Question for everyone... what is your experience with household mold? See, my health is crap. I'm sure anyone who has read my IG or FU thread posts knows it. Not going to go into crazy detail about something that will take forever and a half to explain. Aside from having a diagnosis of hypothyroidism this month, I have no idea why I am always so fatigued, headachey, dizzy, and constantly having nasal issues. It seems like my boyfriend is starting to display similar fatigue and nasal symptoms too, which is odd and concerning. Then last week I came across this: https://www.google.com/amp/www.mirr...ws/woman-left-bedridden-35-years-10010512.amp Fucking scared me half to death. Thing is, we live in a basement. A basement that has had mild flooding issues in the past, when a gutter pipe became dislodged and poured all of the gutter water right next to our house's foundation. Our basement is old, too. The walls are wood, not drywall. We have carpet over sheet rock. It all got soaked at one point. My health has gotten progressively worse over the years that we've lived here. My boyfriend's has too... So I think maybe, just maybe we have some kind of mold. Maybe not black mold, but some kind of mold that's irritating us. I ordered a mold test kit on Amazon and am going to ship it off to a lab, but doing all of this in secret. My parents are the "if I ignore it, it doesn't exist" kind of folks, so if I told them, they would be fucking pissed. Have to confront them if the lab results come back positive, though. Then it's the difficult task of raising emergency funds to get out of here... Anyway, enough story. Please, if you have any mold stories, advice, experience, anything to say regarding mold, do share. I seriously know jack shit about household mold.
Yeah you kids need to get out there and get your own place- ABOVE ground! Mold is nasty stuff and can really lead to health issues even if it isn't the horrific black mold. With no sealant or drywall present down there it's going to continually happen because of the moisture content. I once lived in a apartment in Brooklyn that often flooded and I'd be down in that basement airing it out and bleaching walls. Nasty business.
Mold is a toss up. The human body can build a resistance to it or get destroyed by it. Slight exposure(a few minutes)to most kinds of mold usually isn't any cause for alarm but constant exposure like where you sleep is a bad bad bad idea. If you live in a basement and don't do basic preventative steps twice a year you most likely have mold. If there has EVER been a flooding issue in that basement and you don't take those preventative steps you do have mold. Only question is what kind and how much. The problem is when people don't live in a basement it can be mold free so people assume there won't ever be a problem. The truth is the chance of mold is incredibly higher with people existing in that space. Basements need special care when people live in them because just by being in there you cause mold. All the moisture your bodies lose when you sleep has to go somewhere. The fact you keep it warm enough to be comfortable makes it worse. Having carpet compounds things a lot more because it makes it harder to keep things clean. So you have to either deal with fixing it or leave. It's not that difficult to deal with but it can be time consuming and you will have to do it every couple of months for quite awhile to be safe. Hiring people who handle it is by far the best idea. That would be fast and safe and very effective though expensive as well. You can do it yourself but that is a whole can or worms you probably shouldn't open. You would need respirators and jumpsuits and have the ability to tear out all the carpet and remove the furniture yourself then lots of bleaching and soaking and scrubbing and heating and airing out and repeat repeat repeat. After everything is done and damn near surgically cleaned you need to have a NICE dehumidifier and a couple of air purifiers running whenever you are in there. That is how you stop it from happening again. Control the moisture content in the air and keep everything as clean as possible. You can also paint the walls and ceiling with mold resistant paint which works very well actually. Long ago I helped do this stuff many times for many people and it's daunting but manageable.
Well, I might have some tidbit for you: Back in the late 90's and early 2000's my folks and I were living in a duplex. It was a pretty nice place in general, except for all of the spiders. We lived there from about 1997 through 2001, and had no obvious signs of mold until just before we moved. All three of us suffer from a variety of allergies, seasonal and otherwise, especially Mom. Mom and I both progressively developed more and more severe allergy symptoms, which we thought was her generally worsening allergy situation and me being unused to living in this state, respectively. It seemed like we had cold/flu symptoms more frequently than expected. As I said, just before we moved we began to notice visible spots of mold around the house. Thinking back on it, I had a recurring patch of what must have been mold on my window sill for years. I thought that it was carbon and dust from my incense burner which I kept there. At any rate, after we moved we all began to feel much better. I hope that you can get a definite answer!
