The Mold Blog » Questions & Answers

Hurricane Survivor: Should I be concerned about mold from water leaks?

Jonathan — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 00:51:38 +0000

Question: We recently went through Hurricane Gustav and Hurricane Ike. We lost most of our metal roof on our home during Gustav and when Ike came we realized we had a leak and it started dripping through our ceiling. We were able to stop the leak by putting a tarp on our roof but not before it started leaking. Should I be concerned about mold? If so how should I tend to the area to make sure there is no mold and if there is how can I get rid of it? I do have a 10 month old baby that I am most concerned about.

Answer: Hi Concerned, You should always be concerned about Mold once you have had a water leak. Mold is a known health hazard. The most important thing you need to do is repair the water damaged area of the ceiling. Once this is completed if you are still concerned you can wash down the walls and ceiling with unscented soap and water. This should look after any surface Mold that may be present. Mold is only a concern when it grows in our living spaces. Control Mould in your living spaces live a healthier life.

Jim Thomas, of MouldOff.com, is a Master Carpenter and C.I.E. (Certified Indoor Environmentalist) with 35+ years of experience in the restoration industrial including a specialization in mold remediation.

What can I do to stop the mold smell in our doorway?

Jonathan — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 12:51:53 +0000

Q. I live in Houston, TX and just went through Hurricane Ike, our home did not suffer any damage. We were without power for about 3 days and now 3 days later we have a mild mold smell in our doorway. What can I do to stop the smell? I looked for mold but can’t find any.

A. Hi Houston, My first question would be have you checked the humidity in your home. If the humidity is below 60% the problem may not be in your home. At times when the humidity levels outside are very high Mold will grow rapidly in the vegetation around our homes. The musty odor we relate with mold will sometimes fill the entryways to our homes. I would recommend keeping shrubs and bushes at lest four feet away from an entry to the house. This does not guarantee the odor will not find it’s way in but it will help to allow the air to move around the shrubbery and dry them out.

Mold Question answered by Jim Thomas of MouldOff.com. Jim is a Master Carpenter and C.I.E. (Certified Indoor Environmentalist) with 35+ years of experience in the restoration industrial including a specialization in mold remediation.

Can mold grow on brick and hardwood floors?

Jonathan — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 16:58:12 +0000

Q. Hi, I recently moved into an old building in eastern TN built around 1890. Since moving in, my asthma has flared significantly, and is worse when I spend a few hours or more in the building. I have been tested positive for moldallergy, however I cannot find any mold. The building was renovated 4 years ago and everything, except the brick walls (now exposed), and hardwood floors and beams were replaced. I haven’t been able to find any mold. Can it grow on brick? If so, what should I look for? How about hardwood floors? There are no apparent water leaks. Thank you very Much.

A. Hi Eastern TN, It sounds like you may have a humidity problem. Yes mold needs Water, Heat and a food source but the water does not have to be in the form of running water as like a burst pipe. High humidity, above 60%, will be sufficient to allow Mold to grow. Mold can grow on any organic material. We all have dust around the house and most of the dust we find in homes is organic. This dust settles on everything thus making it possible for Mold to grow on all surfaces. Remember stop the water stop the Mold.

Can mold grow on plastic and, if so, is there a way to clean it?

Jonathan — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 11:59:02 +0000

Question: We recently bought a used plastic outdoor toy set for our children. We had planned to clean it up and put it inside in our basement. While we were able to disinfect and clean the outside of the toy with a detergent, I am concerned that there may be mold inside the toy in areas I can not reach or scrub. When held to light we can see “spots” through the plastic. We cannot tell if it is mold or dirt. Can mold grow on plastic like this and is there a way to clean it? If not should we not bring it inside our home and just leave it as an outdoor toy? Thank you for your help!

Answer: Mold can definitely grow on plastic. If there is moisture and humidity and a way for the spores to gain access, mold start to grow. Cleaning will depend on the type of toy and your ability to access and disinfect the area. If you are unable to thoroughly remove the potential mold growth then, being better safe and sorry, I would suggest you clean it as best you can and leave it as an outside toy.

Thanks for stopping by! Feel free to leave a comment if you have any further questions.

Jonathan Wold
MoldBlogger.com

Can outdoor hot tubs and jacuzzi’s grow mold?

Jonathan — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 11:43:28 +0000

Question:

I’m wondering if HOT tubs or Jacuzzi’s outdoors can fester with mold underneath a deck or foundation…? I smell a musty smell even tho it’s outside… Thanks.

Answer:

In our experience, any environment where humidity is present and moisture can sneak in will lend itself to mold growth. The heat generated from the unit can cause condensation which, in your case, may be leading to mold growth under the deck or foundation.

Jonathan Wold
MoldBlogger.com

What can I do to remove and prevent mold in a home halfway below ground?

Joslyn — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 20:01:28 +0000

Question

I live in a basement flat built in about 1910, with no central heating system. Half my flat is below ground and I was told that the damp coursing had been completed. My main problem is in hidden and now open areas all over my flat I have black mould growing and a damp smell through the flat. I regularly wash the walls in bleach to inhibit it but always find more, the paint is peeling off my walls in the worse affected areas. My shoes I don’t regularly use, which I stored at the end of my hall all have white mould growing on tham and smell damp and now my Sofa and curtains smell damp too. I have a dehumidifer and try to ventilate, but I am aware that ventilation is not too good due to window placement. What else can I do to inhibit this or stop it? I spend most of my time at home sniffing trying to find the next patch.

