Anyone know about mold?

[chayton]

I've been feeling strangely ill the last little while and I'm wondering if it's something to do with the house.

Last winter because there was such a pile of snow we had some problems with the roof, there was some ice build up and then it melted and ran down inside the walls - we actually had water pouring in through a couple of the window frames inside, especially in my office where I spend most of my time. I'm not talking about a cupful of water either, we filled 3 or 4 15 gallon buckets full until we got the guys to come shovel all the snow off the roof.

Over the summer, the plan was to fix the roof and then rip down the interior walls and replace insulation and window frames etc, but unfortunately we just didn't have the money and weren't able to get it done before winter came again.

There's no visible mold on the wall inside, but I'm wondering if there might be some inside and that's what's making me sick...?

I'm wondering if anyone has any experience with this, if so how did you feel and what did you do?

Right now there's nothing we can do as far as repairs, it's still winter and we still got no cash anyhow, but I'm hoping there's something that will help until we can get it done. Maybe an air cleaner?

 

[Mousey]

Could be mold where you can't see it. Use a DEhumidifier if the humidity in your house is too high. Open up doors and windows when the weather is nice and warm and low humidity. Try a hepa air cleaner and extra prefilters and keep the filters clean. Having said all that. The only true remedy is repairs. And remember that it may happen again with the next heavy snow.

Is your house on a slab or have crawlspace? Crawlspace can sometimes hold water, too ... expecially with this wet winter we had.

You might want to try one of these new all day allergy pills. Sometimes helps for those allergic to mold.

Another thought... do you use gas heat? I strongly recommend a carbon monoxide detector. Central gas heating units can develop cracks in the heat exchanger that can release carbon monoxide into the house. Small amounts over a long period of time can make you sick. Even wall 'infrared' gas heaters can release carbon monoxide if not properly maintained, and if the house is 'too' well sealed. A bit of ventilation (open a window a crack if necessary) is always good.

Oh... and I've worked the office at a small heating and air company for something like 20 years... so yeah.... sometimes we see mold... LOL

Good luck.

 

[JAMES50]

Mold needs,,,moisture,,Something to eat(drywall etc,and heat and or humidity..considering you say gallons of water,,,,I would say yes or there will be....(Florida Air conditioning contractor)

 

[silcnlayc]

Could be mold where you can't see it. Use a DEhumidifier if the humidity in your house is too high. Open up doors and windows when the weather is nice and warm and low humidity. Try a hepa air cleaner and extra prefilters and keep the filters clean. Having said all that. The only true remedy is repairs. And remember that it may happen again with the next heavy snow.

Is your house on a slab or have crawlspace? Crawlspace can sometimes hold water, too ... expecially with this wet winter we had.

You might want to try one of these new all day allergy pills. Sometimes helps for those allergic to mold.

Another thought... do you use gas heat? I strongly recommend a carbon monoxide detector. Central gas heating units can develop cracks in the heat exchanger that can release carbon monoxide into the house. Small amounts over a long period of time can make you sick. Even wall 'infrared' gas heaters can release carbon monoxide if not properly maintained, and if the house is 'too' well sealed. A bit of ventilation (open a window a crack if necessary) is always good.

Oh... and I've worked the office at a small heating and air company for something like 20 years... so yeah.... sometimes we see mold... LOL

Good luck.

Lot of great info here to check out. Mousey said most of what is. The one thing though is the type of mold or mildew. Black mold is the stuff to worry about that has spores. Bleach will usually do the trick on most mold and mildew. If you get an air tester, this will tell you if you have the spores in the house and in what areas. Mildew and mold are always being confused because they look so much alike except for the spores which is extremely unhealthy.

(Realtor for 30 years and many lead and mold encapsalations later)

.

 

[Mousey]

Chayton you didn't mention your symptoms. Chronic respiratory problems (chronic allergy symptoms, repeated sinus and ear infections, asthma, wheezing, bronchitis, shortness of breath) out of your norm are usually what shows up with mold.

But you really need to do those repairs regardless, hon.

side comment: Hello James heating and air in Florida man. Hope your business is holding up better than ours. It's been slooooooow.....

 

[JAMES50]

The mildest winter I have seen in Florida in the 21 years I've been in the biz..But I suspect the summer will be off the chain $$$

 

[chayton]

Chayton you didn't mention your symptoms.

