Suzanne

 

I am sorry to hear of your problems. I can sympathize with your mold problem! Between living in SE Texas and surviving Hurricane Rita, I feel like I know more about mold than I would like.

 

Forgive the basic format, but I think in steps. Most of these things you have already done I am sure.

 

1) Mold is dangerous – especially black mold. Take every precaution when in its company. Ideally, hire mold remediators who have specialized insurance to treat and eliminate the problem. If you, your staff or the public contract a mold-borne illness once you have identified the presence of mold, law suits can be devastating.

 

2) Hire a professional to identify where mold is. It may be behind wallpaper, in insulation, duct work etc.

 

3) If the mold is limited to a small area, contain/seal off that area and do not permit anyone to enter without suitable protective clothing (and insurance coverage!). Maintain air circulation there as best as you can. We do have a recipe that we have used to eliminate mold in isolated areas of the McFaddin-Ward House after hurricane rita, but it sounds like the mold you have in your basement is much more pervasive than what we experienced. I WOULD HIRE A PROFESSIONAL!

 

To kill mold and mildew, mix 2/3 cup Tri Sodium Phosphate (TSP) cleaner, 1/3 cup powdered detergent, 1 quart laundry bleach, and 3 quarts warm water and apply the solution-while wearing gloves and goggles-to the area with a medium scrub brush. Keep the surface wet until the stain has bleached; then flood with water.
 Old House Journal  

 

This recipe worked well on McFaddin-Ward House furniture and woodwork (not used on gilded wood). If you do go with this route for filing cabinets and the like, protective clothing, masks and goggles are a must. Painted woodwork is ok, but work from the bottom up. Drips on dry walls may cause bleached marks.

 

I do not recommend that you try to remediate mold on your own. Dare I say that I hope that you had sufficient insurance coverage to bring in trained professionals?

 

As for the contents, I do not recommend air drying contaminated “contents”. Documents should be sealed and frozen until a paper conservator can take care of them (but this should have been done within 24 hours. It may be too late for optimum results now). If they air dry on their own, many problems can arise that are difficult to correct. (http://www.extension.umn.edu/info-u/household/BK263.html  ) If I start to address what I would do with other materials, it would take too long to describe a course of action.

 

Disaster recovery agencies such as BMS-CAT can help with major disasters. We have a contract with them.

 

As for a HEPA vacuum, I would start with a basic wet/dry vac, because anything you use to remove mold should never be used again for other applications – unless they can be sterilized completely. A wet/dry vac can be cleaned with watery bleach at least.

 

So much depends on your specific needs, so what I have mentioned may not apply to you or anyone else. Each case is special and would require tailored action. Feel free to contact me directly if I may answer specific questions about our disaster recovery from Rita.

 

Good luck to you.

 

Best,

Ware

 

-----Original Message-----
From: Museum discussion list [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Suzanne Soden
Sent: Wednesday, July 05, 2006 10:17 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Flood in Northeast - Help