Mold Problem?

GutterPunk · Mar 9, 2008, 11:04 PM

So after moving some furniture I found this to my surprise!

It is late, too late to try to find any kits or anything. This is a rental unit and is the only place in the place with the mold. It is on the drywal to the outer wall of the complex. Upon inspecting the outside, it seems that there is a dip in the soil banking against the brick building. After being here for a few months i have noticed that there seems to be a lack of insulation. Being the cold months if the insulation is poor then there will be cold air hitting the warm air inside. Just a guess? If this is true, then there could very well be mold elsewhere. My biggest concern is, does this appear to be a strain of toxic mold? Of course we hit most of the symptoms, it is flu season, and paranoia kicking in... when you start feeling/thinking things that only pertain the situation. If the insulation is poor (as I really think it is non existant, is there an easy way to check w/o destroying a wall (dyre straits input need

)) then the mold can be throughout the wall. Along with the poor insulation, it makes me feel that the apartment complex will be cheap. Probably cheap enough to not do a proper test or removal. Any ideas? I feel I should purchase a mold test kit, send it off. Talk to the landlord, have them fix it. If it is toxic then I will be more than happy to send them my notice of evacuation along with a request to pay for moving expensives. Any ideas or help. This is pretty urgent.

On the note of no insulation, I feel this way because the amount of airflw coming from the outlets. It is very cold, and it flows pretty well.

Tipstaff · Mar 10, 2008, 12:49 AM

I really wish I could post all the crap we've researched over the last few months as we are currently dealing with a mold situation here too. My advice is to go with your gut, and treat it as "bad" mold until you can confirm it's not, cuz if it is, and you keep working around it, you will be kicking yourself for not being careful from the start. I'll compile all the links we've got on this, but for right now HERE is one I can start off with, and another is THIS one.

If you decide to clean it yourself there are 2 things to look at: one is copper sulphate, and the other is Concrobium. We actually went with Concrobium, and it's worked out for us so far. It's literally the name of a brand, and is design to be a mold control product, both to kill mold, and to pre-treat areas to prevent mold. If a professional comes in to clean the mold problem, this is what most of them use. Up here we got it from Home Depot, and it was $40 for a 4L jug of the stuff, with the smaller 950ml spray bottle costing $10.

I should point out that you will find you have a bigger problem on your hand. Mold grows from somewhere, plus it grows outwards (and spores become airborne), and I'd bet my left testy that if you opened that wall you'd find a crap load of mold there, not to mention some sort of moisture/water source. If so, be prepared for a long clean up job. For us we have a mold issue in different spots around the house. The back basement wall was covered in it, and went unseen due to all the things we had down there (which, btw, is all gone now cuz mold spore will penetrate anything that is porous). Hell, before we could clean it we had to seal the outside wall, replace the weeping tile, and what not costing us a few grand, plus through out a lot of stuff in the basement that could potentially have been contaminated by the mold spores.. Essentially we had to get rid of the moisture source, and anything that could be contaminated before hand, otherwise we would be right back in the same situation later on. So, if you know you have a problem with the outside then the landlord needs to fix it too, or cleaning up the inside will be useless as it'll come right back sooner or later. We also found mold behind some of the drywall in one of the rooms, mold around the window sills, mold in the outtake vent for the drier, and a few other areas. Pretty much all the mold so far has been areas on or close to outside walls.

While my Dad and I have been ok, my Mom has taken the brunt of it due to another existing condition she has that has made her susceptible to the mold. However, over the last year we've all been abnormally tired, dry throats, and all of us have had allergy problems that we never had prior to this last year. Suffice it to say, it's been hell, and there's still lots more to do yet before it's over.

GutterPunk · Mar 10, 2008, 06:23 AM

Thanks for the infor. This is just so frustrating... If it is all up in the drywall, it is not acceptible to have to move right away, or even have that room be under construction as it is the master bedroom. arghhh

Falstaff · Mar 10, 2008, 01:03 PM

Is it the combination of Cannibis smoke and moisture from bong water that does that Greg?

**Mousey** · Mar 10, 2008, 01:08 PM

lollll, I'd say get the land-lord or whoever owns the apartment to take a look :/

GutterPunk · Mar 10, 2008, 03:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mousey

lollll, I'd say get the land-lord or whoever owns the apartment to take a look :/

Yes, looking at the mold removal sites, it is quite a project. Behind the drywall may only be the beginning. Shutting off that room is half the apartment!

**Mousey** · Mar 10, 2008, 04:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GutterPunk

Yes, looking at the mold removal sites, it is quite a project. Behind the drywall may only be the beginning. Shutting off that room is half the apartment!

lol you might even get an insurance pay-out if you play your cards right

And shouldn't the person that owns the apartment(s) be sorting that out, or do you own that apartment

? (In which case your'e thoroughly screwed)

BlueMak · Mar 10, 2008, 05:41 PM

Are those walls of wood or something like that?

