OT Mold Remediation

[wc1934]

Professional testing was conducted and high levels of aspergillus (fungus mold) was seen/discovered on a closet wall. The report showed that the air in 3 of the bedrooms had a high concentration as well, but nothing visual.

I have scheduled Service Master, a company who provides cleaning and restoration service to go over the "next steps".

Anyone here have any experience in this area? I am seeking ideas - what I should expect, questions to ask, cost, best removal methods, etc. etc.
Thanks.

[leftyfreak]

Sorry to hear that you're dealing with this! I've had my whole house and an outbuilding remediated...it's a long story, but I was diagnosed with a severe mold allergy, and the whole house remediation was an important step in getting me to feel better.

When I went through the whole saga, my doctor recommended Jeff May at May Indoor Air to do the inspection, and he was astounding in his thoroughness. I'll admit that it's been a number of years since I've been in touch with Jeff, so it's possible that he has retired by now. However, if things are bad and someone in your house is having health issues as a result of the mold, Jeff is an incredible resource. He will both identify all the problem areas and create a plan for how to fix them.

The company that actually did the remediation work was RestorePro. If you're in the Boston area it might be worth checking in with them. They were quality--very careful with sealing off the areas where the were working and establishing negative air pressure. They were well versed in best practices and ultimately got the house the point where I could feel healthy again.

The scope and cost of the work could vary widely. High levels of mold in multiple rooms could be an indicator of mold in the walls or attic, which would be a major problem. If you're lucky, you might just find mold on the back or undersides of furniture, which can be cleaned with hydrogen peroxide and then sealed with a diluted solution of white glue.

You may want to take a look at Jeff May's book, My House is Killing Me, as a way to educate yourself.

Good luck!

[MikeD]

I had it done in the kitchen. Insurance didn't cover it. The mold removal company was good but I had to hire separate contractors to make the repairs after the mold was removed.

What caused the mold? Gotta be a water leak somewhere, I would think. That is key to fix the problem to determine and fix the cause.

[cmg]

Look for the cause. is there plumbing behind the closet wall? if it's not a leak could be condensation on an bare cold water pipe. Is there any plumbing near where you found the mold? HVAC duct work near the area? Does the HVAC have insulation? cold air duct work will cause condensation. Mold needs humidity and stale air to develop.

[wc1934]

Originally Posted by cmg

Look for the cause. is there plumbing behind the closet wall? if it's not a leak could be condensation on an bare cold water pipe. Is there any plumbing near where you found the mold? HVAC duct work near the area? Does the HVAC have insulation? cold air duct work will cause condensation. Mold needs humidity and stale air to develop.

Yes exactly - the closet wall abuts the stall shower. I recently had that bathroom remodeled and there were no visible water stains etc. The guy performing the test did mention (before results were in) that the warm air from the shower, (coupled with the lack of circulation), a hitting the cold wall could cause condensation = Aspergillus. - UGH - what a nightmare!!!

[Dired]

Sounds like you're potentially getting taken for a ride by these mold remediation companies. Aspergillus is a common mold, and under normal conditions, it's often present in the air. It needs a food source and moisture to grow—so drying the area out and using a diluted Clorox solution can usually do the trick.

Professional mold remediation can be overblown, especially if you don't have visible mold or significant health symptoms linked to it. It’s worth considering if the service being sold to you is truly necessary or if the company is just cashing in on fear. I'd recommend getting a second opinion or even trying to DIY it if it’s manageable. Just make sure to identify any moisture issues to prevent regrowth.

[MikeD]

When I sold my old house (35 years ago), they found mold in the bathroom and gutted it (seems like they always find mold in the bathroom). No remediation company. Realtor took care of the contractor/work. I didn't think it was a big deal. Seems like it's much more of a big deal today, whether it's justified or not.

[wc1934]

Originally Posted by Dired

Sounds like you're potentially getting taken for a ride by these mold remediation companies. Aspergillus is a common mold, and under normal conditions, it's often present in the air. It needs a food source and moisture to grow—so drying the area out and using a diluted Clorox solution can usually do the trick.

Professional mold remediation can be overblown, especially if you don't have visible mold or significant health symptoms linked to it. It’s worth considering if the service being sold to you is truly necessary or if the company is just cashing in on fear. I'd recommend getting a second opinion or even trying to DIY it if it’s manageable. Just make sure to identify any moisture issues to prevent regrowth.

We do - immune suppressed household member - lung biopsy revealed aspergillus in the lung. Apparently this fungus doesn't effect most people, but it does if your immune system is compromised.

[stackie]

I posted about this a year or so ago.

https://forums.thepaceline.net/showthread.php?t=302330

The mold remediation companies are going talk a big game. They will 100% get any mold possibility removed. The question is how much is necessary. They can be very destructive and have a reputation for going overboard.

I felt like my situation was a disaster and almost bought into their pitch. I have a few friends that are contractors and warned me that they’d go overboard. I have another friend who is an industrial hygiene expert. I asked him to take a look. He came and evaluated and said I’d be fine to have a general contractor carefully remove affected drywall plus 12 inches and affected flooring plus 12 inches. One of my contractor friends did the work. I’m eternally grateful to him as he actually didn’t do original project as I was worried about souring a friendship over a project. He basically told me he wanted to help me after the nightmare of our original contractor.

So I basically demoed as much as I could myself using a respirator. Got countertop guys to come and remove the countertop. I pulled the cabinets doors and drawers out. The boxes were a loss. Then ran an industrial LGR dehumidifier in the crawl space for a couple months until the contractor could start. He did a very measured demo and showed me where the mold ended. Sanded mold off joists. We sprayed concrobium on the joists and both sides of subfloor and the wall studs. Then put things back together.

It’s the not been six months and tbh any areas where the mold was have been covered up now. I’m pretty happy off the way it went and I do feel like it was done adequately and there wasn’t unnecessary destruction.

Just food for thought.

Jon

[cmg]

So is the back of the shower room insulated. does the room have an exhaust fan to move humidity to the outside? Did wall adjacent to the closet get waterproofing behind the tile? You may be forced to redo the shower room.

[Dired]

Originally Posted by wc1934

We do - immune suppressed household member - lung biopsy revealed aspergillus in the lung. Apparently this fungus doesn't effect most people, but it does if your immune system is compromised.

I'm very sorry to hear that - but that doesn't change the approach. You don't actually need a contractor unless there is a written scope from a third party like insurance and/or you need an air clearance test. Fix the leak, clean it up, and keep it dry. If you don't perform demo/exploratory work and the water intrusion is small enough, you may be able to get the area sufficiently dry with a dehumidifier and the mold won't come back if its clean/dry. But keep in mind that the mold spores are always there and all they need is a food source to return.