Mold in walls due to water damage?
samra03 asked:
My apt. has some water damage on one of the walls, thanks to Hurricane Gustav. The maintenance man put a dehumidifier in my apt to suck out all the moisture. Mold started growing just a few days after the damage occurred, some of which is now black. He came and sprayed a can of something on the spots (he said this would kill any mold) and told me a painter would be by. My question is, should I be concerned about toxic mold in the walls? Should I recommend the apt. management take further steps, and if so, what? Thanks.
Black Mold
My apt. has some water damage on one of the walls, thanks to Hurricane Gustav. The maintenance man put a dehumidifier in my apt to suck out all the moisture. Mold started growing just a few days after the damage occurred, some of which is now black. He came and sprayed a can of something on the spots (he said this would kill any mold) and told me a painter would be by. My question is, should I be concerned about toxic mold in the walls? Should I recommend the apt. management take further steps, and if so, what? Thanks.
Black Mold
Related posts:
Black Mold
Call your state or county department of public health and have them take a look at it.
They will tell your landlord whether more needs to be done.
Usually if the mold already starts growing in the porous drywall it needs to be replaced.
Black Mold
It’s lipstick on a pig …with no reference to Sarah Palin …whom I like….. but personally I would request to have wallboard replaced; mold does not just form on one side.
Black Mold
It depends on how wet it was and for how long and what type (out of thousands) of mold it actually is. It’s actually very rare that mold in these situations is actually toxic and mold spores are everywhere. There’s a lot of hype on mold, mostly to generate a lot of extra gov’t jobs. If you’re that concerned, request that the management company get it tested and request that they give you a copy of the results. What you don’t know (I presume) is whether or not the mold is behind the wall cavity or not. That’s where I’d be most concerned because it could really take off behind the wall undetected. But again, the whole mold thing these days is WAY over dramatized – same with lead paint, asbestos and radon.
Black Mold
Hi.
Toxic mold grows in a no sunlight environment with a constant water source like from a leaking pipe. For instance; behind walls, ceilings, inside a/c units, basements, crawl spaces etc. If the mold is coming from the inside of the walls 99% its toxic mold, and everything that this mold is on must be replaced not cleaned. You can always call in a professional mold tester to know for sure if its in fact toxic mold.
Black Mold
If your renting, it’s the responsibility of the owner of the property to fix the problem. Mold and water damage is like an iceburg… you only see a very small part of it! You or the owner MUST find the source of the leak… water is coming in from the outside. It is not supposed to. Until THAT is fixed, painting (or lipstic) will be a waist of time and money. Believe me mold is deadly. I caught pnemonia and my dog almost died because of it. You have to DEMAND action, be persistent and make them show you in writing that the water leak and mold has been remediated. Oh, and do NOT sign anything… not even the work orders from work completed.