Wow... this... was really sobering. I had absolutely no idea that this situation was so serious. The mold test kit is arriving tomorrow, so I'll be able to test and send it out first thing Saturday morning. The service says it takes 24 hours upon receiving the kit to get results back, and they'll be sent to me by email... so I guess I'll know by Monday, maybe? Unfortunately my dad found out I ordered it since we share an Amazon Prime account, and I got grilled by my mom. Their attitude is "oh if there's mold we'll just have it cleaned up." and "haha, we definitely don't have black mold, at least. No way." I don't think they realize "cleaning up" may entail tearing apart the entire basement, and us living in a hotel for weeks. Frankly, I'd rather just move the fuck out. Anyway, we'll wait and see. I'll keep you guys updated.
You mean hiring someone to test it? Wish I could, but money is an issue. I'd rather pay for a test kit and a $40 lab fee.
That would be perfect. Whole thing could be professionally cleaned in two days. Leave a day to make sure everything is dried out. Another day to paint with a mold resistor additive which can be added to any color/brand of paint. Great solution to a tough situation. Screw a hotel. Sleep in a different room or on the floor or wherever you fit for a few days. As long as they are willing to pay for the cleaning your problem is pretty much solved.
What I'm most concerned about is them having to literally tear open the walls and carpet to clean up the mold. We have cabinets and a bookshelf built into the wall (house just came like that) and it's all the same wood as the walls. Got a bad feeling that if mold tests do come back positive, that's going to take a lot longer than two days. I'm not even sure where we're going to relocate all the stuff down here... it's part "mom hoard" and part living essentials down here.
Sorry to hear. My Mom bought a house a few years ago that ended up being full of mold. Previous owner had a bunch of leaks, and tried to cover it all up before the sale. Her walls/ceilings ended up being absolutely destroyed. Kind of like a fire, they can't leave anywhere unchecked.
WOAH! This is RIGHT up my alley! I'm an environmental consultant and deal with this shit all day long. @hellointerloper I would also suggest going to an allergist and being tested for mold as well. I have so many clients that think they're allergic to mold, I do extensive mold testing and find nothing in their home, and then we're back to square one.. As far as consulting with me about this, I'd more than happy to, but I'd have to charge you. I do this shit all day long and absolutely hate it, so I'm not about to give away my services for free, but I will give you some free advice right now.. One thing I will tell you is some places to check.. 1. Do any ceilings have sunken in screw/nail holes? Most likely the drywall got wet at one point and is sagging. Check the back side of it (by accessing the attic.) 2. Lift up your carpets in every corner of the room. Is the tack strip underneath discolored? Do the tacks on the tack strip have rust on them? Does the tack strip have mold on it? 3. Check window sills. Are any of them warped from water damage or have water staining? also, check the walls underneath windows for water staining, cracks or drywall becoming warped. 4. Any musty smells in the house? You may want to have a friend/relative who doesn't live there to help with this. Anyone who lives there may already be used to the smell and notice notice any musty smells. 5. Pull back carpets and check the tiny gap between the bottom of the baseboard and the subfloor. You can usually see a tiny strip of drywall under the baseboard. Are there any discolorations? 6. Check your mechanical room and/or sump pump. Any leakage? any water staining on drywall or mineralization (from evaporating water) on foundation/exterior walls? 7. Check your furnace. Is it super dirty? Is the filter replaced regularly? Dirty filter + some moisture + a day or two = mold that will spread through your HVAC system.. 8. Last but not least, check your basement ceiling for any water staining from the sink, toilet, tub, dishwasher, washing machine above.. 9. Actually, this is last.. Do you have mushrooms growing out of your carpet anywhere? (I've seen this before on MULTIPLE occasions..) Those are all good places to start.. Good luck on your quest..
Unless proper engineering controls are in place when the mitigation happens, such as a NAM, a containment built with 6 mil poly and HEPA filters for fresh, filtered make up air, I would definitely not sleep at home, considering the rest of the home can very easily be cross contaminated by peeps that do shotty work. I'd be surprised if you even got all of the proper tests and permits in order in 2 days, let alone got the whole project wrapped up in 2 days... Not trying to be a downer, just trying to set some realistic expectations.. ALSO, once the mitigation is complete, before the contractors tear down ANYTHING, ask them to perform a Post-Remediation Verification! It's an air test after the fact that will ensure the area is clean..
One last thing, Here in CO, any materials that are being removed must be tested for asbestos. You may want to find out what the regs are in CT, most likely they're the same.. So there's that too..
