DIY mold removal?

In my searching for a new pad, I keep coming across houses which have mold. We aren't talking all encompassing; for instance one has a spot above the toilet in the master bath that was caused by a roof leak, everything else looks good, the house is in a real nice 'hood and is a foreclosure making the price very attractive. I'm perfectly capable of fixing the roof, sheetrock etc. but removing the mold... well, my daughter has asthma and I do NOT want to risk her getting sick. So any of you out there done it and with what degree of success?

I remodeled my parents' laundry room after the water line to their fridge one floor upstairs leaked. I consulted with a mold abatement specialist prior to doing the work.

Generally, if you can see mold, there's probably a lot more present inside the wall that you can't see. There's basically no saving drywall, since you'll need to get behind it to treat the studs. And the general rule of thumb is to treat about a foot beyond the visible mold in every direction in case it's present but not yet visible.

It's a fairly straightforward job - tear down to the studs, treat the studs, then reinstall your sheetrock. The treatment solution is something I got directly from the aforementioned mold/environmental hazard specialists, but I'm guessing there's plenty of over-the-counter stuff available from the usual suspects, too.

This stuff sounds promising:

http://www.cleanertoday.com/mold-killer-moldstat-plus-p/moldstat16.htm

Big question: I want it to be gone and to stay gone. I realize mold is pretty much present everywhere so it's never going to be 100%, but if there is mold in one area how likely is it to be elsewhere and where would I look, other than the obvious wet places? As in A/C ducts, etc.

Definitely ducts, but basically anywhere where humidity may be high or water leaks may or may have occured. There are a lot of variables so not easy to answer.

I know my house has a pretty bad mold problem due to a leaky bathroom and water from Irene - which forced me to finally buy a new dehumidifier after the last one broke. I was sick for a week after that storm. The dehumidifier ran for about two months non-stop before the basement finally dried out.

My end solution will be the shot-gun approach: all new siding, new windows (to replace the leaky replacement inserts), a gut-reno of the bathroom and a room-by-room gut to the studs, putting in new insulation and fixing some wiring issues. I expect to find significant mold damage in the bathroom exterior wall - to the point where I wouldn't be surprised if some exterior sheeting needs to be replaced (there's a freakin' window above the tub). Hence the need to do the siding (which is also failing in general on the house) at the same time as I remodel the bathroom.

Shellac, huh? That would seal in any spores and with the kid's asthma that is a big concern. Thanks!

My friend works for a company that does flood and fire repairs. They have a dry ice machine to remove mold from drywall. I think its expensive. They wear disposable coveralls and resprators for the worst stuff. The drywall that is removed goes into trash bags, sealed with tape, then into dumpster. I think Ohio requires the bags to be labeled hazardous waste. I dont think they always do that. They also have a specialist that tests for mold. They use a peice of tape, stick it to the areas in question then send it off to the lab. It can get involved. Good luck.

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I miss Curmudgeon. 

EastCoastMojo (Forum Supporter) said:

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I miss Curmudgeon. 

Me too.  Every time he pops up in an old thread I get a sad.