Tuesday, February 2, 2010

What to do with orange fungi/mould on inside wall of house?

Help - after heavy rainfall, a damp patch appeared on the wall of the living room with a bit of orange down the middle. Now the orange stuff has grown. I've heard this could be dangerous but landlord says just to wash it off and stick the wall paper back on (it's on both wallpaper and on wall although there is not a lot of it). What to do?What to do with orange fungi/mould on inside wall of house?
First of all DO NOT TOUCH ANY NEW MOULD! It is very ddangerous and if it has grown that fast you need a professional in to assess what sort it is and how angerous it is to your health. If your landlord will not pay then you will have to seek professional help about getting the mould safely removed. The small amount of mould you get in a bathroom is still hazardous to your health but most of us develop a tolerance to it in time.What to do with orange fungi/mould on inside wall of house?
Spray with Tilex and then clean very well.





I usually put a fan to the wall for several days to make sure it drys well.





Anytime after a heavy rainfall put a fan on the walls to prevent mold growth.
Cleanup and Removal of Mold





* Materials should be dried quickly; mold will grow within about 2 days.


* Anyone spending more than a brief time cleaning in a moldy environment should use a HEPA filter mask; typically it will have two straps. Also, use gloves.


* Porous materials should be thrown out or completely decontaminated if they are moldy. Materials such as hard plastic, glass and metal can be cleaned and disinfected.


* Remove the mold using a non-ammonia soap or detergent. Never mix bleach and ammonia. Surfaces from which the mold cannot be completely removed should be treated with enough chlorine bleach to keep the surface moist for at least 15 minutes, rinsed, then rapidly dried.


* Disinfect by applying a solution of 1 cup chlorine bleach per 1 gallon water or follow manufacturer's recommendations. The surface should be thoroughly wet with the solution. Keep the surface wet with the bleach solution 10 to 15 minutes to kill the mold. Allow the solution to dry naturally 6 to 8 hours. Other products that kill mold are biocides. These biocides have Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) registration numbers on the bottle and instructions for the intended application.





Methods to Remove Mold from Various Products:





Painted Surfaces Inside the Home





Scrub moldy surfaces with a solution of 1 cup chlorine bleach to 1 gallon water. A little detergent may be added to the solution, but do not mix bleach with cleaners containing ammonia. Rinse with clean water and allow to dry thoroughly before painting or papering.
The bleach does work well. We had ';black mold'; between the tiles and the subfloor in our kitchen 2 years ago - due to a slow leak in the line ot the dishwasher. By the time it was discovered there was a lot of damage and the people we hired to come evaluate the mold were talking about workers in space suits needed to remove it. I got very suspicious and called the ';mold person'; at our state Department of Environmental Protection (called to find out the right concentration), who said it was OK for us to bleach it out ourselves. You have to leave the bleach on for hours, and it has to be done twice. You can't live in your apartment while this is being done because bleach is highly toxic. The tiles were removed and everything underneath down to the subfloor (a few layers). After the bleaching, we bought an ozonator and that is what will really kill mold! Perhaps you could rent one.


In any case I am concerned about this situation, because there is probably mold within the wall or possibly ceiling and/or roof that will need to be dealt with so it does not happen again. It's all expensive work and you or your landlord may not have homeowner's insurance that will pick up the cost. Even if you paid it out of your pocket and did the work yourself, your landlord might not agree to that.


The end result is that you are living in a toxic environment and unless your landlord does or pays for the work needed and is willing to move you temporarily to suitable housing at his/her own expense, you are screwed. You can check your lease with a lawyer to see if the landlord is required to make the proper repairs, you can document everything with notes and photographs, you can call the city health department. You might think about finding another place to live now. Have you considered buying your own house or apartment? Right now, real estate costs are low and the interest rates are still pretty low. If you can afford to own, it doesn't pay to pay someone else. Good luck.
Since you've described it as a fungus I wondered if it may be dry rot...Compare %26amp; Contrast?





http://www.bwtse.co.uk/fungal_decay.htm
Some house mold is so toxic that houses and possessions must be abandoned.





Bleach water will kill it. There is also commercial applications that prevent mold. I don't know how well it works.





Of course your landlord said don't worry about it. I guess if you had a boa constrictor in the bathroom he'd say just flush.





If it's his house, he should be the one doing the repairs. They have laws about this sort of thing and one of the terms that comes to mind is slum lord.





I think you'll have to discard the wallpaper, by the time you kill the mold on it, you;ll either have dissolved the pattern, the paper or both.
Never mind the other tips, it is the Landlords responsibility to provide you with a fit, safe and habitable home. No questions!


The damp could have come from anywhere, leaking roof,poor pointing etc. Fact is, it is the Landlords property, unless you have a full repairing lease ( I suspect not in a domestic property) then it is down to the L/L


If you get any grief, go to trading standards.
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