I'm in the process of rebuilding my gutted house due to a toxic black mold infestation. Here are some things I have picked up not only from my education, but from extensive research on the subject and recommendations from several industrial hygienists.
Bleach is not the recommended method of getting rid of mold. If you do use bleach, it should be wiped not sprayed.
Encapsulation is only recommended for temporary containment.
Anything infested with mold other than framing members should be discarded.
If you have mold on the framing members, or mold was in contact with them. sand with HEPA vac. With regard to those shop vacs, if your not filtering the exhaust as well, your not doing yourself any favors. You also need to pay attention to the particle size it will filter.
Containment is critical to keep the spores from spreading throughout the house, or into areas that have already been remediated.
With regard to hype, I will agree in some cases maybe. However, when you see as many reports as I have of possible mold related sickness and have talked to many people who have gotten sick in moldy houses and apartments, it is not a leap to point at mold as being the cause. In most of the cases, when these people leave the infested area they get better.
My house is the perfect example. Prior to buying it, it was rented out. After discovering the mold, we talked to the last tenant who lived there. She said her son was sick all the time, and she had gotten sick several times. but they both got better when they moved. Funny thing is, the black mold spore counts were the highest in his room. Coincidence, maybe, but probably not.
Your never going to get rid of mold spores, but you can keep them at levels in your house that will not cause problems for most people.
