Yes I still Smoke Cigarettes and I am addicted to the smoking habit - support and chat thread.

[ShariR]

Got half the kitchen ceiling down and pulled out insulation. There is mold up there on the beams and some of the other wood. Not sure how far back it goes yet. The wall has not come down yet; we know there will be mold back there. Not sure if I should trust this contractor (and friend of DH). He left it open to the kitchen to air out per what DH wanted. I do not know if it is safe to stay in here or try to cook in this kitchen. DH is yelling at me that it is fine.

Don't know if I should even look up mold on Google. I know that when I see it found on the Home Improvement shows they bring in Hazmat teams to clean it up. Oh boy. It is just spots of mold going down a couple of boards and then an area that looks like it is worse and more than spots. That is what I can see. Don't know what is not seeable yet.

 

[DoloresB]

Got half the kitchen ceiling down and pulled out insulation. There is mold up there on the beams and some of the other wood. Not sure how far back it goes yet. The wall has not come down yet; we know there will be mold back there. Not sure if I should trust this contractor (and friend of DH). He left it open to the kitchen to air out per what DH wanted. I do not know if it is safe to stay in here or try to cook in this kitchen. DH is yelling at me that it is fine.

Don't know if I should even look up mold on Google. I know that when I see it found on the Home Improvement shows they bring in Hazmat teams to clean it up. Oh boy. It is just spots of mold going down a couple of boards and then an area that looks like it is worse and more than spots. That is what I can see. Don't know what is not seeable yet.

Maybe you and your DH should read this:

A Brief Guide to Mold, Moisture, and Your Home | Mold and Moisture | US Environmental Protection Agency

I want you folks to be safe.

 

[ShariR]

Delores, you are always so good with finding those links to help. I type something in Google and get totally overwhelmed. Looks like I have some reading to do. Thank you.

Maybe you and your DH should read this:

A Brief Guide to Mold, Moisture, and Your Home | Mold and Moisture | US Environmental Protection Agency

I want you folks to be safe.

 

[DoloresB]

Glad I could be of assistance. Hope you find the answers you need there.

 

[alisa1970]

Got half the kitchen ceiling down and pulled out insulation. There is mold up there on the beams and some of the other wood. Not sure how far back it goes yet. The wall has not come down yet; we know there will be mold back there. Not sure if I should trust this contractor (and friend of DH). He left it open to the kitchen to air out per what DH wanted. I do not know if it is safe to stay in here or try to cook in this kitchen. DH is yelling at me that it is fine.

Don't know if I should even look up mold on Google. I know that when I see it found on the Home Improvement shows they bring in Hazmat teams to clean it up. Oh boy. It is just spots of mold going down a couple of boards and then an area that looks like it is worse and more than spots. That is what I can see. Don't know what is not seeable yet.

I live where mold is super common, inside and outside. I know they make a huge deal out of it, but I don't think it's really common for people to get deathly sick unless it's disturbed and really thick, honestly. Or if someone has pre-existing respiratory/immune problems and the mold has been disturbed. Most mold is not toxic, however it's not good--so if you want to take a bleach and water solution and spray down the beams it should kill the mold (wear a mask as the bleach is probably more harmful than the mold).

http://www.centraliaeoc.com/images/Mold_FAQ.pdf

 

[DoloresB]

That's a good article, Alisa. Thanks for sharing this. I know Shari need all the information she can get her hands on right now to keep her and her DH safe.

 

[ShariR]

I read the info on the link you gave me, Delores. I think we need to call a professional in. DH says no. We will stay here this weekend but I do not want that wall taken down until I find out more and if it is safe to stay in this house while this work is being done. Since the exposed mold is at the 9ft ceiling level, nothing is disturbing it now so I think we are ok for the weekend. (I hope)

 

[ShariR]

Alisa, that was very, VERY helpful. The contractor friend was planning on just painting over it with Killz. Now I am reading that that is not going to work. Hubby is being a PITA saying I do not know what I am talking about. I will make him read the article you provided.

So, from what I read, it does not look like the guys can just put Killz over the smaller area in the spare bedroom ceiling and wall, since there is a decent section that shows water came through it. Crap. Now I have to get my behind in there and pack up tons of books in that other 9 ft bookcase. I had thought they could work around it. I was wrong. Lots more work and rearranging to be done.

I live where mold is super common, inside and outside. I know they make a huge deal out of it, but I don't think it's really common for people to get deathly sick unless it's disturbed and really thick, honestly. Or if someone has pre-existing respiratory/immune problems and the mold has been disturbed. Most mold is not toxic, however it's not good--so if you want to take a bleach and water solution and spray down the beams it should kill the mold (wear a mask as the bleach is probably more harmful than the mold).

http://www.centraliaeoc.com/images/Mold_FAQ.pdf

 

[alisa1970]

Alisa, that was very, VERY helpful. The contractor friend was planning on just painting over it with Killz. Now I am reading that that is not going to work. Hubby is being a PITA saying I do not know what I am talking about. I will make him read the article you provided.

So, from what I read, it does not look like the guys can just put Killz over the smaller area in the spare bedroom ceiling and wall, since there is a decent section that shows water came through it. Crap. Now I have to get my behind in there and pack up tons of books in that other 9 ft bookcase. I had thought they could work around it. I was wrong. Lots more work and rearranging to be done.

Yes, that FAQ page is from the Centralia WA flood preparedness organization. We deal with a lot of water and wet stuff around here. Leave wet gardening gloves outside for 3 days and they're already spotted with mold. I'm not completely convinced that you need to scrape it if you've killed it, and the area will not get wet again. I would spray, scrub, and wipe down, and then paint with Killz when it's dry.