Been having lots of sinusy type problems, headaches, sore glands, achy joints - almost feels like I'm coming down with a cold but never happens - also the last couple months I'm getting these weird rashes on my face and neck, and I feel kinda queasy and dizzy most of the time, my vision is blurry - oh yeah and I'm so bloody tired all the time, I'm not getting anything accomplished. And probably unrelated, last week I got this twitch in my eyelid that just won't go away, it's driving me bonkers.

Good idea about the allergy meds, I'll see if that helps. I might go to the doc and get some tests done - in the meantime buy some lottery tickets so we can get all this sh*t fixed. And yes we do have a gas furnace - it's ancient too and is the next on the list to be replaced.

sigh. Maybe a new house would be cheaper.

 

[Tirilej]

Been having lots of sinusy type problems, headaches, sore glands, achy joints - almost feels like I'm coming down with a cold but never happens - also the last couple months I'm getting these weird rashes on my face and neck, and I feel kinda queasy and dizzy most of the time, my vision is blurry - oh yeah and I'm so bloody tired all the time, I'm not getting anything accomplished. And probably unrelated, last week I got this twitch in my eyelid that just won't go away, it's driving me bonkers.

Good idea about the allergy meds, I'll see if that helps. I might go to the doc and get some tests done - in the meantime buy some lottery tickets so we can get all this sh*t fixed. And yes we do have a gas furnace - it's ancient too and is the next on the list to be replaced.

sigh. Maybe a new house would be cheaper.

Mold is causing those symptoms, not because you are allergic to mold, but because it's not healthy.
You could be that too of course, and in that case the medicin will help you out a little, but if I were you I would try stay somewhere else for a week just to see if you will get better.
It's severe sympthoms you have and nothing to gamble with.
I hope you will be able to fix your problems, and that you will feel better. I'm allergic to a lot of things and sick most of the time, not always knowing why, so I do know how you feel.

 

[Mousey]

Kind of a derail... but then again... not... (you know me... I always have a story... LOL)

Years ago when we used to go to Tunica casinos and stay at the GoldStrike, I'd start coming down with (what we eventually came to call) The Tunica Crud just before we headed home. By the time we were home a few days, I'd be all chugged up, head and chest... coughing my brains out, wheezing, feverish. I'd always have to go to the doc for a shot and a sackful of meds. If I didn't get meds soon after I got home I'd end up with pneumonia. Every time.

Other friends who did the Tunica thing would say, well, it's just because it's the south and it's humid and muggy and blah blah blah. Honey, I'd say, I LIVE in the south. Our weather is the same as Tunica. Something is wrong at the GoldStrike. So... as the lighting was really really crappy in the rooms (it's much better now) I took a flashlight with me on what was to be our last trip to the GS for a few years. Mold... mildew.... on the underside of the chairs... under the chair cushions... corners, on the back side of the drapes near the a/c return.... heaven only knows what the air conditioning duct work looked like. gaaaaaahhhh... And they promoted themselves as a high class joint. Yeah, right....

And yes, I did tell their front desk people. I filled out a customer comment card. Got the old 'it's the south, it's humid, blah blah blah'.... I let them know I LIVE in the frickin' south, and I also know enough about air conditioning to know their systems for the rooms weren't doing what they were supposed to do. Anyway... we made Sam's Town our 'home' for a couple of years till hubby got sick and we didn't go at all for awhile. (Strangely enough, Sam's Town didn't have the obvious mold/mildew problem.)

During the years we couldn't get away for a gambling trip, the GoldStrike was totally remodeled. New carpet, drapes, furniture, bedding... (I would like to have seen what the underside of the carpets looked like when they pulled them up. yeck!) The rooms are fresh and clean, no sign of mildew, no damp carpet. I am assuming they upgraded, or at least did some much needed maintenance on, their a/c systems. Our clothing doesn't smell like swamp water when we pull them from the suitcases when we get home. And I did not get sick immediately after we came home these last couple of trips.

Anyway... what I'm getting at... as silc said, mold can be very dangerous. At the very least, it is unhealthy. And mildew ain't too good either. LOL Just because you don't see it, doesn't mean it isn't there.

 

[chayton]

When I was in Phoenix we moved into a house that had been vacant for a couple of months. The previous tenants had cleaned up a bit, but they took their stuff out of the fridge, then unplugged it and closed the door. The first day we moved in, I had to clean the mold that was growing in it - it was in all the rubber seal thingies on the doors - it was pretty gross.

