Topic: Mold Remediation For The Poor Who Must Do It Themselves?
Starphoenix
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 2402
posted
It's me again!
We live in a mobile home with the old cellulose ceiling panels that run from end to end of a room.
We have had a continual leak for years, and the cause has not been identified. The panels have been soaked. And the ceiling had been flooded before we moved in. It's actually wavy.
I wish I had realized what a problem this could be. I'm afraid it may have spread to the walls. We've had other ceiling and pressboard-floor leaks before, too. The ceiling panels are no longer made, and we've just covered the stains with Kilz. It's definitely a "sick building".
The major issue is in the master bathroom. And everytime I get into bed, my nose stuffs up, and I have other issues, too, including frequent headaches. There has been significant leaking in the bedroom, too, though it is no longer ongoing. My husband has major sinus problems, even with vomiting.
We are just above the poverty level, so we don't qualify for aid of various kinds. We have no savings, and we live hand to mouth.
We can't afford to hire professionals to deal with this, and we can't replace the ceiling anyway until next spring.
When we can get to it, I don't know how my husband is going to rip all this out without causing an even bigger problem. And in the meantime, it's continually dangerous.
I know I can't be the only person with this problem in a poor financial state.
Do you have any helpful suggestions? The house is such a disaster in many ways, but if we just abandoned it and went to an apartment, we'd face similar problems of this nature. We've been there before. When you have few resources, you can end up in some very dicey situations.
Thanks in advance for any help you might provide.
Love to all my fellow Lymies, Starry
-------------------- Learning to love, and loving to learn. Posts: 1318 | From Shohola, PA | Registered: Apr 2002
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Carol in PA
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 5338
posted
I'm no expert on mold, but the first thing that comes to mind is a dehumidifier.
Our basement is damp when it rains, and has no ventilation. I had to throw out almost everything that I had stored, as cloth, paper, cardboard all were mildewed.
After we got a decent dehumidifier, the change was amazing. The moldy smell dissipated, the inside walls dried out.
Another idea is a salt inhaler/pipe. This is salt crystals in a tube. You inhale air that flows through the salt, picking up salt ions. This reduces inflammation in the lungs and kills bacteria.
This vendor is in U.K., so shipping time is two weeks. You can look at eBay for "salt inhaler" to find vendors in the U.S.
Carol
Posts: 6947 | From Lancaster, PA | Registered: Feb 2004
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blinkie
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 14470
posted
WE just went through something similar and had a mold remediator to our house (2 of them actually).
One thing you can do, though it's a little sneaky, is call a remediator out to take a look and explain to you how they would clean it up safely? Then, tell them at the end, that you are financially unable to do a professional remediation, do they have any tips for DIY?
What you will need to do is hang sheets of plastic up on the floor and walls, leaving only the moldy parts accessable.
You will need to have forced air ventilation (negative pressure is what they call it). You can probably figure out how to do this online or from the remediator. They told us how but I can;t remember.
Your hubby must wear a proper respirator with cartridges during the entire process and a full body suit(you can buy that cheap at the hardware store).
You must spray mold killer on any mold that is visible and have plenty of large garbage bags to immediatly place moldy items into the bags and seal them up.
We were told that if there is mold on parts that cannot be replaced, like framing, that you spray it with mold killer as per directions, then do it again. Then rebuild as usual once it has dried completely. You must not try to remove the mold in that case. Disturbing it, will release it into the air. When spores attach to a surface, they can regrow.
Remove all plastic and other items and discard in bags. Nothing can be reused, even the ventilation system (we had to throw away a purifier and shop vac).
This is the next best thing to a professional. We had no problems and I'm breathing better since removing a moldy bathroom vanity.
Posts: 1104 | From N.California | Registered: Jan 2008
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Starphoenix
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 2402
posted
Carol: We have a dehumidifier running now. We haven't always run one. Actually, for much of the year, the room itself isn't too humid. We have a hydrometer in there. However, if I put it by the ceiling where the active leak remains, it climbs to dangerous levels.
