchen, NJ who needed a mold treatment in his basement. Once I arrived at the property, I equipped my personal protective equipment (PPE) and began my inspection. PPE for mold removal is necessary because the process of cleaning up mold exposes you to potentially hazardous mold spores. Microscopic mold spores are very light and they easily become airborne, which makes them easy to inhale. Inhalation of mold spores puts you at risk for all sorts of mold-related health problems.  

As I was conducting my inspection I noticed that there was one section of the drywall that showed evident signs of mold. The drywall was so moist that as soon as I touched it, my fingers went right through the drywall. I could tell that this would need some extra attention. I then conducted an inspection on the exterior of the home and noticed that moisture was coming in through cracks in the cinder blocks in the foundation. Though the cinder blocks are strong, it's also a porous material and water can seep through, especially during the rainy season.

Solution

First I cut a small area out of the wet drywall to see how bad the moisture and mold was behind the drywall. In cases like this, I will keep cutting small sections out of the drywall until I get to a dry spot. As I kept cutting into the drywall I noticed that the stud behind it was wet as well — so I had to keep moving up the wall to find a dry spot. Eventually, I came across a section where the stud on top was visibly drier than the lower section. This tells me I can stop cutting, remove all of the wet, moldy structure and then begin the mold treatment.

When it comes to mold treatment we use an EPA registered solution called Mold Abatement Polymer Solutions or MAPS for short. MAPS is a two-component antimicrobial solution specially designed to not only kill mold but prevent any future mold from growing. The first component of MAPS I applied was MAPS 1, which targets the mold on a cellular level and kills it instantly. Once the solution dried I applied the second component — MAPS 2 which leaves a residual on the treated area that encapsulates the mold and is moisture sensitive to prevent any future mold from growing. 

Now that the mold treatment is done I spoke to the homeowner and advised him to seek out a waterproofing contractor to help him with his issue with the water seeping into his foundation, to which he was grateful for the advice.