Hot answers tagged mold
11
Kilz is not anti-mold paint.
Once the source of the moisture has been corrected, go to your local Home Depot and buy Concrobium fungicide spray. It's all natural and an encapsulant. It comes in a spray bottle. Follow the directions. This will kill the mold as well as prevent new mold from growing.
Once that is done you can cover the area with Zinnser Bulls ...
10
First find out whether it is mold or not. What you do next depends on this.
Assuming it is mold you need to do two things.
Clean it off - disinfectant/bleach solution should do the job.
Find out why it's forming. This is the important bit as if you just do the first step it will come back.
The usual cause is condensation which in a bathroom means you ...
10
Andrew, excellent question and great photos. The problem is a bit complicated. I can see from the photos that the water migration is coming from the top, perhaps even above the top of your window. Anytime the plaster separates from a concrete base, it means the moisture is coming through the concrete, most likely from the out of doors in your case. ...
9
To remove surface mold I use a 4:1 mixture of water:bleach. Spray on liberally and allow to sit for about 15 minutes. Rinse with water and wipe clean.
If you need to use a brush to scrape off heavy deposits, I recommend brushing away from your face or preferably wear an appropriate mask and goggles. The mold spores are probably more dangerous than the ...
8
Every answer here suggests using a water-bleach solution, though I am suggesting cleaning the mould (if that is what it turns out to be) with just soap and water.
And I have my friends Health Canada and the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Council to back me up. CMHC is not a health authority, but they do have an interest in damage to mortgaged-backed homes ...
8
This is a problem best suited to the professionals, but if you must do it yourself the number one priority is the safety of you and those around you. This can be a very hazardous task, if you do not take every precaution to contain and remove the spores properly.
The first thing you'll have to think about is containment, you don't want to spread the mold ...
7
I am a certified home inspector, so I am a little reluctant to answer this question. I will, however spill a few thoughts. In recent years, the tests you refer to have become fairly popular, but normally in houses that show some signs of water or mold. I personally would only recommend an infrared scan if there was suspicious water spots or paint peeling on ...
6
I would second the comments recommending a second opinion. A sump is in the basement to allow water to be drained away if it accumulates around the footings. If there's no water there it quite probably means that your water table is low enough that there's not seepage. It also would indicate that you have decent drainage around the house and rain water is ...
6
General construction advice for 'general' showers:
In/on the walls:
use RedGard as a vapor barrier over the cement board
use paperless or blueboard sheetrock
use mildew resistant pain
adequately vent the room with a proper exhaust fan
In the shower construction itself:
seal all caulk properly
make sure standing water can't puddle
Now, all that said, ...
6
Cover the vent
They sell magnetic vent covers at nearly all hardware stores. Buy one, and cover the vent when it's not being used. This will prevent moist air from entering the vent, though it may not stop water if it pools around the vent.
Install an exhaust fan
Install a properly sized exhaust fan in the bathroom. Let it run during showers, and for ...
5
There are thousands of species of mold known to Science, with different species being found in different parts of the world. There isn't any one "crawlspace" mold or "air duct" mold, it's just whatever spores of whatever species happened to take a foothold there. Which one is more dangerous will depend on the particular species of mold and the sensitivity ...
5
When I've had to re-stain decks or chairs etc with a little mold on them I've always used a bleach solution. Mix a little bleach with some water and apply it to the mold (spray bottle, or brush). The bleach will kill the mold quickly (just let it sit there). Then lightly sand the mold off (just to get rid of the moldy texture) and re-paint.
Good luck
5
You can wrap the drain line in electric pipe heating tape to prevent it from freezing:
You should be able to find it at your local home improvement store.
4
You can start off with taking a 50/50 solution of bleach and water, then spraying the mold with it. Wait a few days.
To prevent it in the future, when showering you should be using the bathroom fan to allow the hot air to be exhausted outside rather than condense on the walls and ceiling (which are made of drywall of course).
They also make ...
4
There's a lot of good advice here on cleaning the inside of the fridge. One thing I'd like to add:
Don't forget to periodically clean the fridge's coils. The coils are typically found underneath or on the back of the fridge, and are meant to dissipate the heat. The coils will, over time, get blocked with dust etc. and the fridge runs less efficiently as a ...
