Mold Removal

[03CVLX]

Hey everyone,

Has anyone ever had to deal with mold in a home and the removal process of said mold before? My parents house has just started with an extremely musty/mold smell in one part of the house. We are not sure how bad it is yet or where its coming from. There are no obvious signs inside or outside the house. My guess is it is going to be inside the walls of my bedroom and thats the room the smell is the strongest in. :( We will most likely be having a contractor come in this week, but wanted to see if anyone has ever dealt with this before and what to expect.

Thanks.

Tom

[Reverend Cooper]

baking soda and bleach mixed with water are your best friend right now

[03CVLX]

baking soda and bleach mixed with water are your best friend right now

Yeah, we have it, just no clue where to use it. Wherever it is its all hidden. I probably shouldn't even sleep in there but the couch sucks.:rolf

[Mr Twigbert]

I know it's expensive.. I know because I saw on TV.. :rolf

Thats a tough call.. Don't wanna be ripping into the walls if theres nothing in there.. But, can't find it if you don't look.. :nutkick

[Lash]

Be carfull with that stuff. Some of it can kill you when the spores go into your lungs. As long as you don't disturb it you're fine.

[Breecher_7]

Be carfull with that stuff. Some of it can kill you when the spores go into your lungs. As long as you don't disturb it you're fine.

This is what I was thinking. Mold is some nasty shit...

[Breecher_7]

I know it's expensive.. I know because I saw on TV.. :rolf

Thats a tough call.. Don't wanna be ripping into the walls if theres nothing in there.. But, can't find it if you don't look.. :nutkick

If it were my home, walls would be coming down. Sheetrock is cheap, just time consuming.

[michelle]

We had a really, really bad mold problem in our apartment. In our utility room, which shares a wall with our master bathroom, the pipes were leaking (main water pipe for the building and fire/sprinkler system is in there) and "sweating". Also, the bathtub above was leaking. I would bleach the walls a couple times a week as a temporary fix until the landlord could check it out. He came out after a weekend of leaving the bathroom alone as I was in Michigan and his mouth dropped by all the mold (and different kinds) that grew in 2 days. Two days later, they ripped all the drywall away and repaired the tub and the pipes. New drywall will be done on Monday.

But since you are not sure where it is, it might be something to call the professionals in. I'm sure they are super busy after all the flooding around the area, but they should be able to find it and figure out the best way to get rid of it. You could check moldings around the floor (easier to take off then putting holes in your walls) and see if they appear to be full of moisture. For now, make sure you use a dehumidifier and you probably shouldn't stay in that room.

[twicks69]

My company does mold abatements:

Talk to Pat O'Neil at:
GZA GeoEnvironmental, Inc.
20900 Swenson Drive, Suite 150
Waukesha, WI 53186
262-754-2560 office

More than likely, Pat would come out there and take initial measurements to find the exact location of the problem, and then determine the cost and amount of repair required to abate the mold issue.

We use Foster 40-80 anti-microbial/fungal/mildew disinfectants and 40-20 paints that come with a 10-year warranty to preventing surface mold growth when properly installed by a professional. We also have a number of industrial dehumidifier cabinets, and air-handlers to help in the moisture removal process.

We are certified Mold Abatement Professionals, and have more than 10-years of experience doing mold abatements by professionals from our office.

GZA GeoEnvironmental Mold Abatement Services (http://www.gza.com/services_main/services_eir/mold_indoorairquality_services.html)

This is a very common issue that we deal with, and Pat is the man to talk to for getting it done right the first time at a good price.

Good luck,

[03CVLX]

Thanks for the input, everyone.

We have a mold removal specialist hopefully coming wednesday. They are swamped with the recent weather. My parents said he comes with a specially trained dog that sniffs out where the mold is, and just sits down right in front of where it would be. Sounds like a very interesting process, and hopefully it will work.

The only water leak we knew of is the hose at the back of the house leaked a little at the handle, and we had some nasty ice damming this winter. The roof and gutters are brand new within the last 2-3 years though.

The part that I don't understand is there was never even the slightest hint of a musty smell, then the day it hit 90 with high humidity, you could barely walk into my bedroom.

ill update this when i know more, hopefully we don't have to leave for awhile, I have heard that might happen depending on the severity.

[03CVLX]

My company does mold abatements:

Talk to Pat O'Neil at:
GZA GeoEnvironmental, Inc.
20900 Swenson Drive, Suite 150
Waukesha, WI 53186
262-754-2560 office

More than likely, Pat would come out there and take initial measurements to find the exact location of the problem, and then determine the cost and amount of repair required to abate the mold issue.

We use Foster 40-80 anti-microbial/fungal/mildew disinfectants and 40-20 paints that come with a 10-year warranty to preventing surface mold growth when properly installed by a professional.

We are certified Mold Abatement Professionals, and have more than 10-years of experience doing mold abatements by professionals from our office.

http://www.gza.com/services_main/services_eir/mold_indoorairquality_services.html

This is a very common issue that we deal with, and Pat is the man to talk to for getting it done right the first time at a good price.

Good luck,

Twicks,

I will definitely pass his info on to my parents. Thanks for the info.

[twicks69]

Twicks,

I will definitely pass his info on to my parents. Thanks for the info.

Anytime!

Unfortunately, we don't use a dog, we use technical instruments that will hold up much better in court if there are any legal issues when selling the home. That does alot better than trying to put the dog up on the witness stand to defend your case.

Our office also specializes in Environmental Site Assessments/Sampling/etc., Environmental Litigation, Toxicology, Indoor Air Quality/Industrial Air Quality, Geotechnical Engineering, Construction Oversight and Materials Testing, etc.

Pretty much anything under the Sun.

[03CVLX]

You bring up some good points, Twicks... Ill definitely discuss with my parents, and figure out what to do next.

[Flicktitty]

If it were my home, walls would be coming down. Sheetrock is cheap, just time consuming.

Yeap thats gonna be goin on in My parents basement got some water damage.

[03CVLX]

Twicks you have a PM.

The first guy was here this morning and doesn't think there is mold, but just wet insulation at this point. We don't totally buy that, so we are definitely going for a second estimate. The dog thing in my opinion wasn't worth it, because we are no farther ahead at this point.

[twicks69]

Twicks you have a PM.

The first guy was here this morning and doesn't think there is mold, but just wet insulation at this point. We don't totally buy that, so we are definitely going for a second estimate. The dog thing in my opinion wasn't worth it, because we are no farther ahead at this point.

Funny enough, my company is currently in litigation in a case about a homeowner that went with the "dog" guy, and we are proving that this method is not a viable solution to properly detecting mold problems. I just found about this yesterday.

Saw the PM also!

[03CVLX]

Funny enough, my company is currently in litigation in a case about a homeowner that went with the "dog" guy, and we are proving that this method is not a viable solution to properly detecting mold problems. I just found about this yesterday.

Saw the PM also!


Thats very interesting, but honestly not surprising. Pat will be here around 5 PM today. Thanks again for the lead.