Hello everyone…
Someone suggested this would be a good place to get help with this issue. We have a very scarey bit of mould/fungus growing in our cottage. It’s on a wall where there were problems last winter with moisture coming in. As you can see, the wall material is beadwood board, and it’s backed by insulation against a cedar exterior wall.
I’ll follow up with the appropriate specialists, but wondered if anyone can give me a sense of what I’m dealing with i.e. whether it might be really as scarey as it looks.
Replies
Yikes! I'd say you definitely have an alien infestation.
Actually, someone will likely be along soon with a real answer.
Forrest
First off - Welcome to Breaktime!
You mentioned a water leak. That will have to be eliminated. The mold itself, in small amounts, is relatively harmless. Don't go out of your way to ingest it or inhale it. Wet it and wipe it away. A dilute bleach solution will kill it and keep it from coming back for a while.
To prevent its recurrence you will need to address the moisture problem. Mold needs 4 things to flourish: a source of spores, moisture (as in a leak or high humidity/cold surface), food (which includes almost all plant based building materials) and a favorable temperature range (which exist everywhere in the temperate world, most of the time).
Mold is everywhere, in every breath you take, in every building you inhabit, so you cannot eliminate the source of spores. The mold spores stay.
Building materials are based on plants to some degree in most every building I have ever seen, and particularly so in houses. Can't realistically change the materials of construction of your home, so the food source stays.
While those of us with giant carbon footprints are trying to alter the climate, in terms of the conditions that would eliminate mold growth, even Al Gore can dream us there!
That leaves the moisture. Cure that problem and you have cure the problem.
As I understand it, some moulds you can clear away yourself, some are so toxic you need to get highly trained professionals to deal with it. I'm just wondering if anyone out there has a quick sense which type this may be.
I will, of course, get official word before I do anything, but that could take a while.
>>some moulds you can clear away yourself, some are so toxic you need to get highly trained professionals to deal with it.I haven't heard that in any of the several courses I've taken on the subject.I believe (but cannot prove) that variations in sensitivity among people is probably greater than variations in toxicity among molds.Note that the authoritative cites on residential mold cleanup (e.g., EPA) make no such assertion.
Remember Mary Dyer, a Christian Martyr (Thank you, Puritans) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_DyerMay your whole life become a response to the truth that you've always been loved, you are loved and you always will be loved" Rob Bell, Nooma, "Bullhorn"
Here's where I learned the little bit I know about it...
http://www.inspect-ny.com/sickhouse/MoldSafety.htm
I see he's calling his side a form of wikipedia.I've been reading his site for years.He has a lot of good info, but he also buys a lot of myths uncriticallyIMO, one should always double check his assertions
Remember Mary Dyer, a Christian Martyr (Thank you, Puritans) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_DyerMay your whole life become a response to the truth that you've always been loved, you are loved and you always will be loved" Rob Bell, Nooma, "Bullhorn"
>>Wet it and wipe it away. A dilute bleach solution will kill it and keep it from coming back for a while.The 'offical" type sites on residential cleanup have moved away from recommending bleach (mainly from the potential harm of breathing sprayed bleach droplets, I believe) and emphasize scrubbing with cleaners. I believe TSP based products are good.See, e.g., http://www.epa.gov/mold/moldguide.htmlHey.... Cool! EPA now has an on-line course: http://www.epa.gov/mold/moldcourse/chapter1/home.html
Remember Mary Dyer, a Christian Martyr (Thank you, Puritans) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_DyerMay your whole life become a response to the truth that you've always been loved, you are loved and you always will be loved" Rob Bell, Nooma, "Bullhorn"
Doesn't scare me.
That looks to be several different kinds of mold and fungus, together.
Very first thing you need to do is, you MUST get rid of the moisture problem, or nothing you do will make any difference.
That means stopping the moisture from getting into the wall, and also providing a way for what is there, to dry out...
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To deal with the problem in the pic...
Take whatever precautions you wish, to keep from breathing in any of the mold and fungus. Oridinary dust mask is probably enough, unless you are super sensitive.
As Bob said... I don't believe there is as much difference in "toxicity" in the molds, as there is difference in how sensitive different people are to them...
Leave the bleach under the sink, or in the laundry room. It may seem like a good idea, but it doesn't do much lasting good. And it is VERY easy to burn your sinuses, throat, eyes, etc... IOW I think the bleach is more dangerous to you, than the mold and fungus.
Scrape the mold/fungus off, and spray the entire area until completely sodden, with lysol. (a 50/50 solution of liquid lysol and water.)
Lysol actually does a better job of killing the mold, than bleach does. And the good it does, lasts multiples longer than the good that bleach does.
I have seen VERY bad mold killed and almost dissapeared without any wiping or cleaning, simply using a 50/50 solution of water, and liquid lysol, in a pump spray bottle, to wet the area down. And the area stayed clear of mold/mildew/fungus, for almost two years, before it was covered with a wall covering.
I have seen the very same mold, dealt with by using bleach. The area was washed down with a 50/50 solution of bleach and water. This means it was actually scrubbed. Then left sodden, and left to dry. The mold was back in less than 7 weeks...
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For your purpose,
Let the lysol dry on it's own.
Throroughly clean everything with TSP and HOT water.
Let dry.
Paint or spray with a good sealant.
Kilz or Binz is good.
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Thanks, everyone. This is a great help. We know where the moisture is coming from and how to fix it. And if the mold is something we can deal with ourselves, then I'm feeling much better about it. This is all part of a long, slow renovation project (8 years and counting), and it's discouraging when the problems start before you've even finished!