Abrasive Blasting Saves Time and Effort During Mold Removal

Mold removal strategies in Bothell, as elsewhere, often involve rigorous scraping, brushing, and even sanding to loosen the tight hold colonies of primitive fungal organisms on building materials and contents. Physical detachment of the threadlike hyphae infiltrating into affected surfaces is the foundation of the mold remediation protocol developed by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and taught by the Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC) and the National Organization of Remediators and Mold Inspectors (NORMI). AdvantaClean of The Eastside technicians earn certification from the IICRC and NORMI and strive to eradicate moldy debris during every remediation project, giving property owners the best chance to avoid a mold rebound.

Challenges of Mechanical Mold Removal

Traditional mold cleanup is labor-intensive and slow. It is nearly impossible to perform well in hard-to-access areas like attic rafters, crawl spaces, or intricately detailed or interconnected surfaces. Fortunately, newer, less hands-on methods are available to speed up and simplify the process.

Media Blasting Is a Viable Mold Removal Alternative

When you first hear the term “media blasting,” connecting it to mold remediation makes little sense. After all, you are not seeking a loud streaming service or building a relationship on a social platform. But the concept is clarified when our technicians explain that we are recommending blasting a substance or medium (media is the Latin plural of medium) to strip a surface of unwanted debris or residues. 

How Media Blasting Works to Remove Mold

Media blasting uses compressed air or a centrifugal wheel to bombard mold-infested surfaces with abrasive particles intended to loosen the fungi quickly by simply aiming the nozzles and activating the air pressure. Among the most recognizable and rough media for blasting is sand, but other blasting media are gentler on the surfaces in your home and appropriate for cleaning off mold growth. Common mold blasting media include:

  • Sodium bicarbonate (baking soda)--soft and powdery but featuring angular edges under the microscope, capable of breaking the bonds between mold growth and building materials 

  • Pulverized corn cobs--often used to strip stain and surface rot from log homes without damaging the wood’s integrity or grain, similar to the desired separation of mold from building materials, many of which are wooden or cellulose-based

  • Dry ice, tiny solidified carbon dioxide pellets with a temperature under pressure of -109 degrees Fahrenheit, use a three-stage set of effects during high-speed dispersal to remove mold through:

  1. Smashing the hard pellets into the moldy surfaces to dislodge the organisms

  1. Thermal shock, as the mold residues flash-freeze and delaminate (crack apart and off the surface)

  1. Gas pressure as the pellets transform from a solid to CO2 gas as they rapidly heat, skipping its liquid form and expanding by a factor of 400 to 800, “exploding” the mold from the affected surface

AdvantaClean of The Eastside follows protocols from the EPA, IICRC, and NORMI. We use strategies such as media blasting to clear fungal organisms from various surfaces. Call (425) 649-0600 to start the mold removal from your Bothell home.

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