Answer

You’re definitely in a difficult situation. To begin, I’d like to recommend you read the following two posts that I did regarding mold remediation and prevention:

You’ve done well in trying to increase ventilation. Your most difficult problem is that half the flat is underground, which makes sunlight and airflow extremely difficult or impossible to get down there. If there is anything you can do, even if that means putting more windows in, to create better airflow or increased sunlight – definitely do it. You could also try putting an industrial strength fan in to aid in overall ventilation. The dehumidifier that you’re using is good as well.

Bleach is a good “extra” additive to do when trying to perform home mold remediation, but should not be used as the sole fighting ingredient. I would recommend getting a product that specifically deals with mold removal, like Concrobium, etc.

Another option you might want to look into is hiring a professional mold remediator. Also try to figure out the reason for mold growth. Is it the overall weather in your area? Is it because of a chronic leak? Or is it because the house is underground and away from immediate sunlight?

Depending on the reason, remediation can cost a significant amount of money to complete. Have you considered moving? Is that even possible? You need to evaluate your overall health and well-being as well as prioritize your options.

If you have any questions about what I’ve said, feel free to e-mail me back.

I wish you the best as you fight your personal battle with mold.

Joslyn Wold
MoldBlogger.com
Jasper, IN

Stachybotrys Found In Apartment, Now What?

Joslyn — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 00:26:09 +0000

Editors Note: Names removed to provide anonymity.

Question

We found stacc. in our apartment 3 months ago. For a week or two before I found the mold I had started feeling generally yuchy and as soon as we moved I felt better. My 1 yr old and my husband showed no symptoms.

We stayed with friends while we looked for another place. We found another apartment and had it mold tested. The test results were good and we moved in. We had lived there for 10 days when we found a black spot behind the paint in the bathroom.It turned out to be stacc. too and we moved back in with friends.

We have been living with friends for 2 months straight now while we look for a new place to live. We have toured dozens of places and they all had obvious mold somewhere. One place didn’t and we had it tested and they found 1 stacc. spore. We had two more places tested this week and they came back o.k., but while we were waiting for the test results the landlord rented the place to someone else.

We are just at our wits end. We will have to put our stuff in storage, find someone to care for our dog, and move to another friend’s house in a week if we don’t have our own place. What should we do?!? We are tempted to just do a careful visual inspection of an apartment, buy a high quality air filter and call it good. What do you think? Is that reasonably safe or would we be taking too big of a risk with a toddler in the house? We are just ready to have our own place to call home.

Answer

It sounds as if you’re between a rock and a hard place. As you have checked various houses, its possible that its the area in which you live that’s causing the severe mold growth. Severe weather changes, lots of humidity, etc can cause mold to grow.

You were right to get out of your apartment when you did.

My best advice to you would be to, as you said, do a visual check on the home you’re looking at renting, and of course in many cases there will be a noticeable smell as well. By filtering the air, as well as looking into a dehumidifier you will be able to atleast minimize the chances of mold growth.

I wish you the best, and hope you find the mold free home you are looking for.

Joslyn Wold
MoldBlogger.com

How to remove mold stains?

Joslyn — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 23:56:08 +0000

There are 5 steps that can be followed to remove mold stains:

First take the item outside, so as not to spread mold spores indoors, and brush as much of the mold off as you can.
Allow the item to dry in the sun for awhile, as direct sunlight can often kill many different types of mold spores.
After plenty of sunlight has been distributed evenly over the item, presoak it in cold water possibly with a bleach solution, color safe if it has colors in it, and then machine wash it with warm water and detergent.
Lemon juice and salt in cold water has also been used with colored fabrics, as well as a vinegar solution to aid in smell removal.
Hang the item in the sun again to dry.

Unfortunately, mold does leave stains but by using the previous solution and washing materials in this manner, you have rid the items of mold and most likely the musty smell as well, however removing mold stains is an entirely different matter.

Note Also:

Here are a couple of ideas that I haven’t prove my self, but that may be worth trying.

X-14 Mildew Stain Remover with Bleach will often remove the stains.
Try mixing 2 cap fulls of Milton baby sterilizing fluid with 3-4 liters of water and soak the item over night.

Further Recommended Reading:

How to Remove Mold and the Smell from Clothing

Joslyn from the MoldBlogger team

How do you remove mold from hats?

Joslyn — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 23:51:57 +0000

There are 5 steps that can be followed to remove mold from hats:

First take the hat outside, so as not to spread mold spores indoors, and brush as much of the mold off as you can.
Allow your hat to dry in the sun for awhile, as direct sunlight can often kill many different types of mold spores.
After plenty of sunlight has been distributed evenly over your hat, presoak it in cold water possibly with a bleach solution (color safe if your hat has colors in it) and then machine wash it with warm water and detergent.
Lemon juice and salt in cold water has also been used with colored fabrics, as well as a vinegar solution to aid in smell removal.
Hang your hat in the sun again to dry.

The hat may or may not still have stains but the mold and dangerous spores will be gone. If stains persist, try washing the garment again.

Joslyn from the MoldBlogger team

How do you remove mold from a life jacket?

Joslyn — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 23:49:25 +0000

There are 5 steps that can be followed to remove mold from hats:

Depending on the material, first scrape the mold from the jacket outside to prevent mold spores spreading in your home.
Allow the jacket to sun dry for a while preferrably on the clothes line so the jacket receives sunlight evenly. Many mold spores can be killed just by direct sunlight.
Soak the jacket in cold water possibly with bleach if you want, (color safe for colors) and then machine wash in warm water with detergent.
Lemon juice and salt in cold water has also been used with colored fabrics, as well as a vinegar solution to aid in smell removal.
Allow the jacket to sun dry.

The jacket may or may not still have stains but the mold and dangerous spores will be gone. If stains persist, try washing the garment again.

Joslyn from the MoldBlogger team