I have black mold growing in my house?

Im renting and the the leasing office is only planning to replace one minor wall in our house. But once you have black mold doesnt it spread rapidly? We have had it for over a month (that I have known of) What are my options? I have noticed that everyone in my house has had day cold like sympotoms for a while now. How does one get rid of black mold? If my leasing office doesn't fix the entire problem what are my options? Any information on black mold will help Im in over my head here

Mold an be EXTREMELY dangerous. people have died in their sleep from mold spores growing in their homes and having a constant cold is just an early sign. i would demand that your leasing office do something about the problem immediately, there are a lot of tests than can check for mold. if they refuse- id say they could have a lawsuit on their hands. do a little research in your area about who could do some tests for you. good luck!

The mold does spread quickly & a cleaning team may need to come in & scrub the office down. The presence of black mold can cause serious respiratory problems. You should call your local Health Dept. & ask them for advice. Everyone's health may be at risk. Your landlord needs to find the origin of the mold & make sure it's all removed & necessary repairs have been made ASAP.

Get some hot, soapy water and mix some bleach in it. Wash the walls down. Then rinse with cooler water. This will slow it down for awhile. Make sure your windows are open and the rooms are dry as much as possible. Good ventilation and sunlight help to get rid of mould.

Hi,

If the mold is spreading try cleaning it off with a mixture of bicarb and washing up liquid from the wood, windows and doors. Open the windows and dry out the rooms. Take your leasing contract to an advice bureaus. Try to find out if there is a water spring near by, intermittent spring causes damp which appears at certain time and in certain rooms. It sounds like that your friends are getting a persistent respiratory infection which could lead to Bronchitis or asthma. A mold is a fungus infection so cleaning the walls and floor boards with a fungicide will help but you will need to get someone to identify it for you so you get the correct remedy to apply. Of course hygiene is very important keep everything clean and dry. Wash and dry your clothes in a separate place from your living room or bed room. please keep warm and exercise by walking this will help those who have a cold to feel that they are helping them selves to get well. If they get regular symptoms of congestion of the nose, eyes or mouth ulcers they should see a doctor as this could be a sign that they may be developing an allergy to the mold which needs to be treated before it takes hold. Ps: using bicarb to wash the wood work changes the acidicity level of the water and the bacteria don't like it, they die so they can be removed, its messy but necessary, don't use bleach as this removes the colour but when the room gets hot the mold dust rises and make the cold sysmptoms worse.

Mould can be cured by the following methods.
1) try and get to the source,and cure it from behind the source,by applying if you can with some smoke resistant paint as used when areas have been smoked damage.if outside apply some aluminium paint over the smoke paint,that will prevent moisture from penetrating further.
2)If it is due to moist air,very damp atmosphere in the affected areas,dehumidify for a few days.Then after a few days wash the affected area with a strong solution of bleach and hot water,wait 24 hours to dry.Important keep the area well ventilated with fresh air whilst washing,wear a mask,and wear rubber gloves also eye protection.It irritates the lungs and burns if some gets into the eyes.
3) when dry, use paint to coat the surface.If latex add about half a cup of bleach to a gallon of latex,stir well.Apply with roller or brush to the whole surface(ceiling/walls).When dry apply a second coat.
4) If it has been oil painted,apply the smoke retardent paint when there has been smoke damage.When dry apply, either latex or oil paint.You should have success.Good luck from one whom knows the problem well and years of experience in the field of decorating

The mold is very dangerous. You need to find the source of moisture that is allowing it to grow. for more info check out the indoor air quality page at my source.

Mold is caused by dampness. Before they replace the wall it is important to verify that the source of the dampness has been fixed, otherwise the problem may recur. Mold spreads by sending out microscopic spores and it is these spores that are causing your cold-like symptoms. The best thing to do is to rip out the section of the wall that has the mold (it is probably inside the wall too).

In the meantime, you can spray it with ordinary white vinegar. Do not dilute it. Vinegar is an acid and will kill 80% of all mold types. Do NOT use bleach, as bleacjh is ineffective in killing mold. While it may make the mold stain disappear, it will not kill the roots of the mold plant which hve penetrated the surface. The ion structure of bleach prevents in from penetrating porous surfaces. Since bleach is 95% water and only 5% bleach (sodium hypochlorite), the bulk of it, which is the water, WILL penetrate the surface and give the mold exactly what it wants to grow, which is water, while the bleach sits uselessly on the surface. Bleach is not a recommended remediation for mold.

Even better than vinegar is tea tree oil, which kills all fungus (mold is a fungus). Tea tree oil is fairly expensive and can be ordered online from a number of sources. You can inhale the vapor to help cure your respiratory problems due to the mold, and tea tree oil is also a good cure for toenail fungus, fleas in pets, and even can be used in a diluted form as a moutwash.

Hopefully the landlord will remove your moldy wall soon, but if you see any singns of mold anywhere, just hit it with a shot of vinegar.

Do NOT use bleach. Washing the walls with bleach and rinsing with water is completely the wrong thing to do as this will only encourage mold growth. Mold needs water, so giving it water is what you do not want to do.

move

I would call the health department,the city in which you live,the E.P.A. and any one else you can think of..and report what the leasing office told you ,, the mold has to be killed completely and inspected by a professional ...not a maintenance guy...(stand your ground on this problem),this is your health, you have the right to live in a safe and healthy environment ........... sometimes you gotta kick a little _ _ _!

This site sells EPA-approved products for removing mold and also has answers to mold-related questions:

http://www.traskresearch.com/mold.htm?so...

Hope this helps. (I am not associated with this company.)