4
Mold detection and identification can be done in two ways. Visible mold can be collected on a test tape, and air borne spores can be collected with an air sample kit. Either way, samples must be sent to a lab for microscopic inspection and ID.
Mold and mold spores can range from common everyday varieties that rarely have negative effects on humans to very ...
4
My guess is that the mould has grown into the grout; live or not, the bio-gunk they have produced has stained the grout.
A complete re-tiling should not be necessary; you should be able to simply remove the old stained grout between tiles and re-grout. You can remove and replace the stained/mouldy caulking as well. There are attachments for almost any ...
3
I had a similar problem and here's what I did.
using a scraping tool I removed the old grouting-glaze
I used Zep (incredibly effective with mold but really stinky)
then I cleaned the shower with water and let dry
purchased a tube of silicone caulk from Home depot
applied the a new layer of caulk where the old one was removed
To maintain a mold/mildew ...
3
Yup, probably mold. First you'll want to clean it up. A weak solution of water and bleach should do the trick.
To make sure it stays gone, you'll want to make sure your bathroom is properly ventilated. If you don't have a vent fan, you'll want to install one. If you already have one, you'll want to make sure you use it. Hooking it up so it ...
3
Take a walk through with the home inspector and see what he says. If you are still interested in the house, find a good general contractor (that you trust) and take him on a walk through. The contractor should be able to give you a good estimate on what it will cost to fix any issues, he may also give you some price breaks if you are willing to let him ...
3
The first thing to take care of is the bug problem. It good that you don't see any in that location, but that doesn't mean they haven't moved on somewhere else in your home. I would go for a pest control professional. We have termite issues in our neighborhood. Because of that we have a service to be proactive about it. Basically in spring and fall ...
3
The most likely reason for you feeling worse is leftover dust from the work performed. That will include dust from the drywall, from sanding the filling and especially mold particles from the disturbed wall. The room may look clean, but replacing drywall will produce a lot of tiny dust particles that will settle everywhere and make an allergic person feel ...
3
I made the mistake of just taking a bottle of bleach to my shower after noticing an especially bad amount of mold (college days). I think dilution is definitely a necessity for breathing purposes. I second the concern of not getting any on your clothes and also washing yourself thoroughly after using the bleach. While I didn't get any on my clothes, I did ...
3
Ultimately, your issue is caused by not having an exhaust fan. Ask your landlord whether he could have someone come out and install one for you? You can push this as being a health concern to you and your family (which it is). Also, it's an investment and/or protection for his property. I'm pretty sure having someone come out to clean the vents on a regular ...
3
IMO you are making several leaps here that don't fit. You've got mold below a window, spread out about 2 feet on either side, and you suspect condensation as the culprit.
You specify that the damage is old - years old by the look of it. Condensation happens every year, every season. Why would the damage be old, it should be fresh if it's condensation.
...
3
Actually, there's a great suggestion in one of my favorite general-knowledge renovation books about how to prevent moss growth. This is a much more permanent way to solve the problem, IMHO.
Tack up a line of copper wire (not zinc) just after the first line of shingles (close to the top). Copper is bad for plant life, and so the slight copper solution from ...
3
Mold need two things to create spores, water and air. You probably killed any active mold when you mixed it in the bucket. However, don't fear. Once that coat is dry, recoat with fresh paint. It will seal over the original coat and any surviving mold should be encased and die. I think you will be fine, just repaint.
3
The foul smell is from the volatile organic compounds in the paint decaying. Could very well have mold spores living in it. Whatever you are smelling its going straight into your lungs because smells are particular. If it was me I would get rid of it like it was a plague.
My suggestion is get a heavy duty respirator with the proper filters and a boat load of ...
2
When looking for a home inspector you could try to find one who is knowlegable about renovation/remodeling that may be able to give you ballpark figures. Another option would be to have a good general contractor walk through with you and give you an general estimate.
Personally my major concern is the last point regarding the settlement cracks, it sounds ...
2
A question - were there elevated spore levels in the rest of the house? It sounds like you disturbed something removing the old drywall. If that's the case you might be OK.
You need to identify the source. Once you've done that you can usually deal with the problem yourself.
The hard part is going to be identifying the source. Mould is usually caused by ...
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