Mold

[Becky Davis]

I have a problem with mildew mold in the corners of my rooms. Any corner that I have furniture in gets mold on the baseboards. I figure it has to do with air circulation, but why is there this much moisture in the air? Can I do anything to stop it? Is it because of water under the house or is it just because it has rained so much the past several months?
I hate it. I spray them with bleach, but am wondering if this is the kind of mold that makes people sick?

[jf501]

Becky, first I would get a de-humidifier!

Make sure your foundation vents are open, they should be little opennings in the walls of your foundation. If you don't have any I would get some installed.

also if you have a crawl space under your house have someone install a plastic vapor barrier.

Last but not least; make sure the drainage from your gutters and ground runoff are directed away from your foundation, this will help with more then mold problems, it will keep your foundation in place and soil from eroding away.

Hope this helps!!!!

[montelinn]

If you have water under the house you need to get rid of it. I believe a "French Drain" is what it is called. Basically dig a whole and put a barrel with a sensor activated pump, at the lowest point under the house. I don't mean to scare anyone but the second leading cause of lung cancer is mold in houses. Just ask Cuz(a.k.a. "The Man") about problems with mold and mildew. One of the largest problems facing the post hurricane Fla.

[Jeff Jeans]

Toxic mold can be a dangerous thing. It is impossible to tell if you have a problem unless you have a certified professional do a test for you. I recommend Monty Selersby, his wife has relatives here in town so he comes this way often. Monty's phone number is 417-773-2914 or 417-742-1173. The test is resonable, but remediation can be expensive. Symtoms include headaches for some. If you need further assistance please contact me at Re/Max. Thanks, Jeff Jeans Broker/Owner

[Becky Davis]

Oh Balloonhead, thank you so much, but I am in Hot Springs..

[Jeff Jeans]

Monty travels a multi-state area, he is used by numerous insurance companies. If he doesn't come to Hot Springs, he can recommend a competent substitute. Look for my real estate column to tackle mold in a future Citizen.

[LR722XX]

Becky,
Make sure you're not using unvented gas space heaters or vent-free gas logs. Those can dump about 1 quart of moisture into the air per hour!

Make sure you run exhaust fans when cooking or showering.

The suggestions to get rid of water and lower humidity under the house are important. The ground under there should be completely covered with thick plastic. Overlap all seams about a foot or so and seal the seams with caulk or liquid nails. Run the plastic up the foundation about a foot high and seal the plastic there, too. This will stop gallons of water a day from evaporating into the air under the house, and eventually migrating into the living space.

Standing water should be eliminated by installing a sump pump and/or a french drain system.

[This message has been edited by LR722XX (edited 01-04-2005).]

[Jeff Jeans]

A vapor barrier is a good idea. It is also not a bad idea to sprinkle a small layer of lime dust over the barrier to help absorb moisture. Do not take these steps if toxic mold is present, it will only compound your problem. It can work its way into insultation and walls. If you seal it off, you are enclosing yourself with toxic materials. A rubber sealant is also good for the interior of your foundation. I have a contact for that also.

[This message has been edited by Balloonhead (edited 01-04-2005).]

[DaBee]

Found a lot of information at this site, Becky:
http://www.mold-help.org/
Thanks for mentioning this about mold as it has made my family and myself (2 different households) look at this as a possible cause for some of the strange ailments we've dealt with over the past couple of years. We'll be checking into it further.

[Becky Davis]

I do have the vented wall heaters. However, I have a space heater in the basement that I light in the very cold months of the winter that is not vented.
My gutter was stopped up and I cleaned that out. I have been noticing moisture under the house for about three months. It is normally pretty dry under there.
I am trying to figure this out, because I have been here for over two years and this problem seems to have just developed.
I will definitely put the plastic down. Maybe I should keep a fan running under there.
Have any of you noticed mold around your windows during the winter? Is this black mold? Are we talking about color here?
I know where a nice modern house is and has been sitting vacant for several years now. The reason is black mold. It is said to be all in the walls and the house is unlivable. I sure don't want a situation like that!

[Becky Davis]

I have ceiling fans in every room. As much as I hate them, I guess I will use them to keep the air circulating. Again, the problem is only behind furniture up against the wall, so it must have something to do with air circulating.
Also, I have a lot of plants in the house. Do they cause moisture? Could they be adding to the problem?
I will get a dehumidifier. I have always thought that moisture in the air was a good thing. I know some people who set out pans of water because the air is so dry in their house.
Dabee that is a good site. It answers a lot of questions. Gosh if wood from the rain forest is already moldy, some people are in trouble before they move in.
Also, the lady at the health food store, told me to never eat boxed cereal because it contains mold. Cooked cereals only.
I never knew it could be so deadly. Isn't penicillin mold?

[This message has been edited by Becky Davis (edited 01-05-2005).]

[Jeff Jeans]

Becky

Toxic mold can come in various colors, it is not always black. Is the water rising from under the ground, or is it possible that it is tricklingg in through some kind of opening? Mold can travel, and it's food is moisture. If there is enough moisture on the interior of your walls--what about inside them and your insulation? Please get a reputable certified professional to help you. They take samples with tape and send the tape off to a labratory. If positive they spray very deadly chemicals, bleach is only a very short term fix. Vapor barriers will only prevent a problem not repair an existing one. My wife had terrible headaches and starting going blind in one eye. I had no symptoms. Please take heed, don't want you to get ill. Also, you may try spraying grapefruit seed extract--again only a temporary help.

[Becky Davis]

I think it is a matter of rain water getting under the house and running down through the basement. It does not stand as it is all downhill, but I can see water marks on the dirt.
I do intend to tackle this problem. Now I am wondering if this is what caused all of us to get a respiratory infection a couple of months back. Because there was mold behind my bed that I did not know about. It is one of those tall high back beds...hard as heck to move. The mattress moves before the bed does. I bought several sets of rollers to put on the heavy furniture and some of those discs, so I can check it more often.

[PMilam]

This summer, I had 2 s-i-l's build a french drain for me. we put it about 6 ft. from the house, kind of snaked it, from the sidewalk to the final "pool".

First, they dug a trench, about 2 ft. deep, just the width of the shovel, then, laid landscape cloth inside there, and had it come up the sides, where we used those big hairpin looking things to hold it back. We put about a foot of washed gravel inside the landscape cloth, and then folded it over all the way down, and sealed the ends like a buritto.. it all runs into a bigger hole, about 4 ft. square, also filled with landscape cloth with a ft. of the same rock. After we secured the cloth, so that mud could not get in (as much as possible), we put a couple of inches of pea gravel on top of the whole "pipe", and then covered it back with sod, mounded up, to catch the water, and direct it to the cloth/rock "pipe'. The 'pool' is a little deeper than the pipe, and there has not been any problem with the water collecting there. It is out in the middle of the yard, covered, with grass growing on it.

If this sounds confusing, or if you want to see photos, to help get the idea, do a google search, there are lots of sites.. some are trying to sell you special drain pipe, but landscape cloth and rock is all you really need.. besides two young bucks.. or a trencher.
We lucked out, our neighbor has one, and Shane knows how to operate it, so we saved some back pain.

[This message has been edited by PMilam (edited 01-05-2005).]