Ouch, this thread is depressing for so many reason (probably why I was subconsciously avoiding coming in here). Just chiming in to say the old bin there, done that story and I feel the pain of anyone who has had, or is, dealing with mold in their living space. Let me just say that this happened right before I moved into the apartment where I am living now: So, umm, yeah, not really talking about a burst pipe or a little window leakage. Compound this with the fact that I am living in an area that is constantly damp, right alongside a river, and in a centuries old building built on an embankment....yeeaah....I have got some problems. (haha, and yes, I also have mold-related problems) One thing is that, as I hope evidenced by @Waterbear's take on it as well as @noeleaser's incredibly helpful and details advice is this: there is no simple or cheap solution. Mold is a serious issue, and if you want to deal with it properly, it is going to take time and money. That is just a fact. You might as well do it right or not at all, frankly. And even then, you will have to take constant measure to mitigate the situation and prevent it from recurring as much as possible. Sorry if this is not the answer you wanted to hear, but it is the right one to give. I don't know your situation and I don't know how serious it is - hopefully it is really just a small problem if at all - but from both and engineering and medical perspective, it doesn't pay to half-ass things.* * not restricted to this current discussion
Well, I finally got the results of the mold test back today. We have Chaetomium mold. A small-scale contamination, but the fact that it causes sinusitis and other respiratory issues is what really confirmed it for me... this is what has been making us all stuffed up every night, giving me head colds, and generally just been a pain in the ass. Got to tell my parents tomorrow, they're not going to be happy. Hopefully they won't stick their heads in the sand... or the mold, should I say. And a big thank you to everyone who spoke up in this thread, your experiences have been invaluable in giving me a reality check of how serious this can be. I wasn't too knowledgeable about mold before this, only hearing about the dreaded "black mold." Never knew how many possible molds can release mycotoxins that can affect your health.
Well at least now you have the evidence Maddie, hopefully that will go a long way towards advancing the discussion into an effective treatment solution. [Not that that always works, just look at all the flat-Earthers* out there... not implying anything towards your parents of course, just the strange insistence on bizarre notion in the face of all facts to the contrary]. It is going to be a rough talk I am sure, so I feel for you there, and naturally they won't be happy about it (the situation), but hopefully you guys can get it all worked out. * I just...don't... sigh ** the best solution
Good news, bad news... Good news: You found Chaetomium. Bad news: That may not be the only hazardous spore in your home. The thing is, you collected a swab sample or tape lift sample from a specific area that was visible. You never know what's under your flooring or behind your walls, or in your HVAC system. I would highly recommend having a Post Remediation Verification performed after the clean up to ensure that the level of spores in the home is safe. FYI, Chaetomium occurs in nature as well, so it's not uncommon to find it in the air of your home in very very small levels, especially if you have a garden or landscaping in your yard.. If you have a PRV performed, make sure they collect a baseline sample from outside your home to compare it to!
Told my parents, they just said "oh yikes, we'll get a guy to check it out" and have no solid plan on where we'll be sleeping. "And we'll have to move out stuff to a storage pod." Okay, but WHERE DO WE GO? Ughhhhh I really hope my boyfriend doesn't have to quit his job and we have to move down to Delaware for a while. Jobs in Delaware pay chump change.
Yeah, we took a sticky tape sample that was a combination of under the wall-to-wall carpet, the air purifier filter, and the bookshelf, all located in the basement. I'm pretty sure the mold came in through the flooding since it happened via the gutter pipe emptying water at the foundation rather than some 6 ft away from the house... the mold probably seeped in with the water and started feeding off of the jute backing of the carpet and living in the sheet rock it covers. Thankfully the basement isn't a part of our central air system, but we'll definitely make sure it hasn't spread upstairs.
I understand what you're trying to say, however mold doesn't "seep" in to your home with water. Mold spores are in the air. They settle on a substrate then the substrate gets wet. The mold then uses the substrate and moisture to grow. Once it grows, it releases more spores into the air to reproduce. The airborne spores settle to the ground and the whole process starts over.. (It's a little more complicated than that, but that's the gist..) Just make sure you have some air samples collected on the back end to make sure everything is clean and safe! As a matter of fact, I did a job very similar to this yesterday. I collected a swab sample of the growth, then collected some air samples throughout the home and outside. Once I get the results today, I'll let you know what I've found because it is such a similar situation.. Also, if you're looking for an industry standard protocol to get this cleaned up, I can send you some documentation.. Good luck and be safe! Also, I'm willing to trade info for GGML, just sayin..
