MOLD

[Pearl]

A lady I clean for has black mold in one of her bathrooms. A little showing around the shower and where the brick meets the foundation outside. She has been Ill the past two years from it, many symptoms! I leave the house with a sinus headache everytime I clean. She doesn't want to deal with it. I have her daughter alerted and she has done research on it. I realize she will probably have to be out of the house while the mold is removed and and work to be done, that's probably overwhelming to her!! Has anyone dealt with a mold situation?

 

[sonya123]

I am pretty sure we have some of that in our very old wooden house. I don't know where but can't imagine there not being any. I have sinus problems since we moved here, but I thought it was from cleaning out the barn. If you figure out how to find the mold and get rid of it let me know.

 

[Magpie]

We have it in patches in the old part of the house- Ireland is damp, as you probably know! My advice usually would be to keep on top of it. I clean with vinegar and also use tea tree oil (providing its out of reach of pets) as it reappears, and in the porch used a special lime-based paint. There's also bathroom/kitchen paint you can get here that helps prevent it.
My guess is this lady has let it go too far, and getting a professional in would be the best option, and then keep it clean as described. The room should have proper ventilation also - always leave the window open a bit.

 

[Morgan101]

My wife has real problems (asthma) when the mold count is high. The house isn't bad, but she can only spend very short periods of time in the basement. I agree with Magpie. This lady has let things go much too far, and probably needs to have it cleaned professionally.

A dehumidifier would help to keep the moisture down. We have stopped using bar soap in the shower, and only use body wash. That has made a remarkable difference in keeping the mold down, but in the shower, it was more red mold. It never got black.

 

[Pearl]

I am pretty sure we have some of that in our very old wooden house. I don't know where but can't imagine there not being any. I have sinus problems since we moved here, but I thought it was from cleaning out the barn. If you figure out how to find the mold and get rid of it let me know.

Amazon sells handheld mold detectors! This lady's daughter ordered one. Will let you know how it works!!

 

[Plainflatlander]

Pearl, if possible I would her install a vent fan in the bathroom. Agree if mold is overwhelming, call in professional mold removal services.

 

[zoomzoom]

I have a spray bottle with a mild solution of bleach in water. If/when I see mold in the basement, I just spray that on it. If the mold has been there for awhile (has built up), it may take a few applications.

 

[havasu]

A large percentage of black mold is harmless, but an annoyance. It is usually a lack of ventilation in the bathroom area due to the hot showers. I just spend two weeks removing 40 Sq Ft of black mold under my LVT flooring due to an inept A/C installer's son, who taped a condensate line to my sewer vent with the use of duct tape. . By the way, he will be here in an hour and "me and Opie" are going to have some serious words, since his ineptness caused me in excess of $4000 damage to my office.

And yes, diluting a bit of household bleach and spraying it on the mold will usually eliminate future growth

 

[havasu]

This is what I've done so far.

 

[Tootsie]

For some people, black mold can create life changing health issues. Not good for anyone, but some can suffer with sinus/allergy like issues, fatigue, and inability to function and more serious health issues.
There’s a spectrum of how bad it can be. At the worst, structures need to be destroyed and treated like toxic waste.
Getting a professional in is worth the expense. You can get a test kit to confirm what you already know. Hiring someone without mold sensitivities and the means to remedy the problem is good If it’s a major problem.
Running a dehumidifier in the basement or damp places is a good idea to help prevent problems.

 

[Pearl]

Pearl, if possible I would her install a vent fan in the bathroom. Agree if mold is overwhelming, call in professional mold removal services.

Thanks, she does have a vent fan in that bathroom. Think she needs to find out how bad it is!!

 

[Caribou]

I've had some luck with bleach. The best is to remove the infected materials.

 

[Pearl]

For some people, black mold can create life changing health issues. Not good for anyone, but some can suffer with sinus/allergy like issues, fatigue, and inability to function and more serious health issues.
There’s a spectrum of how bad it can be. At the worst, structures need to be destroyed and treated like toxic waste.
Getting a professional in is worth the expense. You can get a test kit to confirm what you already know. Hiring someone without mold sensitivities and the means to remedy the problem is good If it’s a major problem.
Running a dehumidifier in the basement or damp places is a good idea to help prevent problems.

She has many of the "long term mold exposure" symptoms. Her primary care doctor and an ENT doctor feel this is the problem!!

 

[Pearl]

I've had some luck with bleach. The best is to remove the infected materials.

This is behind the shower stall and seeping through to the outside.

 

[Magpie]

Having seen the photos- and you've done a mighty job, it's not dampness like here, it's a leak?
Forgot that I bought a dehumidifier last year, the girls put it on in the winter - it seems to have helped- there's one wall that still needs a wipe though.
Another thing is not to hang washing indoors to dry.

 

[Magus]

You need an air purifier in each room she spends time, then go to the garden supply and get the same fungicide they use on wheat rust (same family) a garden sprayer and a good quality gas mask. Move her out a week and nuke all the areas with it, especially the moist areas. let the place air out at least 24 hours before she returns, the stuff smells kind of like diesel fuel! Keep a few spray bottles mixed up under the sink for flare ups.

Or, barring the purifiers, just move her out and spray everything!

 

[Caribou]

This is behind the shower stall and seeping through to the outside.

It sounds like you have a leak. Either a leak in the water system, or a leak around where the plumbing come through the enclosure and the shower water leans back into the wall. Either way the answer is to remove the enclosure, deal with the mold, put it back together making sure to calk well.

 

[Pearl]

It sounds like you have a leak. Either a leak in the water system, or a leak around where the plumbing come through the enclosure and the shower water leans back into the wall. Either way the answer is to remove the enclosure, deal with the mold, put it back together making sure to calk well.

Yes, that's what this lady's daughter is trying to get her to do.

 

[Lenny]

Some things here that were mentioned, like a dehumidifier and addressing the source are great ideas because black mold has health issues.

I used an OZONE GENERATOR when I bought and moved into my house because the former owner was a heavy smoker and it worked great. Ozone generators generator ions, which cling to smoke particles, other things and probably mold to destroy them. Obviously you don't want to be in the area while the generator is on, so the area would have to be vacated for the 1 or 2 days it is one and the following day.

 

[havasu]

Not to derail the thread, but the first pic shows the leak, which has been happening for 7 years since we installed the new 5 ton central A/C. All mold was removed and replaced with a mold proof concrete. The leak was fixed with the correct pipe fitting, and the holes were patched, primed, painted, and floor was reinstalled. This was the A/C installer's fault 100%. I don;t care. It is all fixed and hope to God I don;t have to pull this floor any more.

 

[Pearl]

Not to derail the thread, but the first pic shows the leak, which has been happening for 7 years since we installed the new 5 ton central A/C. All mold was removed and replaced with a mold proof concrete. The leak was fixed with the correct pipe fitting, and the holes were patched, primed, painted, and floor was reinstalled. This was the A/C installer's fault 100%. I don;t care. It is all fixed and hope to God I don;t have to pull this floor any more.

I don't think you derailed the thread! Gosh, some of our threads not only get derailed, but go barreling of track!! At least you are on the same subject!!