I did not know what it was at first, but I have been smelling mold in my apartment kitchen since moving in 2.5 years ago. Property management said it was the age of the cupboard and painted a sealer in the cupboard which seemed to help for a while but the smell came back. I thought the problem was solved when they changed the counter top last September, but with all the rain this spring, I started smelling it again in mid-May and not just in kitchen but on other side of wall in living room.
I called an environmental group who said it sounds like mold is growing in the wall. Notified property manager, but of course no response. Called Health Department who claims they don’t smell anything and said it has to be visible. Purchased a mold test kit and sent sample in for analysis. Shows three types of mold – alternaria, aureobasidium and cladosporium but spore count is not high because it is hidden. Can’t use AC because when I close window smell is worse and I am coughing. Even with all windows open, sometimes have to open balcony door. Smell is the worst early in the day while still cool.
Questions:
Is there any point pursuing this with Property Management or anything I can do or should I just move?
4 comments
Denise, I’ll let the folks with more experience weigh in on your options for working with property management or fighting the mold. In general, if you are having difficulty with mold and opportunity allows, then I would take the chance to move. If that’s not a feasible option for you right now, then we should look more closely at your other options.
Denise, please do some research on toxic mold exposure. This is very serious and if not taken care of ASAP you could be in for one of the worst nightmares of your life.
Hi Denise,
We are a mold remediation company in Ontario. There may be a way we can help. Our web site has a lot of useful information. http://www.mouldoff.com. We also have some videos on YouTube that may be useful for you to watch http://www.youtube.com/user/Mouldoff
Feel free to call us at 905-549-8144 to speak with one of our technicians.
All the best.
Hi Denise,
Perhaps we’re a bit late to the party, but I just wanted to build upon what others have said. Here are steps that you or anyone else who faces this problem in the future should take:
1) Call a professional mold removal agency to test, treat, and contain the problem.
2) Call your landlord if you are renting and ensure he/she takes action…you may be covered under your renter’s insurance if they do nothing. If you are a homeowner, contact your insurance company…you’ll find that most have policies that cover mold removal services. We run a business of this sort, and do a thorough examination of the entire property, to ensure the problem is not in more than one place…whomever you hire should do more than just look at the spot and give you a quote…make sure they are thorough!
3) Stay vigilant–that means doing a spot-check every now and then of areas where mold has been spotted in the past.
4) Stay educated: Jonathan has provided a great resource here for people with mold issues, which is really helpful for separating fact from fiction when it comes to mold problems.
If you, or others, have questions, do feel free to contact us for advice, toll free, at 1-877-837-0815 (or via our site http://www.moldinspectiontesting.ca
We know this is a scary time, but a good mold inspection company will help you through it and put your mind at ease.
Hope this helps!