Anyhow, I had no idea it was dangerous, I didn't even use rubber gloves. Shortly after that I got really sick, I went to the doctor and told him I thought I was being poisoned, he did some tests and asked me some stuff, and asked if I had come into contact with any mold. I told him the fridge story and he gave me a shot of something and some pills and then some claritin and within a few days I felt a lot better.

But ever since then I've been really sensitive to mold - if I'm surprised by it (trying to figure out what's in that sealed container in the fridge) and get a whiff, it makes me almost throw up - and that's not even the 'bad' mold. There was a secondhand bookstore I used to go to all the time here and one day I went and almost fainted. I tried going back and every time I walked in I got really dizzy and lightheaded and nauseous - turns out they had a roof leak and a lot of water poured down behind the books - they said they'd thrown out all the water damaged books, but I couldn't go in there anymore, it made me physically sick.

As for moving out, I'd love to take a week long trip to somewhere nicer!

 

[Tirilej]

Then you should have gone to the doctor yesterday, and you should have medication always already.
Typically women I would say, if I wasn't one myself

 

[nepatsfan01]

Been having lots of sinusy type problems, headaches, sore glands, achy joints - almost feels like I'm coming down with a cold but never happens - also the last couple months I'm getting these weird rashes on my face and neck, and I feel kinda queasy and dizzy most of the time, my vision is blurry - oh yeah and I'm so bloody tired all the time, I'm not getting anything accomplished. And probably unrelated, last week I got this twitch in my eyelid that just won't go away, it's driving me bonkers.

Good idea about the allergy meds, I'll see if that helps. I might go to the doc and get some tests done - in the meantime buy some lottery tickets so we can get all this sh*t fixed. And yes we do have a gas furnace - it's ancient too and is the next on the list to be replaced.

sigh. Maybe a new house would be cheaper.

My husband is a mold restoration manager - meaning, he's the guy that comes out and checks/cleans the mold. I spoke with him about it and he would wager to say that absolutely there is mold within the sheetrock and cavities of the wall. In fact he said, and I quote, "there is no way it wouldn't be mold". What you may not know, and what many people don't realize is that it is all covered by home insurance less the deductible. So even if it's thousands in damages (which is what mold cleanup costs) you only have to pay the deductible. So hopefully yours isn't too high? The symptoms you are experiencing can be mold related but you may want to go have a physical as well, just in case.

I don't mean to scare you, but with all of that water coming in, you probably have more mold than you can even possibly realize and it needs to be handled ASAP...

 

[butterflyboogie]

Back about 10 years ago I lived in a rustic nice looking home in the country. From the moment I moved in I became sick. It started out like a sinus infection, but I kept getting sicker and sicker. I had headaches, dizziness, honestly felt like I was getting the flu. Anyway, one morning I woke up and my chest felt weird; it felt like heat going through my chest, down my arms, etc. I said I knew what a hotdog felt like being microwaved. I wound up at the Dr with some bad respiratory thing that lasted 3 or more weeks. I went and stayed with a friend and started getting better but when I returned home I started getting sick again. I moved out within 2 weeks and got better. Come to find out the rustic house was made from wood from a 100 year old barn. The Dr said there was no telling what kind of mold and spores were in that wood. I believe that house would have killed me if I hadn't of moved. To this day anytime I get sick it view straight to my chest. That was a bad place. Get that checked put and fixed soon!

 

[butterflyboogie]

Sorry about my typing at the end, I'm using a smart phone...makes me sound dumb..lol. I was saying every time I get sick it goes straight to my chest. Anyway....get that fixed soon.

 

[dandan]

Hey Chayton

Sorry to hear of your problems. And yes most moulds are bad. We get lots here in Queensland Aus because it's so humid and warm... it even grows on glass!

Best thing to do is use white vinegar... lots of it... to swab affected areas. Then try to dry out the area as much as possible.

Then sprinkle... or dust... bicarb of soda. It absorbs moisture.... and odours. I have a jar of it in my fridge.

Vinegar being very acidic will make mould lyse (die)... and the bicarb will prevent it growing back as it's highly base as well as removing the smell.

Good luck!

