On Wed, 08 Sep 2010 23:33:33 -0400, Joseph Gwinn
wrote:

In article ,
"RogerN" wrote:

"Joseph Gwinn" wrote in message
...
In article ,
"RogerN" wrote:

"ATP" wrote in message
...

"RogerN" wrote in message
m...
For my crawl space mold problem I've heard the professional cleanup
method is soda blasting. The worst areas are getting new wood but I'm
planning to clean up areas that don't need the wood replaced.

Do I need to get a "Soda Blaster" or can I just get a Harbor Freight
pressurized abrasive blaster and fill it with baking soda? Just
wondering how much difference there is between an "Abrasive Blaster"
and
a "Soda Blaster"?

RogerN


I've done a lot of soda blasting. You need a special setup or the soda
will just run right out and the media cost will kill you. Baking soda,
even the larger particles that you blast with, is way finer than black
beauty or other typical media. The baking soda blaster also has some
special fittings you will need to clear clogs that result from
moisture.
While it may be more healthy than using other types of blasting media,
you
can still do a number on your lungs with the soda storm you create. I
think a crawlspace is the last place I'd want to blast. Consider using
chemical solutions and a garden sprayer instead.


I have some new 3M 7800s full face respirators with air supply hoses I
bought on eBay, I bought mostly because of mold spores but should also
keep
baking soda out of lungs. I was originally wanting to blast the mold off
with a pressure washer and a mold cleaning chemical. I heard this would
blast where you didn't want including making stains on the carpet above.

In a crawl space, is it necessary to physically remove the mold, or will
killing
it suffice?

http://blackmold.awardspace.com/kill-remove-mold.html

http://www.inspectapedia.com/sickhouse/cleanmold1.htm

Joe Gwinn

From what I've read, the "Toxic" black mold had spores that are harmful even
if dead. Also, the information I have looked up on mold says it is
everywhere but needs moisture to live and grow. From my understanding if
you have a mold problem it's just a symptom of a moisture problem, the root
cause. Tearing out the flooring in my bedroom will give me access to bad
floor joists that need replaced and will also give me easier access to the
crawl space for putting down a moisture barrier, sealing vents, and
installing a sump pump and dehumidifier.

I'm having the house pesticided, my floor and beams under the house
treated with TimBor, a vapor barrier put down, and insulation
installed next week. The company doing it will take my ITEX barter
bucks (80%, anyway), which I've saved up for a while now. I hate
working under houses and with fiberglass, though the new stuff is far
less itchy than the old.

Luckily, I have no mold nor termites, but I may have some carpenter
ants.


If you will take the floor out it's easier to remove the mold, but still
people are exposed to dead mold all the time and are none the worse for
it.

There are lots of different types of mold, Joe, but the toxic black
stuff is much nastier than most. I choose to wear a respirator around
lawn mowing, dust, sawdust, and -any- mold. I hope nobody with toxic
black mold takes yours words to heart and disturbs it without
respiratory protection.


But solving the underlying moisture problem is essential for sure.

Ayup.

--
Happiness comes of the capacity to feel deeply, to enjoy
simply, to think freely, to risk life, to be needed.
-- Storm Jameson