Attempting some minor mold remediation...NEED HELP

TRUEPRO

i have a project that i am tackling and have some questions about removing mold from a water damaged wall on a townhouse. Can i use a bleach solution to kill the existing mold and have good results? I have a daughter on the way in october and im afraid if i dont do it right, the mold could stick around and cause her(and myself) health problems. The water came in through a window sill on the second story. Because of the humidity, i'm assuming, the mold traveled throughout the house and became visible on the wood cabinets downstairs in the kitchen. ALL THIS HAPPENED WHILE THE PROPERTY WAS UN-INHABITED.

If i remove all the water damaged wood/insulation/sheetrock, bleach all the areas multiple times and dry with a jet fan for a few days, will this suffice?

joecaption

If it's so bad it's spread from the second floor to the first I'd contact a real pro on this one.
I also would not be working in there without a mask on.

TRUEPRO

Well It would have spread easily with the average heat and humidity extremely high in my area and being inside a sealed dwelling. After extensive research, i have a good plan to safely get this project under wraps. I even ordered a professional mold test kit.

Attached are the pictures of the water damage that caused all this in the first place. Also, you can see the green mold on the cabinets.

The siding you can see has detached from the water damage. That area is the other side of the picture of the inside damage.

Attached Thumbnails

     

KevinPh

Extensive mold like you have shown often has spread throughout the entire house. The professional mold tester is the right way to find out where else the mold exists - often it is behind the drywall.

Number one is to repair the damaged area that allowed the water to enter the home

Number two is to test it with the mold tester

Number three is to make all necessary repairs - including rooms that you did not think were affected but the mold tester has identified as positive.

Good luck, I hope you don't have to replace a lot more than you bargained for.

Kevin

Maintenance 6

You don't need a mold tester. It is obvious you have mold. And extensively at that. You need someone to tear out everything that has been affected and replace it. Most of this is too far gone to salvage. The cabinetry and any framing that is still solid needs to be scrubbed, dried, treated with a fungicide and then sealed. Whomever does the tear out needs to go at least 12" beyond the last visible sign of mold. Before they start, they should build some plastic containment to keep any airborne debris from spreading through the rest of the house and run an exhaust fan directly to the outside. This is a job large enough that I wouldn't even recommend it as a DIY project.

princelake

i'd seek professional help. if you have more then 100sqft of mold you can make a claim with your insurance company. if you try and tackle it yourself there's this product here that works great and is safe with no harmful chemicals http://reviews.homedepot.ca/1998/949056/reviews.htm

lifestooshort81

If you want to remedy this yourself there's a product on the market called Microban. One of my customers had her home riddled with black mold because of a failing sump-pump. Microban is the same stuff you see on products. They infuse it into plastics to prevent mold growth.
The extent of the mold put this poor woman in the hospital with breathing problems. there is still
Mold that can not be accessed without tearing down the house but 99% of it is gone.

You'll have to google Microban as they don't sell it in the box stores nor have I seen it in any retail store for that matter.

I would definitely get a pro in but in the meantime Microban the stuff and knock it dead!