 

[Seventh777]

Some great advice here, in my line of work we face this a lot, industrial strength bleach will do the trick, also, move the furniture in the room/rooms where you think it will be, and there it will be, behind wardrobes chests of drawers etc, no matter how cold it gets, rooms need to breath, condensation is a huge benefactor here, the bacteria in the fluid as it runs down the walls gets left behind and so it begins, vents in windows and air bricks etc are a must have, those rooms need a good circulation, imagine how much condensation is caused in hot rooms with no or poor ventilation, the moisture in the air turns to steam and has nowhere to go but down the walls.

Prevention is better than cure hun, you need both .

 

[dandan]

Also good advice seventh777... but mould is mould... not a bacteria

And bleach... industrial strength will add to the problem. The fumes... plus it whitens the mould and won't show where the little critters are still thriving. Plus it can damage paint work etc.

Too right about ventilation tho... some fans shoved up in the ceiling? And near walls too?

 

[Seventh777]

Also good advice seventh777... but mould is mould... not a bacteria

And bleach... industrial strength will add to the problem. The fumes... plus it whitens the mould and won't show where the little critters are still thriving. Plus it can damage paint work etc.

Too right about ventilation tho... some fans shoved up in the ceiling? And near walls too?

I`m going to be Captain pedantic here lol, I didn`t say mould was bacteria,

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they work very much hand in hand, by the way I am a renovator and specialise in interior and exterior decorating, bleach will destroy mould and prevent it from reappearing, treat it and leave it for a few days, if people are using paint that gets stripped off walls by bleach I would hate to see their kitchens, bathrooms etc lol (a lesson here people, there is no such thing as cheap paint.

We use a more industrial strength version of stuff like this ....

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[chayton]

Today (unless it snows again) I'll throw all the windows open and get some fresh air in here. Even if it does snow I'll open the windows a crack. Yesterday we had to go out and do some stuff, we were gone most of the day and I wasn't feeling too bad, but was home for an hour and I got really tired and had to go to bed - at 9pm! Ray's going to contact the insurance company and see what they say too, thanks for the tip on that. And I think we'll either pick up a mold test kit or maybe shop around to see if we can get it tested.

In the meantime though, I'll get to the doctor and open the windows and take my allergy stuff and try to do some vacuuming and cleanup. I've got some 'concrobium' (sp?) that I use in the bathroom (another problem, there's no vent in the bathroom upstairs, it's that weird? Old houses....) But in my office on the outside wall where the leak was there's no visible mold, if it's there it would be inside the wall behind the drywall, so I'm not sure if there's anything I can do there. Except dousing it with gasoline and setting it on fire.

 

[dandan]

lolol... yes bleach can be a bugger on paint work!!! I have a shower screen with an aluminium frame that had Domestos poored on it to kill mould in the shower recess and the metal is screwed!!!

My mistake re your mention of bacteria. You right tho... they one and the same as far as the little so and so's work!

If you have a place to go for awhile then yep! use bleach. Just suggesting more natural alternatives. Bicarb of soda is highly base like bleach but with less of an effect on health.

 

[dandan]

Oh chayton you poor dear... dont do that!!! Though it would solve your mould problem

 

[Seventh777]

Today (unless it snows again) I'll throw all the windows open and get some fresh air in here. Even if it does snow I'll open the windows a crack. Yesterday we had to go out and do some stuff, we were gone most of the day and I wasn't feeling too bad, but was home for an hour and I got really tired and had to go to bed - at 9pm! Ray's going to contact the insurance company and see what they say too, thanks for the tip on that. And I think we'll either pick up a mold test kit or maybe shop around to see if we can get it tested.

In the meantime though, I'll get to the doctor and open the windows and take my allergy stuff and try to do some vacuuming and cleanup. I've got some 'concrobium' (sp?) that I use in the bathroom (another problem, there's no vent in the bathroom upstairs, it's that weird? Old houses....) But in my office on the outside wall where the leak was there's no visible mold, if it's there it would be inside the wall behind the drywall, so I'm not sure if there's anything I can do there. Except dousing it with gasoline and setting it on fire.

