Mold Bacteria Consulting Services

Serving Ontario and British Columbia

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Can I Install New Drywall?

Question: I have just purchased a house in which the basement wall had what looked like mold behind it and dryrot in the 2x4s supporting the drywall. I removed all 50 ft of drywall, 2x4s and insulation back to the cinder blocks and trusses. I have bleach washed the cinder blocks twice and sprayed the trusses with mold removal/prevention solution. I believe I have removed the reason for the moisture (grading and evetroughs). Can I install new 2x4s and drywall or might there still be an issue?

Answer: As long as the moisture problem has been corrected, all the contaminated material removed and the place is dry, you can install new 2X4s and drywall without a problem.

Hope this helps. Should you have more questions or need more information please contact by phone or use our online form to send your questions. Thank you.

If The Smell Of Mold Is Strong, Could There Be Health Hazards?

Question: If the smell of mold is very strong in an office trailer/building, could there be health hazards? How can we tell if it could be harmful?

Answer: The smell is indicative of microbial growth which could include mold and bacteria. Microbial growth is an indication of moisture problems. The only way to tell whether there is a serious problem is for a professional to come over and conduct an investigation.

Should you have more questions or need more information please contact by phone or use our online form to send your questions. Thank you.

Are These Levels of Spores Considered Hazardous?

Question: The crawlspace in our condo has the following readings for spores/m3 : Aspergillus/Penicillium type-16000; Chaetomium- 67; Cladosporium- 227. Are these levels spores considered hazardous? It is going to cost a very high amount to have vents, sensors and spores removed to correct the situation and there is no guarantee. Please give me your comments on this.

Answer: There are no published standards for acceptable exposures to indoor mold spores. And there is no agreement among the scientific community on the exact levels of airborne indoor mold spores which are responsible for the onset of disease, nor is there adequate information on dose-effect relationship.

This is what Health Canada advises:

Health Canada considers that mould growth in residential buildings may pose a health hazard. Health risks depend on exposure and, for asthma symptoms, on allergic sensitization. However, the large number of mould species and strains growing in buildings and the large inter-individual variability in human response to mould exposure preclude the derivation of exposure limits. Therefore, Health Canada recommends:

  • to control humidity and diligently repair any water damage in residences to prevent mould growth; and
  • to clean thoroughly any visible or concealed mould growing in residential buildings.

These recommendations apply regardless of the mould species found to be growing in the building.

Further, in the absence of exposure limits, results from tests for the presence of fungi in air cannot be used to assess risks to the health of building occupants.”

For more information regarding mold spores please call us at 905-290-9101 in Ontario or 604-435-6555 in British Columbia.

What is the Difference Between Bacteria And Mold?

Questions:

I found black spots on the outside part of the neck of a plastic bottle of wine. They evolved over time into mushy, mold looking marks. I was told they were bacteria and so harmless. My questions are:

  1. What is the difference between bacteria and mold?
  2. Can bacteria actually grow into “beard-looking” stuff?
  3. Is it really safe?

Many thanks.

Answers:

  1. The main differences between molds, which are fungi, and bacteria are:
    • Fungi have a proper nucleus in their cells and bacteria do not.
    • Fungi are eukaryotes, that’s their DNA is enclosed in a nucleus which is separated from the cytoplasm by a nuclear membrane, bacteria are prokaryotes, that’s their DNA is not sepatated from the cytoplasm in a nucleus.
    • Fungal cells are complex while bacterial cells are simple. Fungi have structures in their cells such as mitochondria which bacteria do not have.
  2. Bacteria mainly exist as single cells. However, a few are filamentous and therefore may grow into “beard-looking” stuff
  3. It’s not safe to drink or eat anything contaminated by microorganisms. While not all microorganisms are harmful, there very high chances that a harmful bacterium or fungus could be present.

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