Mould Problem Questions & Answers
 

 If you have any questions, please send your email to: moldconsultant@yahoo.com
 

 March 30, 2005

Q. I am trying to get rid of some black colored  mould on my closet walls. Should I paint the walls with oil based paint? If not what else will kill & eliminate this nasty mold?

A. Painting over the  mould problem will NOT kill the mold, but simply hide the problem temporarily until the  mould eats through the paint, a favorite  mould food. You must first remove the  mould growth, which might mean removing the wall surface materials if the  mould is growing into the materials [very likely].  mould can be growing inside the drywall exterior and INSIDE the wall, such as eating the wood timbers inside the wall. Learn the 25 steps for safe and effective  mould remediation at the Mould Removal page.

March 04, 2005

Q. I live in an apartment and we are on the ground level. On the east side of the wall, we have black mould above the baseboard and up the walls. It is now turning white and I was told that it was dust of the  mould and that we should get something done about it. I told the landlord 2 months ago and all he said was to wash it with vinegar. When I noticed the mould, I washed it with bleach. I had also put a protic called “stopz” – it is an oil based paint which stops stains from bleeding through the paint I painted the wall about the first week of November and I thought that the bleach would get rid of it. About 3 weeks later, it came back even blacker and fuller than before. About 2 weeks ago it had turned white. What should I do? Should I call in a health inspector to get them to see what’s going on?

My landlord wants nothing to do with the problem. I have told him and apparently there are other problems in the building.

A. Bleach will not kill mold. To know more, visit http://www.bleach-mold-myth.com. Painting over  mould with a cover-up paint coating designed to hide water stains is not going to kill molds either. Learn the 25 steps recommended for safe and effective  mould remediation here.

Unless you take steps like the Tenant Notice to Landlord About Mold, and doing your own documentation of the  mould problem using a do-it-yourself mould test kit, it is likely that your landlord, like most landlords, will do nothing as to safe and effective  mould inspection, testing and remediation of your rental unit’s  mould infestation problem. You would be wise to move to a mold-safe place as soon as possible. Most moldlords will not spend money to protect their tenants against  mould health threats. Learn about landlord  mould liability. If temporarily during  mould remediation, you should carefully  mould inspect and test your temporary or new living quarters prior to renting or buying and moving to make sure you are not moving from one  mould hell to another.

As of your personal property, you are wise to do  mould decontamination by washing all items outdoors by washing them thoroughly with Borax laundry detergent in warm water. Use one-half pound of Borax per 1.5 gallons of warm water. Then spray all items with one or two wet sprayings of home-made  mould remedy recipes. Or use an enzyme-based Mould Cleaner and Odor Remover.

To document your apartment  mould health threats, you can use a do-it-yourself mould test kit. Learn the  mould remediation steps that your landlord needs to take after you vacate the apartment. Note that doing  mould remediation process while you are in the apartment will make your family even more ill.

 February 24, 2005

Q. I took your advice and had the bathroom  mould tested. Yesterday, I received the devastating news that one of the molds discovered in the  mould lab analysis was Stachybotrys mold.

What do I do next? I live in a co-operative housing project in Northeastern Ontario. I do not know if any local lawyers or even if they would take my  mould problem seriously. The  mould lab has taken it very seriously, and the lab recommended that I see my doctor. If I can avoid any drawn out court battle, that outcome would be good. This Co-op has insurance for such things. I just do not know what steps need to be taken first. I had contacted the City Building Standards department a few weeks ago, and I was faxed a report to fill out. Should I follow through with that first, or seek legal advice? This Co-op is government run, and I just know that my unit is not alone here in having a  mould problem. Most residents are too afraid to complain.

A. Yes, do file the complaint form with the city building department, especially in view of the government ownership of your co-op project. Do your complaint in great detail and attach your  mould lab reports to it. Your official written complaint might get co-op board results and it will strengthen your prospective  mould lawsuit. You would be wise to move temporarily to a mold-safe place to live until your co-op apartment has been  mould remediated successfully and it tests as being mold-safe by an independent Certified Mold Inspector who was uninvolved in the  mould remediation effort. Learn the 25 recommended steps of  mould remediation to make sure that the co-op does the  mould remediation thoroughly and completely.

The best type of local physicians to seek  mould diagnostic help from would be a pulmonary physician (lung specialist), neurologist (for possible brain and central nervous system damage), and an infectious disease specialist. Learn about the medical  mould diagnostic and treatment procedures in the in depth ebook Mold Health Guide. Find a real estate or environmental attorney to represent your in getting the co-op to do  mould remediation and to pay for your needed medical diagnostic and treatment procedures (if any). Buy a copy of the ebook Mold Legal Guide for both you and your attorney to read to know about the prosecution of  mould health claims against the co-op.

 February 25, 2005

Q. We purchased a house a few years ago and I know that the previous owner had trouble with water leaks. They thought that she had another illness, but, I think a large part of it may be because of mold. After living there for a while I started with respiratory and other problems. We bought another property almost a year ago and have lived in it. Now, we want to fix up and move back into the house. There has been a bad water leak (which is on-going) in the back kitchen which was in an addition with a flat roof. There are two small hallways in the back that have ceilings covered in black mold. The house has been used as a dumping station for clothing, furniture and collectibles for my business for about the last year. The house stinks as soon as you open the door.

I did not realize the danger of  mould until I started reading up on it. Now I am completely freaked out by the whole situation. My husband does not experience nay effects from the  mould like I do. We plan on gutting the whole house, insulating, and drywalling again. We do not have money to spend on professional help – and I do not know where to begin.

My questions are:

1. Can we remove the  mould covered areas ourselves?

2. Will all the clothing and furniture etc. need special treatment (because I already moved some of it to my retail location)?

3. Once the  mould infested surfaces are removed, how long do the spores stick around for and how do we get rid of them?

4. Can I work in the house if I wear a mask?

5. Will the house be safe to live in?

6. Should we run for the hills?

I do not know if you give advice or if you will send an email back to me, but I certainly would appreciate anything you have to say. I can’t seem to find answers to my questions in all the reading that I have done. I am very concerned about our situation and will purchase a book of yours if it will help us out.

A. Do not move back into the home until after you have done complete and safe  mould remediation and the home tests as  mould safe with either our do it yourself  mould test kits or a Certified  Mould Inspector. You should also learn the 25 recommended steps for  mould inspection and remediation. Of course, your very first step is to find and fix all water leaks and to make sure that there is not water intrusion through roof leaks or siding or window leaks. Remove all of your store inventory and personal possessions and  mould decontaminate them outdoors or in a “clean room” your build out of plastic sheeting. For effective  mould decontamination, first wash and scrub thoroughly all items with Borax laundry detergent, a natural  mould cleaner, in warm water. Then spray at least one or two wet coatings (with drying in between) of a strong fungicide (make your own  mould home remedy in Canada by reading our indepth report Mould Home Remedy Recipe). Follow the in depth decontamination procedures recommended for different types of personal property, as explained above. Mould test your home thoroughly before and after  mould remediation to make sure you have done an effective job of  mould decontamination. Mould testing instructions are provided at http://www.moldinspection.com.


Real Estate & Mould                                          Real People & Mould
Mould Advice                                                      Q&A Removal
Carpet & Mould                                                  Legal Q & A
Mould In Schools                                                New Home Q & A
Workplace Q & A                                               Mould FAQ 2005 Collection

Do-It-Best-Yourself Mold Solutions

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