<p>I found a patch of mold growing on a wooden foundation beam in the crawlspace under our lake house. It’s about the size of an 8 1/2 x 11 sheet of paper and looks like it has a black base with a damp, rubbery white layer on top. Any suggestions of how to remove it? Is it a jog I should do myself or call in a pro?</p>
<p>Not an expert here, but I remember when I sold one of my homes, the black mold found in our crawl space was made into a huge issue, and we had to do a fair amount of professional remediation before the sale went through.</p>
<p>On the other hand, when I found black mold growing under a section of my carpet due to a roof leak, my insurance adjuster actually advised that I just spray it with bleach and it would be fine. So I would try that first, if I were you.</p>
<p>I’m somewhere in between consulting a pro and attempting a diy fix here. Many molds are harmless, or a nuisance, whereas others are nasty, and can even be deadly with prolonged or unprotected exposure. Many are somewhere in between. </p>
<p>I’d do some preliminary research, attempt to make a classification or have an analysis done. Depends if you want to roll the dice or not. </p>
<p>Perhaps a professional assessment by a pro NOT selling an abatement service might be your best bet if you think you want to try a diy approach (utilizing proper precautions).</p>
<p>Take it with a grain of salt, and realize my advice is based solely on a layman’s knowledge of what MAY be involved.</p>
<p>Good luck.</p>
<p>gadad, getting rid of the mold on your beam is pretty simple, and has already been mentioned. Go to your local home improvement center and get a spray bottle and some bleach. Mix 8 parts water with one part bleach and thoroughly spray the effected area. Since your in a tight space under your home and will probably be lying on your side, wear goggles (no mold removal is worth your eye sight!), gloves, and a respirator ($80 at the improvement center), or at least a paper filter mask (tight, unventilated space + bleach fumes = bad Ju-Ju!). Also, like it has been said before, avoid touching the mold or breathing in any fumes from it. Just spray the area and don’t disturb it any further.</p>
<p>You should see improvement in a couple of days. If not,treat again.</p>
<p>Now, the REAL problem is: how did the mold get there in the first place? Answer: moisture. Feel around the area and a few other places under your house, and see if they feel wet – again, bad Ju-Ju. You said your house is by a lake; ground moisture may be your first problem. Do you have a vapor barrier in your crawl space (a layer of plastic sheeting on the ground)? No? Well, that’s your first probable problem, easily fixed. Put down some plastic sheeting, at least 3 mil thick, with some garden spikes, and make sure to overlap the seams at least 6 inches.</p>
<p>Is the mold being caused by moisture coming from a leak above (second probable problem)? Check for signs of water leaking onto the beam (looks like black streaks above the moldy area). Look outside your house above the effected area for leaks in the siding, or more likely leaks in your roof (especially if there is a roof valley (section where two roofs line at different angles come together to form a valley above the area, which are notorious for leaks). Simple test, have DW spray the area (side and roof) with a garden hose while you are under the house looking at the effected area. Any visible leaks? If yes, you got an issue in either your siding or roof.</p>
<p>Now, doing this check for leaks yourself is easy. But if you want to really make sure, have a siding and roofing specialist come out to check for you. Get several, get estimates, and get REFERENCES! Check the references out to see if they have a good reputation for being reliable and professional. They don’t want out give out references (in this economy!) = avoid them like the plague! </p>
<p>Bottom Line: killing the mold is easy. Finding out what caused the mold is the real issue.</p>
<p>Next on “Ask This Old House”, Steve will show us how to install a low-flush toilet! :)</p>
<p>gadad, if you need a pro to remedy it, I know of a company here in Atlanta, but they do travel, that has whatever the highest mold certification is. Let me know if you need the name and #.</p>