Mold Killing

[SaintCyr]

I'm looking at buying a home that has some mold "damage" to the attic and has visible mold coming out of the a/c vents. What actions can be taken to fix this problem. I have already located the source (hole in the roof eve where the rain water has rotted it through). This is a historic home and I don't want this to step in the way of closing on it. Can this be fixed and what are the problems I might run into with insurance etc... Thanks in advance for all your help!

Dustin

(First time home buyer)

[tanith27]

I had a condo once that had a small black mold issue. No damage, but similarly it was coming from a couple of the air vents in my living room. Once the source was fixed, I mixed in a spray bottle 2/3 water, 1/3 bleach and after a few squirts of that the mold was dead and flaking away shortly thereafter. I had no 'damage' to anything per se, so I dont know what the insurance issue is other than basic insurance does not cover mold remediation. Mold coverage is extra...WAAAY extra. I owned the condo for 5-ish years and never had a problem with it again. Probably wouldn't hurt to pick up one of those portable air filtering systems you plug into the wall. I've got one at my current place that has some UV gimmick that not only filters the air, but burns the germs and molds before the air is recycled back into the room.

Jeff

[RedScare]

Mold is a function of moisture. Stop the moisture and the mold dies. Mold can be cleaned with any number of household cleaners, but bleach in water will usually do the trick. Otherwise, mold is not a big deal. There may be a few mold freaks that tell you how you are going to die from the killer mold. They are just that...freaks. If you own an old house like I do, once the leaky roof is fixed, you'll probably never have a problem again, because these old houses are so well ventilated that everything dries out pretty quickly.

Good luck.

[musicman]

bleach does wonders......i don't know if i'd even mention it to the insurance.

[OldHouseLover]

I'm looking at buying a home that has some mold "damage" to the attic and has visible mold coming out of the a/c vents. What actions can be taken to fix this problem. I have already located the source (hole in the roof eve where the rain water has rotted it through). This is a historic home and I don't want this to step in the way of closing on it. Can this be fixed and what are the problems I might run into with insurance etc... Thanks in advance for all your help!

Dustin

(First time home buyer)

From experience in handling same problems, I'd not let this bother me. The vast majority of older homes have had moisture/leaks/mold problems at some time in their lives.

As someone else mentioned bleach & water does the trick most of the time. I spray bleach/water mixture on/wipe off until it's clean [small areas of mold]. One of my favorite helpful tools inhome repairs is baby wipes or any cheap wipes. Do this several times over a period of several days. When you think you have all the mold off, let it dry for few days & give the area a couple of coats of Kilz or other sealant. The big problem is making sure the the repairs have stopped the leaks/moisture. I leave the area as open as possible so air can circulate the area & dry it out before applying Kilz/sealant. Sometimes, it's easier to replace boards than work eradicating mold, depends on the size of area needing treatment.

I thought I had a/c vent mold. Finally, I got the courage to take off the vent grill. What I found was the thin, black foam gasket around the vent grill had deteriorated. Dust from the deterioration was being blown onto the ceiling looking like mold. Also, make sure the opening into the room [sheetrock] & the vent have a tight seal, as attic dust can be sucked in & look like mold dust.

Good luck with your historic home. Old houses are a unique learning experience . I have one the family calls "my suggrogate Mother".

[houstonmacbro]

I had a condo once that had a small black mold issue. No damage, but similarly it was coming from a couple of the air vents in my living room. Once the source was fixed, I mixed in a spray bottle 2/3 water, 1/3 bleach and after a few squirts of that the mold was dead and flaking away shortly thereafter. I had no 'damage' to anything per se, so I dont know what the insurance issue is other than basic insurance does not cover mold remediation. Mold coverage is extra...WAAAY extra. I owned the condo for 5-ish years and never had a problem with it again. Probably wouldn't hurt to pick up one of those portable air filtering systems you plug into the wall. I've got one at my current place that has some UV gimmick that not only filters the air, but burns the germs and molds before the air is recycled back into the room.

Jeff

Yeah, bleach and water in a spray bottle can do wonders. And not just for mold!

[KatieDidIt]

Bleach and then paint with Kilz primer paint. Nothing can ever regenerate after being painted over by that stuff.

We had a house that went through mold remediation back in 2001. What a crock. The insurance company freaked out and gutted the house over a chimney leak after Allison. But hey, it looked nice when it was all done.

All they did was ripe out the damaged sheetrock, insulation and wood, clean it out with bleach and paint/prime everything with Kilz and some sort of mold/bacteria preventitive that they put in the Kilz.

Just make sure you get the old insulation and damaged sheetrock out. That stuff is a playground for mold. And just because I have major allergies, I would either get the ducts cleaned or replace the section showing the mold. Even if there isn't mold, its Houston an ducts should be cleaned every once in awhile.

Edited May 18, 2007 by KatieDidIt

[mumbles]

Treat the wood with Tim-bor to prevent any future problems with dry rot

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