Is It Normal To See Mold Growing?

[lieze]

We had the mold issue before.

Had the house totally cleaned out and treated.

I did a bit better for a while then this past year deteriorated again.

Well I've been at my mom's and improving the one evening I came back in a weakened state I got all the sensations of getting bad and needing to call a squad.

And thought oh my!!!

It hasn't happened at my mom's.

Well I came home for a day or two here and I'm finding mild growing on the inside of a cupboard.

All 4 shelves have it.

It's started at the edge and growing in about 2 inches.

Is this normal.

Last weekend I found it on the side of a white dresser and wiped it all off-I'm sure there's more.

I went and looked around the top of our Culligan tank sure enough black fuzz.

Is this normal?

Does this normally happen in a home or could the home be part of the source?

I feel sad.

I loved this place.

We wanted to add on.

The basement has this open drain that goes right out to the creek behind us.

We could be a magnet for all types of toxins to come right up through that.

: (

I don't know who to ask about this.

The house is too small for u's anyway only two bedrooms.

I should add my husband also got sick.

Grew the stomach tumors-still doesn't feel well has cramping bloating and lethargy.

He also gets the gassy chest pain.

I guess I should focus on the health matter.

If there is any chance it is the house we need to get out.

It's not safe for the children.

[kclynn]

It doesn't sound right. The forum can't tell you, though. You need to have it inspected asap - today.

[lieze]

I appreciate your reply kcmom.

I kind of freaked out when I saw that and didn't know where to turn.

Actually this forum is all I have left in the Internet world.

This may seem a bit hasty but I think we're going to run.

It's funny we just saw a tv church program and that was the message-if you see a snake don't wait to see if it's poisonous just run and get to safety.

We'll be looking for another house asap.

And I won't be spending any prolonged time in the home.

I don't want the kid's here either any more.

Thank God we have that option.

My husband has a good paying job and I'm pretty sure we can get a loan.

[sue1234]

I don't know much about mold issues, but I have read where sometimes you can't even take anything porous from the old house, such as paper products, etc. Think of that dresser that had the mold growing on it--you wouldn't want to bring contaminated stuff to your new place. I hope it makes a ton of difference in some of y'alls symptoms!

[lieze]

I am so freaked out being here right now.

I'm going into total anxiety mode.

I feel like I'm on the verge of a panic attack and I'm getting all types of weird sensations-throat tightening, headache, I'm sure it's anxiety.

I went and sat outside to escape the house and have windows open to try and get fresh air in.

Ugh! More stress!!!!

Now how do we make sure the next place we get is mold free.

I don't want to offend anyone but now is a good time for prayer.

[lieze]

Okay confession-when we bought this house there was mold growing in two places on a bedroom wall and the basement was totally cleaned out like super clean like it had been scrubbed down.

We painted over spots on the wall with that Kilz paint?

And thought we'd be okay.

That was 12 years ago?

It took me 9 years to get sick?

The mold I guess had gotten worse at that point.

And I was gone a lot of the time worked full time and had the commute to my parents etc for the kid's.

When I did have time off I took off with the kid's-we went to the zoo to the park you name it.

I would take them to pet stores to look at the pets, shopping, we were always in the go-to the beach putt putt.

You get the picture so our time in the home wasn't 24/7.

Now that i've been sick I'm home all the time and it seems I've just gotten weaker.

[lieze]

That is the weird thing is we just brought that dresser back from the shed a couple weeks ago.

I didn't notice the mold until last week.

The house and our stuff was treated before anything was taken out.

All mattresses and couches disposed of.

We basically started over...now this.

And at that same time I was so sick I cut my hours back so it was a financial hit.

I just think we've been through it before we can go through it again.

It just makes me sad looking at my little island my dad built for me thinking about leaving it. : (

I know none of this is logical I should just hope it isn't too late for me and my husband. I hope we can recover from what this has done to both of us.

[MomtoGiuliana]

Molds can produce allergens, irritants, etc. and if it is growing in your home you have a moisture problem that needs to be addressed. (It should be noted that everyone has some mold spores in the home--cannot be totally eradicated, but these spores should not be landing and growing on surfaces).

Per EPA guidelines, things you can do include getting a dehumidifier and keeping surfaces dry (eg any leaks or spills cleaned up promptly). Opening windows for air flow is good too, you want to get your humidity down. See the links below.

Your HVAC system could be contaminated or there is another or multiple causes for your problem. You may need an expert to look at your situation. We can't advise you on that, however.

http://www.epa.gov/mold/moldbasics.html

http://www.epa.gov/mold/pdfs/moldguide.pdf

[Tammy]

Until you can move out, get a dehumidifier and set it to something like 40% humidity is what is the highest level the air should be at. Make sure to either get one that has a hose so it can drain constantly, or make sure to dump out the water when it gets full to keep the dehumidifier running as much as possible until the dampness that is causing the mold decreases.

[Guest maia]

Sorry to post this first bit... My hospitalization for POTS was while i was renovating a house i had just bought. It had a huge-and i mean huge- mold problem that i cleaned myself. I definitely think its related.

Visibly growing mold can be killed on solid surfaces with straight bleach but you need to keep the humidity down afterwards and stop any moisture isues in the house. also, mold must be killed before you paint over it otherwise it can just fester behind the paint. If you seal all avenues from it getting out of the walls, etc and get rid of the moisture issues you should be all set though as it will have no moisture to feed on. All houses have mold spores, but as another poster said, it should not be growing on surfaces. Moisture and warmth cause its growth. You said there is a drain in your house that goes directly to a stream. If it is an open drain you need to block it so that it is not letting moisture into the house, only out. If it is open, this could be the problem as it is a constant avenue for moisture into your home. A dehumidifier is a great idea, but if that pipe is open it will be useless because it will just pull moisture into the house from the pipe. If you have ductwork heating you may need to have the ducts cleaned, and definitely change the filters with the smallest micron filter you can find. i think .3 traps mold spores. Also a hepa filter room air filter is a good idea. I got one at home depot. it was pricey but it definitely works- i keep it running in the basement all the time as i still have some moisture down there-make sure to change the filters often though b/c if mold gets settled in the filters and accumulates enough it can just re circulate it in the air. Straight tea tree oil kills mold also... and a vaccum with a hepa filter is a good idea too.

Dont freak out, it wont do you any good. You can get rid of the mold but you must stop the moisture issues. Id start with getting the stuff from the shed out of the house and fixing that drain and any other leaks you have, otherwise cleaning the mold wont do any good. Its better if you can find someone who doesnt react to mold to clean the stuff. If you have to clean it yourself just make sure you wear a mask so you are not directly exposing yourself to any spores that you kick up and wash yourself and clothes after.

From what i have read about mold issues-and i try to do this myself though not entirely successully- is to follow a yeast free diet to clean out your system.

[L4UR3N]

Ok so I have mold too. Ive known about it for a while (um...years) and just keep cleaning it up as I see it. Now this is really starting to freak me out thinking about how sick this could make me.

I have mold in my sink and shower drain (when I remove the drain it is everywhere!). I keep pouring bleach down and letting it sit, but obviously it's coming back. It also was on the wall of my shower, though I really coated that with bleach and have not seen any more in that area since then. We had water in our basement as well as a pipe burst and leak into the basement cealing and surrounding insulation. Pretty sure our basement has mold though I havent seen it.

So my question is... short of moving out....what do I do about it?!?!