GutterPunk · Mar 10, 2008, 06:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mousey

lol you might even get an insurance pay-out if you play your cards right

And shouldn't the person that owns the apartment(s) be sorting that out, or do you own that apartment

? (In which case your'e thoroughly screwed)

I rent

Quote:

Originally Posted by BlueMak

Are those walls of wood or something like that?

Wooden baseboards, drywall otherwise

Robert McClelland · Mar 10, 2008, 10:40 PM

I stay take the landlord to Jude Judy you get your 5000 bucks easy lol

Tipstaff · Mar 10, 2008, 10:46 PM

While it may look ugly, I do suggest that you cover it. Since mold spores can become airborne it's probably a good idea to cover the affected area with plastic, and seal it on all four sides. It won't keep the mold from growing, but it will help to contain the spores in that area at the very least. Plus, it's a good idea to clean the furniture that was against that wall as well.

Here's some of the links, btw:

Concrobium Mold Control | Mold Resources
Concrobium Mold Control | The Concrobium Advantage
Concrobium Mold Control | Concrobium In The News
Concrobium Mold Control | Contact Us
Mould Inspection Toronto - Mould Inspector
Mold dog In the News
Calutech Airtronics UV Duct Mounted UV-C
HVAC Maintenance, Air Conditioner Inspection - High Tech Inspections
flyer-get-rid-of-mold.pdf
Should You Have the Air Ducts in Your Home Cleaned? | Publications | Indoor Air | Air | US EPA
Residential Air Cleaning Devices | Publications | Indoor Air | Air | US EPA
Remediation Training
Professional Mold Cleanup and Removal
Mold remediation system and method - Patent 7144551

Quote:

Originally Posted by Robert McClelland

I stay take the landlord to Jude Judy you get your 5000 bucks easy lol

The best course of action is to get the landlord involved, and do it in a way as to get them to make it their quest to help you. It's best to have them on your side rather than having to fight against them for months, and still be left with a literal growing, and very dangerous problem. Don't blame them for the problem. Don't tell them you will sue them or what not. Don't piss them off. Give them a chance to do the right thing, and protect yourself in the mean time. Seal off what you can, and clean what you can. Just realize that it won't get fixed over night, and that this is going to take time to fix. The key is to take everything in steps, the first of which is being nice. Every step after that will be due to their lack of action right up to the point of getting health officials involved if it becomes necessary.

One thing you should do is check your tenant's agreement/lease, and find out exactly what your rights are in this situation. If it does come down to you having to fight to get this fixed you will know exactly where you stand, what your rights are, and who is on your side from a legal standpoint.

On top of that, take more photos. Take photos of the suspected problem outside, more photos of the inside. If it gets fixed, take more photos as you go. Cover your ass by having proof of the problem, and what was or what was not done at every step of the way. If it comes down to a fight you just pull out the photos.

GutterPunk · Mar 12, 2008, 06:36 AM

I have no bedroom its sealed. They have the wall torn apart and a mold certified specialist working on it.

Tipstaff · Mar 12, 2008, 04:49 PM

Wow... that was bloody fast.

Falstaff · Mar 12, 2008, 04:50 PM

you could get cooties Greg, care beful and sleep in the tub.

Tipstaff · Mar 14, 2008, 12:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Falstaff

you could get cooties Greg, care beful and sleep in the tub.

Top 30 worst places in the house for finding bacteria:

Toilet bowl: 3.2 million bacteria/square inch
Kitchen drain: 567,845 bacteria/square inch
Sponge or counter-wiping cloth: 134,630 bacteria/square inch
Bathtub, near drain: 119,468 bacteria/square inch
Kitchen sink, near drain: 17,964 bacteria/square inch
Kitchen faucet handle: 13,227 bacteria/square inch
Bathroom faucet handle: 6,267 bacteria/square inch
Bathroom sink, near drain: 2,733 bacteria/square inch
Pet food dish, inside rim: 2,110 bacteria/square inch
Kitchen floor, in front of sink: 830 bacteria/square inch
Toilet floor, in front of toilet: 764 bacteria/square inch
Kitchen countertop: 488 bacteria/square inch
Bathroom countertop: 452 bacteria/square inch
Garbage bin: 411 bacteria/square inch
Dish towel: 408 bacteria/square inch
Toy: 345 bacteria/square inch
Kitchen tabletop: 344 bacteria/square inch
Home office phone or refrigerator door: 319 bacteria/square inch
Toilet seat: 295 bacteria/square inch
Bathroom light switch: 217 bacteria/square inch
Microwave buttons: 214 bacteria/square inch
Kitchen chopping board: 194 bacteria/square inch
Child-training potty: 191 bacteria/square inch
Infant changing mat and infant high chair: 190 bacteria/square inch
Kitchen phone: 133 bacteria/square inch
Bathroom door's inside handle: 121 bacteria/square inch
Toilet's flush handle: 83 bacteria/square inch
TV remote control: 70 bacteria/square inch
Home office computer keyboard: 64 bacteria/square inch
Home office computer mouse: 50 bacteria/square inch

Sleep on the floor. It's much much safer there.

