What would be some of the physical mold symptoms you would experience if your house had mold. I live in Florida and have had this terrible tickle and cough for 2 weeks and don’t know why.
Answer
Some symptoms of mold would be: shortness of breath, coughing, wheezing, chest tightness, being tired more easily than usual, and coughing material (sputum) out of your lungs. I recommend that you get your cough checked. I had one for a year and a half, now I have asthma in spite of moving.
To treat this, the normal way is to look at it as a chronic cough or asthma. You would likely be prescribed an inhaled steroid to reduce lung inflammation and possibly a bronchodilator like Albuterol/Salbutamol for chest tightness, coughing, or wheezing. Ending your exposure to mold is the best treatment.
Fixing the mold problem could be something minor like washing the surfaces in your home with diluted bleach or severe with major demolition and mold removal by professionals. Try to wear a mask when you know you will be exposed to mold. If you have a moldy bathroom, use another shower, if possible. Let the room dry out for a few weeks. Check the bathroom fan to make sure it is actually pulling air from the room to outside. Good ventilation in a room after cleaning it up can help reduce the amount of mold. Commercially available mold removal spray is useful for surface mold. In addition, paint with mold inhibiting chemicals in it can be a good option for repainted areas you know are prone to mold outbreaks.
When trying to isolate where the mold is, remember that mold needs wetness or dampness to grow. Bathrooms with poor ventilation, areas where the pipes are leaking, basements that need a sump pump or dehumidifier, and spots in the ceiling that are not insulated properly can encourage the growth of mold.
Filed under mold removal, remove mold by on Aug 5th, 2009. 1 Comment. 
we have just discovered mold under the carpets & walls in the bedroom. We are in the process of getting it removed, however I am due to have a baby next week & want to make sure that there are no mold spores that could be floating in the air in other rooms etc that could harm my newborn… How can I ensure that all the mold spores are not present when I bring the baby home… Please help 
Mr. Peabody
0.0.0.0
Mold can only grow if there’s moisture. Unless the moisture is eliminated, mold will continue to grow whenever the moisture is present. If there is mold in the walls, it’ll keep coming through the walls and floating in the air forever. However, the more contaminated material you can remove or clean, the better it is. But unless you are extremely careful, you will spread it around when you remove the carpet. You should google “how to remediate mold” before disturbing it. A popular saying in the business is: “a bad cleanup is worse than no cleanup at all.”
Also contrary to what everyone thinks, bleach is no good because the mold will grow back almost overnight (it’s roughly 97% water (good for more mold) which is what’s left after the 3% bleach evaporates in a few minutes!) Lysol is the best product you’ll find in a retail store for exposed surfaces and small areas like bathrooms. It really works and it’s cheap.
You might also want to google “health symptoms of mold”. Many people are surprised to learn that certain kinds of mold can cause headaches, difficulty concentrating, depression, insomnia and skin rashes as well as the obvious things like sneezing and respiratory issues. And anyone with a compromised immune system (ie pregnant or on chemo) will be at a much greater risk of serious illness so you should not be present when the cleanup is going on. Good luck.
References :
Professional experience
Filed under clean mold, remove mold by on Mar 17th, 2009. 1 Comment.
I had an ice dam on my house, over the past couple of days water has been slowly trickling into my laundry room which has old plaster walls covered in wall paper and paint. The wall and the edge of the ceiling is wet and a little soft in places, and I think mold might be starting to grow, in some places the water running down the walls is orange (I don’t know why, possibly dye from the wallpaper, or something in the wood framing, the house is very old). I wanted to remodel this room eventually but I don’t have the time or money to do it right now. Is there any way to kill or prevent mold growth on and in the walls without ripping them out?
I was thinking of using a spray on the walls … but I have a feeling this is only superficial and that there could still be growth behind the plaster.
I’d just like to get some opinions.
tim r
0.0.0.0
A common misnomer is that a bleach/water solution will kill mold. IT WILL NOT. You need an industrial strength bleach to accomplish this. Without removing the wall board, you will not be able to safely remove the mold. If you wait, you can only hope the water dries out so the mold doesn’t prosper.
Kilz primer will not be effective if the mold is continuing to grow. You have to remove the mold, dry things out, then and only then can you encapsulate safely.
There are many reasons mold is dangerous, and that doesn’t take in account the adverse health effects. Feel free to e-mail me with the particulars and I will try to help you further. Good luck.
References :
certified mold inspector & remediator
Filed under kill mold by on Mar 16th, 2009. 5 Comments.