If you have mold in your home chances are that you're realizing there are a million and one different ways to remove it. Dry ice blasting is a more recent technology that is being used to remove mold and there are a few important things you should know about it.
So what is dry ice blasting?
It is when dry ice (solid carbon dioxide) is put into a pressurized container, and is used to blast substances off the surface of wood or concrete. Since solid carbon dioxide sublimes when it hits a surface, it will trigger many little "micro-explosions" that detach the material from the surface. It is known as a form of abrasion blasting, quite like sand blasting.
Many people taunt dry ice blasting as a superior form of mold remediation, and the truth is, there is nothing special about it. Aside from the fact that it makes mold removal easier for the company to do. They will tell you that it is safer, and doesn't leave any chemical residues behind, but this completely insignificant. Anyone who knows how to do mold removal the right way, knows that after a surface is treated, it must be sealed with an encapsulant. And a mold encapsulant is more than just a residue, it is a new surface layer that covers the compromised material underneath.
Imagine it like this. When you dry ice blast mold off a surface, you are actually causing further damage to an already compromised surface. There is damage from the mold which has deteriorated the material, and you are adding a highly abrasive spray on top of that. This makes for a perfect breeding ground for more mold to grow back. The right way to do dry ice blasting would be to encapsulate and reseal the surfaces after treatment. But no dry ice blasting companies do this. Reason being because it is far too expensive for most people to afford both services.
As far as the "safety" of carbon dioxide, this is huge myth. Carbon dioxide is toxic above concentration levels of 1%. It is far more toxic than the chemical residue left behind by a moldicide like Anabec 70. Not to mention, CO2 is very heavy, and is extremely difficult to ventilate properly because of this.
People who try to sell dry ice blasting are people who are trying to justify an astronomical price for mold removal. Dry ice blasting is useful to remove paint but it is not so effective in removing mold. Anyone who tells you it removes "100%" of the mold is lying to your face. Mold is known to grow deep down beneath the surface of wood and concrete, and you would have to blast inches below the surface to actually remove all the mold.
This is why, the best way to remove mold, is with traditional, safe moldicides. Once the mold is treated, the surfaces are resealed with a mold encapsulant, and you don't have to worry about toxic vapors lingering in your home.
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