Mar 9, 2008, 11:04 PM	#1
GutterPunk I = Greatest Dood Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Nebraska Posts: 5,945 Rep Power: 54	Mold Problem? So after moving some furniture I found this to my surprise! It is late, too late to try to find any kits or anything. This is a rental unit and is the only place in the place with the mold. It is on the drywal to the outer wall of the complex. Upon inspecting the outside, it seems that there is a dip in the soil banking against the brick building. After being here for a few months i have noticed that there seems to be a lack of insulation. Being the cold months if the insulation is poor then there will be cold air hitting the warm air inside. Just a guess? If this is true, then there could very well be mold elsewhere. My biggest concern is, does this appear to be a strain of toxic mold? Of course we hit most of the symptoms, it is flu season, and paranoia kicking in... when you start feeling/thinking things that only pertain the situation. If the insulation is poor (as I really think it is non existant, is there an easy way to check w/o destroying a wall (dyre straits input need )) then the mold can be throughout the wall. Along with the poor insulation, it makes me feel that the apartment complex will be cheap. Probably cheap enough to not do a proper test or removal. Any ideas? I feel I should purchase a mold test kit, send it off. Talk to the landlord, have them fix it. If it is toxic then I will be more than happy to send them my notice of evacuation along with a request to pay for moving expensives. Any ideas or help. This is pretty urgent. On the note of no insulation, I feel this way because the amount of airflw coming from the outlets. It is very cold, and it flows pretty well. __________________ Rock On \m/ Thank you Mousey for the Sig! --------------- Intel Core2Duo E6660 (3.4GHZ) ~ Tuniq Tower 120 ~ Enermax Galaxy 1000W ~ Corsair Dominator @ 1090MHZ 5-5-5-15 (OCZ XTC Modded Cooler)~ EVGA 8800GTX W/ HR-03 Plus 120MM ~ Asus DVD-RW LiteScribe ~ LG DVD-RW ~ Corsair Voyager 2GB ReadyBoost Drive ~ Vantec Nexus Fan Controller ~ ThermalTake Armor 25CM fan ~ Personal Finance Blog: Dent Your Debt Last edited by GutterPunk; Mar 9, 2008 at 11:21 PM.

Mar 10, 2008, 12:49 AM	#2
Tipstaff DriverHeaven Extreme Member Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Real capital of Canada: Toronto Posts: 5,524 Rep Power: 94 System Specs	I really wish I could post all the crap we've researched over the last few months as we are currently dealing with a mold situation here too. My advice is to go with your gut, and treat it as "bad" mold until you can confirm it's not, cuz if it is, and you keep working around it, you will be kicking yourself for not being careful from the start. I'll compile all the links we've got on this, but for right now HERE is one I can start off with, and another is THIS one. If you decide to clean it yourself there are 2 things to look at: one is copper sulphate, and the other is Concrobium. We actually went with Concrobium, and it's worked out for us so far. It's literally the name of a brand, and is design to be a mold control product, both to kill mold, and to pre-treat areas to prevent mold. If a professional comes in to clean the mold problem, this is what most of them use. Up here we got it from Home Depot, and it was $40 for a 4L jug of the stuff, with the smaller 950ml spray bottle costing $10. I should point out that you will find you have a bigger problem on your hand. Mold grows from somewhere, plus it grows outwards (and spores become airborne), and I'd bet my left testy that if you opened that wall you'd find a crap load of mold there, not to mention some sort of moisture/water source. If so, be prepared for a long clean up job. For us we have a mold issue in different spots around the house. The back basement wall was covered in it, and went unseen due to all the things we had down there (which, btw, is all gone now cuz mold spore will penetrate anything that is porous). Hell, before we could clean it we had to seal the outside wall, replace the weeping tile, and what not costing us a few grand, plus through out a lot of stuff in the basement that could potentially have been contaminated by the mold spores.. Essentially we had to get rid of the moisture source, and anything that could be contaminated before hand, otherwise we would be right back in the same situation later on. So, if you know you have a problem with the outside then the landlord needs to fix it too, or cleaning up the inside will be useless as it'll come right back sooner or later. We also found mold behind some of the drywall in one of the rooms, mold around the window sills, mold in the outtake vent for the drier, and a few other areas. Pretty much all the mold so far has been areas on or close to outside walls. While my Dad and I have been ok, my Mom has taken the brunt of it due to another existing condition she has that has made her susceptible to the mold. However, over the last year we've all been abnormally tired, dry throats, and all of us have had allergy problems that we never had prior to this last year. Suffice it to say, it's been hell, and there's still lots more to do yet before it's over. __________________ >><< Last edited by Tipstaff; Mar 10, 2008 at 01:00 AM.