I never heard of that salt pipe. Hmm. I use saline spray.
Thanks so much for your help!
Blinkie: (Love the name!) I deeply appreciate this wealth of knowledge! I'm sorry you had to go through this. I copied it to my email draft file so I could print it and keep it for reference. Thank you very much!
Starry
-------------------- Learning to love, and loving to learn. Posts: 1318 | From Shohola, PA | Registered: Apr 2002
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nefferdun
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 20157
posted
Have someone healthy do this work for you. Don't do it yourself. Cover your furniture and carpet with plastic, remove your clothes and let it air out for as long as possible before you move back in.
Good luck.
-------------------- old joke: idiopathic means the patient is pathological and the the doctor is an idiot Posts: 4676 | From western Montana | Registered: Apr 2009
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posted
Try this. Get an ozone generator, even just a cheap one on Ebay. Close everything up, turn it on, and let it run all day. Come home, open up all the windows and doors, and see if that helps. I got rid of a moldy smell in one of my rooms that was like that from the time I bought my place. I just couldn't get rid of the smell until I did that.
Keep in mind that ozone can damage the lungs. That's why you can't stay in the place while doing this. When I re-entered the room, I held my breath and ran to open the window to the room. Then go back out for a while to let it air out, or turn on a fan to help move the air out. A little ozone won't hurt you, but you don't want to get a lot.
Patti
Posts: 975 | From California | Registered: Apr 2007
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posted
For what it's worth - not sure how far you can get with this remedy, but I guess it's worth a try -
TKO Orange, also sold as Orange Guard in healthfood stores and hardware stores, is an essential oil derived from oranges and it has a lot of uses.
One use is as an anti-mold spray. I have cleared out easy mold where I live by spraying moldy walls and then wiping them off.
Put a couple drops in a spray bottle, fill with water and spray away. The smell clears out in about a half hour.
Posts: 13116 | From San Francisco | Registered: May 2006
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Starphoenix
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 2402
posted
Thanks so much!
We can't afford to leave while work is done. And I think we're gonna have to do it ourselves. We have to wait until spring (after tax refund). Then, my hubby will try to seal off the room as best he can. He can use a respirator and the suit. The panels will end up having to be broken up into pieces, so a lot of mold, dust, and dead bugs will be released. Hopefully, he can cover the floor well.
I think I used Orange Guard for something once. Sounds like a good idea!
-------------------- Learning to love, and loving to learn. Posts: 1318 | From Shohola, PA | Registered: Apr 2002
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posted
Concorbium Mold Control is a product that when you spray the surface seals killing mold underneath it leaving a paintable surface.
That is their claim. Sold at Home Depot. thi of course is not appropriate for damaged wall and ceilings. However, since mold i a constant and it is a matter of managing it, it may come in handy down the road or for less severe areas.
Last summer I had mold problems and that s how I found it. I also found a mold abatement specialist online who explained how the DIY could do it seeing as how it is expensive to have a specialist do it. Sorry but I cannot find the link. :-(
See if you can find a friend with HEPA filters on vacuum cleaner...it will block mold spores. The right vac (like Kirby) can be dimantled after and washed. Not th e motor but that is protected by the filter.
Shop vacs will spread it around. You may have to pay them for the bags since they run about $3 a piece but worth it! Manages the air quality during the project. Do your whole house with it too.
Also HEPA air filter which you may be able to rent.
-------------------- Not everything in life that can be counted counts and not every thing that counts can be counted...Albert Einstein Posts: 208 | From Northeast | Registered: Aug 2010
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Starphoenix
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 2402
posted
Thanks so much! We can't buy another vacuum now, though. Yikes. I don't know how to do this. I have to do more research.
I ordered a book about mold control for homeowners. It does discuss remediation in there, but I don't know to what extent.
-------------------- Learning to love, and loving to learn. Posts: 1318 | From Shohola, PA | Registered: Apr 2002
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