 

[DoloresB]

I'm glad you proceeding with caution on this, Shari. I just wish your DH would do the same. Getting a proper assessment of the amount of and type of mold now, while everything is pretty much exposed, will save you a visit from those nice young men in the HAZMAT suits coming in and condemning your home because it's unsafe of you, or anyone else, to live in.

 

[ShariR]

Delores, that is my reasoning too. Keep taking the walls and ceilings back until we KNOW there is no more signs of water damage. Who cares what a stupid piece of sheetrock costs. Hopefully his contractor buddy has the sense to follow my lead and do what is right. I am trying to make sure this does not come back up as an issue a few years down the road when we either have a problem or we decide to sell the house. I have to keep reminding hubby that he is not going to live forever.

I found this humorous today. The guys put a couple of layers of paper towels in the double sink to prevent stuff from going down the drain. I had forgotten that I have those little false front drawer thingys that fold out. I opened one of them for some reason. They both were full of water from when the pipe burst. Just sitting there with water in them since the 7th. Forgot they were there.

 

[Karen N Daytona]

I live in another area of the country that is always damp, My house got moldy from the leaks we had, we sprayed everything with bleach, wiped it down and used Killz when it was dry, no problem. That is the proper method, I don't think you have to do more than that. If it wasn't safe I would tell you to leave, if it was asbestos I would say go, fast don't let the door hit your ..... This is not anywhere near as dangerous. I think it's dangerous when there is asbestos and mold together.

 

[ShariR]

Whatever mold is up there has only been there since the 7th of January. I think we will be ok as long as we do the scrub down thing and take the walls and ceilings far enough back to clear it. I do not want it sealed up in there. I am just hoping it is not on the underside of the carpet upstairs, though I think we did ok there. We dried it out pretty quick through absorbing it up and then ran an industrial fan across it for several days. I see no water spots or anything coming through the underside of the wood and it was commercial carpet so I think we are ok up there.

Not sure about the attic area. I want them to check that before they start hanging sheetrock downstairs. I would have thought this friend that does this for a living and has built a couple of houses would be on top of this. He is getting paid so that should not be an issue.

 

[DoloresB]

But, Karen, it seems to me that the contractor "friend" that's involved with Shari and her DH is trying to gloss things over and make out like it's no big deal, when in fact it is, or can become one down the road. That's not a good thing to deal with.

Shari's right to proceed with caution on this, and find ALL of the areas that have mold damage, and get them cleaned up properly, despite her DH's protests. Hopefully this contractor "friend" will stand up and do the right thing, and actually take of the problem properly. I don't want to see them being screwed over now, or later.

 

[aikanae1]

Do a fast "mold" search on google. There has been trillions of lawsuits over mold. I'm not sure but it may even be declareable when you sell your home. But the dangerous mold is native in the soil around here. It may depend on the type of mold. I remember in W. Washington growing up with green mold on the inside of windows all the time. Here it's the black mold and that's very b-a-d. You can sue the previous owner/builder/developer for that.

Look up your county extension office and they should have a FAQ sheet on the mold in your area.

 

[alisa1970]

Do a fast "mold" search on google. There has been trillions of lawsuits over mold. I'm not sure but it may even be declareable when you sell your home. But the dangerous mold is native in the soil around here. It may depend on the type of mold. I remember in W. Washington growing up with green mold on the inside of windows all the time. Here it's the black mold and that's very b-a-d. You can sue the previous owner/builder/developer for that.

I think it's become a cash cow for ambulance chasers, actually. The hysteria over mold is probably exaggerated:

Black Mold: What's the Big Deal? | Buffalo Restoration
http://superiorrestore.blogspot.com/2013/02/are-molds-really-dangerous.html
The mold scare: Medical facts versus dubious myths - Houston Business Journal

That doesn't mean that in today's litigous environment, you should not be concerned about mold. It's not the mold, but the fear of not being able to sell the house or being sued for making one sick that is the problem.

 

[DoloresB]

But then again, some of the fear is well-founded. There have been cases of mold damage in houses in this country where the buyers were never told they were buying a former junk-house (one that was used to grow certain herbs, if you catch my drift). The mold that was found was particularly toxic, and could cost tens of thousands of dollars to clean up, or render a house unfit to live in if the damage was extensive (like completely throughout an attic).

 

[alisa1970]

But then again, some of the fear is well-founded. There have been cases of mold damage in houses in this country where the buyers were never told they were buying a former junk-house (one that was used to grow certain herbs, if you catch my drift). The mold that was found was particularly toxic, and can render a house unfit to live in.

Exaggerated, not unfounded. These cases are sensational because it's not as common as we are made to think. Mold is literally everywhere. Yes, it does damage, and yes, people can get sick from it, but it's not the public health threat it's been made to seem, IMO.

 

[aikanae1]

There is a very dangerous mold here. You do NOT work in the garden after a rain or in wet soil because that's when it blooms. It's very difficult to treat even with systemic anti-fungal agents because those don't reach the lungs very well. Anyone with fruit eating birds is aware of it. A couple of birds had it. They'd act like they were going nuts before they died, sometimes for a couple of years. I didn't believe it until I saw it. Confirmed on autopsy. Any mold here is that type because it's so dry we don't get the 'wet' molds.

 

[Karen N Daytona]

Delores, I didn't say the contractor was doing it correctly, I said that the way we did it was to wash it down with bleach, clean it up and then do Killz. Please reread the post. I just don't think it's a major problem since it has been caught and it just happened.

If the problem was ongoing and the mold was really bad, I might say to remove everything and go stay at the motel, if you mitigate damages early on, I just don't think it's dangerous.