Dry-Ice Blasting for Mold Removal on Framing
green654
| Posted in General Questions on
Has anyone tried this approach to remove mold from framing that got wet during construction? Did it work? How was the clean up process?
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Replies
I worked on a story for Fine Homebuilding with a builder who swears by this technique because it is fast and clean. You can read about it here: Resurrecting a Timber-Frame Kitchen. Be sure to read the PDF version for the sidebar on dry-ice blasting.
Green654,
It's not unusual for exposed framing to develop a bit of mold and mildew. These colonies generally become inactive when the structure is dried in and the HVAC is turned on. I know from your other posts that mitigating mold exposure is a priority. Spraying the framing with a primer/mildrewcide might be sufficient and cheaper than dry ice.
Since the house is still unfinished you can sand blast the framing just cover enough of the grade stamping to keep the inspectors happy and clean up the sand.
Walta
The big advantage to dry ice blasting is no residue to clean up later. The dry ice will just turn into CO2 as it "melts", leaving nothing behind, except I suppose for bits of mold that it blasted off the framing. The downside with sand blasting is the sand gets everywhere, and you can never seem to get it completely cleaned up.
Bill
I agree the dry ice will make for an easy clean up but at what price?
My wild guess is the dry ice guys in moon suits on 2500 SQF building the bill is going to make someone cry. Sand blasting sounds like 2 unskilled laborers and rented equipment sounds affordable. Sand on the sub floor seems more like a minor inconvenience more than a deal breaker.
Once the window are in it is too late for sand.
Walta