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I JUST MOVED IN MY NEW PLACE BUT SINCE I MOVED IN I HAVE BEEN GETTING VERY SICK, TOUBLE BREATHING, CHEST PAIN, SORE THROAT HIVES RASHES ETC PLEASE I NEED HELP COULD I HAVE MOLD. MY SUN GETS RUNNY NOSE COUGH AND VOMMITING |
Molds produce mycotoxins, some of which are quite toxic. The type of mycotoxin varies depending on the type of mold; but some molds create toxins which are harder on your health than others; plus people have or develop allergies on exposure, the severity of which is contingent on the duration of exposure, and how heavily infested the environment is.
A mold assessment of your apartment would enable you to target the specific species of mold that is affecting you--if it is mold. Bear in mind that there are other environmental contaminants which could be affecting you, such as benzene or formaldehyde. Toxic off-gassing and mold are just a few components of sick house syndrome; but a complete assessment of your residence would help you pinpoint what components of your surroundings are contributing to your problems. You can then take the findings to your doctor and/or allergist, who will then be able to test specifically for your exposure to the designated irritants, allowing them to medicate with an eye to the cause rather than simply ameliorate the symptoms. |
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near the window in weeks ago the rain caused water under the carpet and buble of water about 1foot long in the living room under the bedroom.About 2week ago the landlrd repair poped the bubble, and repaint the surface. |
Hopefully your landlord did more than pop a bubble. Hopefully the landlord removed any wet drywall and underlying construction damage, repaired the original leak and replaced the damaged areas with new, mold resistant materials--before he primed and painted the surface.
If any mold remailns, and/or if water remains or the leak re-occurs, you will have mold issues. If you have readings done, that will tell you if your ambient mold exceeds healthy levels. Prevention is crucial here. If you can get the area truly clean and dry (and the leak repaired), you may be able to prevent mold from becoming a problem. |
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I have black mould in 2 bedrooms in my house. Neither room is humid or damp..... is this something a professional should look at? |
Yes.
There are always mold spores in the air. The quantity varies depending on the time of year and location. But that does not mean you have to have mold.
The reason someone should look at it is that mold only grows where there is excess moisture or humidity. If you can not see where the water is, a professional will be able to find it. You could have a leaky pipe behind the walls, or a leak in your roof, or condensation from your air conditioning unit or humidity from your bathroom or laundry area.
If you are lucky, the leak has already been repaired, and all you will need to do is the clean-up. But you really won't know your best course of action without a professional assessment that determines the water source that originally fed the mold. Otherwise, even if you clean up, the moisture and the mold will be back. |
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We recently discovered alot of mold in our a/c unit by the a/c repair man. I had a heart transplant 3/24/03 and am and have been on immuno-supprsents since than. My husband has severe fibromyalgia and allergies. what to do? |
You should consider having an assessment done of the mold levels in your house. If mold levels are higher inside than the outdoor "control" you should look into remediation. You should also find a temporary residence with healthy air quality, because remediation is liable to stir up mold spores, and you don't need that kind of exposure while you are so vulnerable.
Even if mold levels are NOT higher inside, you should have your ac cleaned professionally, including coil, plenum and ducts. This means a real cleaning, not just spraying with bleach (which would not correct the problem.)
After your ac has been cleaned, you might consider investing in a UV sterilizer and an improved or upgraded filtration system.
If you are renting, or have excellent insurance coverage, your repairs and improvement costs might be off-set; I say MIGHT, because that depends on your individual situation. While mold is an acknowledged issue, legal accountability can be a difficult proposition--but it is worth looking into, especially since you are actually in a vulnerable category.
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I had a water leaked for 2 1/2 months.There was mold on wood work,dry wall.They sprayed KILZ on the drywall and replace the trim.They tell me that will kill the mold.Is this true?This water leak was from my air conditioner should ducts be checked? |
| It is hard to make a perfect analysis without actually seeing the property. I would think that the first thing to do is to repair any and all leaks, completely dry and clean any areas where water accumulated or was trapped; REMOVE damaged construction materials and then do the final repairs. If drywall is moldy, I would generally say the damaged area needs to be replaced--mostly because mold does not grow only on the surface of materials, but grows INTO the drywall structure itself. Kilz is simply a primer with really good coverage, but its best use would be to cover clean, new drywall as a preventative rather than a cover-up. I would agree also, that yes, your ducts should be checked--and anywhere else the water could have permeated. |
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I had my basement finished in my old home this past winter. Suddenly there is a mold smell in the furnace room that appears dry. The duct work and furnace are 3 1/2 yrs old. The duct work was cleaned in April. Could it be in the furnace? |
| Mold growth can take root anywhere that water or humidity occur. If you can not see the mold, it could be virtually anywhere that water could be trapped to form an environment favorable to mold--which includes the furnace, areas behind and between walls, ductwork, vents, crawl space, etc. An experienced mold assessor would be able to pinpoint exactly where the mold is to facilitate remediation. |
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Can you have black or any mold that causes illness and not visually see it? |
Yes, of course. There are parts of your house you can not see, such as
inside walls, under carpeting, crawlspaces, attics. Anywhere that water
can leak into, or anywhere that humidity can be trapped is a fertile place
for mold to grow--whether or not you can see it. |
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Hello there!
I need microscopic view of different molds. Thanx.
Sincerely,
Radhey Shyam
Research Associate
Best biotek research Labs |
If you want to see microscopic photographs of molds, we have a variety of mold views posted here:
http://byebyemold.com/morepix.php
You can look at the overview page; or you can click on one and use the "next" button to look at the expanded photos. |
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My daughter remts in the basement of an old 3 story house. Her room has flooded to the point of very wet carpet four times this year. The landlord had a carpet company come in and they gave me a letter that stated there was no mold. How do I detect mold? |
Mold presents visual and olfactory clues, and will be most likely be present if there is (or has been) a water leak or highly humid conditions. If mold is not immediately detectable, then a mold assessor can take samplings which are sent to labs, thermal readings and VOC readings. Labs analyze the specific type of mold, which could be significant if determining specific allergic reactions.
A carpet company may well be expert in handling carpets, but mold detection is a completely different process. How did they test? It may be that the situation called for more than carpet cleaning; complete remediation might be needed. It may well be that there had been standing water at one time, in which case any soft goods such as carpet or padding would have developed a permanent distinctive mildew or mold scent.
That a live colony is not immediately visible to the naked eye does not certify that a mold colony and mold spores are not present. A professional assessment by a company such as Bye Bye Mold, Inc will do a complete and scientific search, as well as provide certified results, including "chain of custody" forms which may be essential for insurance or legal follow-up. |
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Rain soaked our office carpet badly. Management says there is no mold and are having the carpet cleaned. The smell for the last 48 hours has been HORRID. Should we be worried? |
It sounds as if you need a good dose of prevention. If there is no long term damage and the entire area (the part you see and including the areas you don't see) is perfectly dry and disinfected, there is a possibility that infestation could be prevented.
An assessment would compare outdoor mold levels with your indoor mold levels, and indicate if you need remediation. Our Thermal detector can detect conditions favorable to mold growth inside the walls or in other hidden areas where established thriving mold colonies might otherwise be missed. If a true and complete clean up is not completed within a short window of time after flooding, you will be facing severe mold issues in the future.
Unfortunately the smell is a definite indication that the problem has not been solved. |
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