Mar 10, 2008, 06:23 AM	#3
GutterPunk I = Greatest Dood Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Nebraska Posts: 5,945 Rep Power: 54	Thanks for the infor. This is just so frustrating... If it is all up in the drywall, it is not acceptible to have to move right away, or even have that room be under construction as it is the master bedroom. arghhh __________________ Rock On \m/ Thank you Mousey for the Sig! --------------- Intel Core2Duo E6660 (3.4GHZ) ~ Tuniq Tower 120 ~ Enermax Galaxy 1000W ~ Corsair Dominator @ 1090MHZ 5-5-5-15 (OCZ XTC Modded Cooler)~ EVGA 8800GTX W/ HR-03 Plus 120MM ~ Asus DVD-RW LiteScribe ~ LG DVD-RW ~ Corsair Voyager 2GB ReadyBoost Drive ~ Vantec Nexus Fan Controller ~ ThermalTake Armor 25CM fan ~ Personal Finance Blog: Dent Your Debt

Mar 10, 2008, 01:03 PM	#4
Falstaff Old Codger Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: USAFA Posts: 18,136 Rep Power: 130	Is it the combination of Cannibis smoke and moisture from bong water that does that Greg? __________________ The tallest blade of grass is the first to be cut by the scythe.

Mar 10, 2008, 01:08 PM	#5
Mousey Bang. Bang. Bang. Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: United Kingdom Posts: 5,413 Rep Power: 104 System Specs	lollll, I'd say get the land-lord or whoever owns the apartment to take a look :/ __________________ Visit hardWIRED - Back up and running, The Wiki is back Who we are, is but a stepping stone to what we can become.

Mar 10, 2008, 05:41 PM	#8
BlueMak DH's Asteroids' Dominator Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Hellas->Macedonia->Thessaloniki Posts: 8,228 Rep Power: 117 System Specs	Are those walls of wood or something like that? __________________ The people who are regarded as moral luminaries are those who forego ordinary pleasures themselves and find compensation in interfering with the pleasures of others(Bertrand Russell)"You go into Afghanistan, you got guys who slap women around for five years because they didn't wear a veil,You know, guys like that ain't got no manhood left anyway. So it's a hell of a lot of fun to shoot them." - Lt. Gen. James N. Mattis This is slavery, not to speak one's thought. [Euripides-The Phoenician Women (c.411-409 B.C.)] http://www.macedonia.info/FALLACIESANDFACTS.htm *Sic semper tyrannis.*

Mar 10, 2008, 10:40 PM	#10
Robert McClelland PAX Tweaker, PAX Expert. Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Some Where in Ohio Posts: 6,344 Rep Power: 103 System Specs	I stay take the landlord to Jude Judy you get your 5000 bucks easy lol __________________ "XTREME AUDIO IS CRAP!" "There no support for it. It's crapist card on face of the earth it should be throw into the sun"

Mar 12, 2008, 06:36 AM	#12
GutterPunk I = Greatest Dood Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Nebraska Posts: 5,945 Rep Power: 54	I have no bedroom its sealed. They have the wall torn apart and a mold certified specialist working on it. __________________ Rock On \m/ Thank you Mousey for the Sig! --------------- Intel Core2Duo E6660 (3.4GHZ) ~ Tuniq Tower 120 ~ Enermax Galaxy 1000W ~ Corsair Dominator @ 1090MHZ 5-5-5-15 (OCZ XTC Modded Cooler)~ EVGA 8800GTX W/ HR-03 Plus 120MM ~ Asus DVD-RW LiteScribe ~ LG DVD-RW ~ Corsair Voyager 2GB ReadyBoost Drive ~ Vantec Nexus Fan Controller ~ ThermalTake Armor 25CM fan ~ Personal Finance Blog: Dent Your Debt

Mar 12, 2008, 04:49 PM	#13
Tipstaff DriverHeaven Extreme Member Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Real capital of Canada: Toronto Posts: 5,524 Rep Power: 94 System Specs	Wow... that was bloody fast. __________________ >><<

Mar 12, 2008, 04:50 PM	#14
Falstaff Old Codger Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: USAFA Posts: 18,136 Rep Power: 130	you could get cooties Greg, care beful and sleep in the tub. __________________ The tallest blade of grass is the first to be cut by the scythe.

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