Don`t confuse rising damp with mould hun, theoretically it is the same but rising damp will only affect the ground floors upto a metre high, mould is caused internally, you need an extractor fan in the bathroom that runs when the light is on, these are relatively cheap and easy to install, another good anti asthma approach would be to flea bomb the affected rooms, these kill a plethora of living things including dust mites, air bricks at ground level and breather vents in chimneys stacks (if you don`t still use them as natural heating), depending on what windows you have, there are mini vent fittings that will work with PVC and wood, what type of heating do you use hun?, if you are using a gas fired boiler heater or open plan gas fires I would get these checked for carbon monoxide readings, as much as your symptoms apply to respiratory problems brought about by a damp environment, these can also be caused by other circumstances, and let`s face it, your house is nigh on air proof, just a thought hun, but you are also showing symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning, not trying to freak you out, well yes, I am, get it checked out .

 

[dandan]

Try my solution.... tis all natural and what have you to lose? A few bottles of white vinegar and a couple of boxes of bicarb of soda.

As seventh777 said... some ventilation even if a fan... and in the roof... or what do you call them? Attic?

Mould grows on surfaces. If you can fix the immediate problem of your internal walls, ceilings etc... you can work later on the house cavities later.

Vinegar doesn't whiten away the problem but it does kill the mould.

 

[chayton]

yeah someone mentioned that already....sigh. Yes it's gas heat and it's an old furnace. OLD. But opening windows should help with that too right?

 

[Seventh777]

lolol... yes bleach can be a bugger on paint work!!! I have a shower screen with an aluminium frame that had Domestos poored on it to kill mould in the shower recess and the metal is screwed!!!

My mistake re your mention of bacteria. You right tho... they one and the same as far as the little so and so's work!

If you have a place to go for awhile then yep! use bleach. Just suggesting more natural alternatives. Bicarb of soda is highly base like bleach but with less of an effect on health.

You have to be ruthless with intense mould it should be regarded as an infestation, some of the places we had to refurbish when we were doing council work a few years ago would make your skin crawl believe me, some of the walls where people used tumble dryers without venting the exhaust outlet, were alive, you could almost see it breathe lol, and the fumes were beyond disgusting, the "Mothers" of several young children crawling around these areas breathing the spores in completely unaware of it, the stench I suppose was unnoticeable when you live in the place 24/7/365 .

 

[Seventh777]

yeah someone mentioned that already....sigh. Yes it's gas heat and it's an old furnace. OLD. But opening windows should help with that too right?

No hunny not at all, you need directional draft that enters below the gas fire exhaust outlet that controls the flow up the chimney, opening windows is probably the worse thing you can do with an ill prepared flow outlet .

 

[dandan]

So we know mould thrives in damp places. In the bathroom as suggested by seventh you should install an exhaust fan.

Gas heaters and old furnaces are ok... again so long as you ventilate. How long have you been in this house? And when did your respiratory probs start?

 

[chayton]

So we know mould thrives in damp places. In the bathroom as suggested by seventh you should install an exhaust fan.

Gas heaters and old furnaces are ok... again so long as you ventilate. How long have you been in this house? And when did your respiratory probs start?

I've been here for about 7 years or so, but haven't really started feeling cruddy until just this last winter - and the last couple of months especially.

 

[dandan]

Well then it probably isn't related to your heating... and carbon monoxide!

If you have water inside your walls... as seventh777 said... it goes to the bottom first. Can you see any bulging in the walls?

If you have that then you need to get someone in to fix it. Not sure how that would be done though.

If you can see mould on the inside walls then do as I suggested.

Get the roof fixed!!! Plug something in there lolol at least to stop melting snow dripping down into cavities.

Can you smell mould?

Any major events happened lately? Aside from this I mean? As often something traumatic triggers allergy like symtoms ... that you dont realise at the time.

 

[chayton]

The only other trauma I'm experiencing is that I LOSE everywhere I play. Seriously I'm cursed I think. Time to quit doing this and save my money to get the roof fixed dammit.

 

[Luckylizzy]

I'm scared to own a home because of exactly what you are going through. It's so easy to live in an apartment where you can just call up maintenance to come and fix everything.

I hope the very next time you play you win enough to repair the roof If not, I guess it's time to save up.

Right now I'm saving up to get some dental work done. Just a little bit aside each paycheck is actually starting to add up!

 

[chayton]

When I was a teenager I worked as a waitress in the summers - I used to save all my $2 bills and stuff them in a jar. It got to the point where I didn't see $2 bills as money anymore, whenever I got them as tips or whatever, they'd go in the jar. Then at the end of the summer I'd cash them all in - it was surprising how much money I'd end up with!

Of course they quit making $2 bills and I've been broke ever since!