MOLD

January 15, 2008 7:38 AM

What are the real dangers of mold?? Our master bathroom with something leaking somewhere and it has damaged the wood floor under the vinyl.

There is what i think is black mold on the ceiling (it grows). And I'm sure all under the floor is mold and prob behind the walls.
We've had it for sometime.
Partner isn't concerned but I am.
We have a newborn that co-sleeps right in our room.

I worry about EVERYTHING so I am used to putting my fears aside and trusting it's no big deal.

Any real evidence it's dangerous or can cause any real harm?

posted by beccaj to home & garden (11 comments total)

i wouldnt worry too much. in general, if youre allergic to the mold, you'll get sick (just allergic reaction) and then when you clean up the mold or get away from it for awhile, youre all better.

thats my experience from working in new orleans six months after katrina in a house full of water and mold (at one point had 17 feet of water in it). and thats what the volunteer organizers with FEMA, the fire dept, and habitat for humanity told us. i was sniffly while i was in the house, and for a day or two after i got home but no long term effects.

supposedly there are some molds that will produce waste gasses that are toxic, but i'd bet you'd need a whole lot of mold for that.

still would get rid of the mold. tear out the wall, clean out the inside and dry it, clean with bleach.
posted by kneelconqueso at 8:18 AM on January 15, 2008

It depends on the type of mold and the genetics of the person exposed to it. It's somewhat pricey, but you should hire a professional and have it tested to see if it is toxic mold (the kind that produces mytoxins). There are DIY kits too but they are not as reliable. Have you fixed the leak? The next step is remediation and it should be done. Unfortunately it will not be cheap but is necessary, especially if you decide to resell (mold spores can stay dormant for years, so regardless its best to get them out of the house to avoid colonization in other parts of the house...or even mold sickness if it is toxic)
posted by samsara at 8:21 AM on January 15, 2008

black mold that grows on wood or wood products (paper on sheet rock) can be very dangerous, certain types can cause all sort of respiratory problems. I would look into having a mold test done, definitive answer so you can fix it or not worry. My mothers house had a serious/toxic black mold problem and the house insurance covered the repairs (carpet and furniture had to be replaced completely and the kitchen subfloor was completely redone).
posted by estronaut at 8:35 AM on January 15, 2008

As the mother of a two year old, I do not want to freak you out. Some types of mold are more toxic than others, yes. Mold in general should and can be dealt with.

And.

If you are trying to get your partner to buy into dealing with the mold problem, it would be helpful to show him/her some information about the effects of some types of mold on newborn health. Which is going to be very different than the effects on the health of the average adult who has a more robust immune system.

Here is some information from the EPA that you can show them. And here. And here. And here.

You can also enlist your pediatrician in helping to explain to your partner the effects of mold exposure on newborns. It would be good to let your pediatrician know that you are dealing with this so that they can monitor the baby's health more adequately.

Then, call your local health department and ask for a referral to a reliable testing agency for mold. This tends to have better results than choosing someone out of a phone book. They can test it and possibly set your mind at ease as to what you are dealing with.

Yes, mold can be annoying, inconvenient, sometimes costly and many people would rather just not deal with it. But dealing with the potential asthma, allergies, limited cardiovascular health, and other long term health affects of a baby/child/teenager can also be costly, inconvenient, time consuming, etc. Not to mention awful for the child and the parent when a few phone calls could have prevented the long term effects.

Best of luck.
posted by jeanmari at 8:38 AM on January 15, 2008

supposedly there are some molds that will produce waste gasses that are toxic, but i'd bet you'd need a whole lot of mold for that.

These are rare but they are the kind to worry about, and it doesn't take much inhaled or ingested for a colony to form. Some you can get sick from but it quickly passes...other types of mold go undetected by the body's natural immune system and can produce mycotoxins that cause cronic unexplainable health issues like recurring rashes, GI problems, sinus/respitatory infections, etc that seem like other ailments but don't go away (much like the biotoxins produced with Lymes). I believe these are treatable with antibiotics, but still it's an area in the medical world that gets misdiagnosed or passed over all the time unless you directly suggest it as a possibility and get microbiological testing done. (I feel bad for those that have had mold sickness, but have instead been diagnosed with anxiety disorders or celiac's disease).

As for remediation, there are a lot of helpful guides like this one. Try and get as much inspection done as possible. (also there are fungicide alternatives to bleach that reportedly work better and are less corrosive)
posted by samsara at 8:43 AM on January 15, 2008 [1 favorite has favorites]

you definitely need to get it taken care of, especially since you have a baby.

i am highly allergic to mold, and plus i'm asthmatic. when i lived in a moldy apartment for 6 months, it was the worst 6 months of my lungs' life. and it took me another 6 months to get over it.

so, first line of attack is to clean any visible mold. you can use a bleach solution or a tea-tree solution which smells nicer and isn't a chemical.

clean it every time you see it start to grow again.

then, you need to get someone in there to fix the leak and then look for mold under the floor and in the walls and treat that if necessary.
posted by misanthropicsarah at 10:15 AM on January 15, 2008

Job 1 is to stop the moisture intrusion that is causing it.

Then it is a question of getting rid of the mold, or isolating where it is, so spores or other "stuff" from the fungal organisms cannot get into the living space.

You may want to tear up your floor and replace it, but if you stop the moisture, dry the area out, and isolate it, then the fungal material will stay "dormant" until it gets wet again.

The long way to do it is to take up and replace the floor, which you may need to do in order to identify the source of moisture.
posted by Danf at 10:25 AM on January 15, 2008

Mold can be very dangerous, especially to kids. See what happened to these folks.
posted by sgobbare at 10:32 AM on January 15, 2008

We've had it for sometime.
Partner isn't concerned but I am.

Are you renting, or do you own your home? Isn't this something you should take care of, regardless.

The obvious answer, of course, is to keep you child out of that environment.
posted by KokuRyu at 12:58 PM on January 15, 2008

you can use a bleach solution or a tea-tree solution which smells nicer and isn't a chemical.

Tea tree oil is as much a chemical as bleach is.
posted by grouse at 2:04 PM on January 15, 2008

The thing about mold is, it does not go away, it just gets worse.

You need to stop the leaking asap.

Conventional wisdom says if the spot is 3x3ft clean it yourself, otherwise have in professionals. Once you open the floor or wall all the spores go airborne, pros know how to create a pressure envelope to exhaust the spores out a window or door and contain them in the smallest space possible.

I dealt with a maybe 6x6 area with a handyman. It was fast remove carpeting -- rip out the wall, exhaust the air, bleach the area. 1-2 hours. Just took a coordinated effort, masks and goggles.

The work afterwards was let it dry, bleach and water clean. re-sheetrock. bleach and water clean the room, recarpet.

It was not painful and it worked great. it ended up an outside window needed caulking across the top, the previous owner had not noticed.

It took a $4 tube of caulk to make sure it never happened again. I check the whole house outdoors now every couple of months. A little prevention goes a long way.

best,
-janice
posted by janicea at 4:26 PM on January 15, 2008