Ick.

[madamesilverspurs]

Two days after moving into my new apartment (older building, 1960s probably) the kitchen flooded. In my kitchen pantry it sounded like a waterfall inside the walls. The floor above duplicates the floor plan of my level. The laundry room backs up to my pantry, and in the laundry room above it the drain the washer discharges into was clogged. Took two days of roto-rooter to get it cleared. After getting everything mopped up they sprayed something to mitigate the odor. I waited to start putting things back in the pantry, just to be on the safe side. Good thing I waited, as I went in there this morning and found large mildew blooms on the wall and parts of the ceiling.

I'm thinking that they should be replacing the drywall, but management hasn't expressed any interest in doing anything but spraying something on the surface. This is especially frustrating for me since I moved from my previous place, where I'd lived for eleven years, because of mold issues. As it is, I wear oxygen for breathing problems, and I suspect this situation isn't helping any. If I could afford to move again, I would.

Compounding the frustration is that this apartment was approved by the Section 8 office, after they disallowed the place I'd found where such things weren't likely to happen (and that's a whole 'nother story). They were of no help with the mold issues at the old place, so there's not much point in contacting them about this present situation.

So, I'm asking for some suggestions on how to get rid of the mildew on my side of the wall without exacerbating my breathing problems. Thanks in advance!

[bunnies]

1. Bleach. But if its in the walls, it'll keep coming back.

That sucks. :( We have a problem here in our apt.. house built in the 1600's. When its in the walls, it always comes back. Always.

[MADem]

2. I'd demand, in WRITING, via registered letter, that they replace the drywall.

Don't let it go--they'll find a way to blame you. I'd also talk to the Section 8 people to find out if you can get out of the lease and find another living situation without penalty if they refuse to help. Do this even if you've had no luck in the past. Take a pic of the mess with you. If you don't want to talk to them, write. Registered letter. In fact, writing is probably better--harder to ignore.

Make copies of all your correspondence. If they try to "tell" you stuff and not put it in writing, write back to them and "tell" them what they said to you--registered letter, again.

[bunnies]

3. Sucky thing is...

that most places dont have laws re: mold and housing standards. Mr bunnies and I even consulted a lawyer about the problem. Its ridiculous. :banghead:

[MADem]

6. Do it anyway. Most it'll cost is a piece of paper, an envelope and the cost of registered mail. NT

[tularetom]

4. Here are some suggestions

http://urbanext.illinois.edu/thriftyliving/tl-removemildew.html

Don't fool around with this - my aunt spent a month in the hospital with some kind of fungal infection contracted from a moldy sheetrock wall in a summer place they own. They eventually had to rip out and replace all the walls.

Hang tough and make them fix it right.

[Warpy]

5. What you see on the surface is the spore producing part

of the mold. The fungus itself extends into the drywall, so abatement via surface treatment will be difficult and require many successive applications while keeping the area extremely dry and inhospitable to mold growth. In other words, it will come back as long as the drywall aint dry.

The good news is that the spores are the part that will affect your breathing, so if there isn't anything left on the surface to produce them, you will likely be OK as long as you don't drill into that part of the drywall.

A weak bleach solution in a spritz bottle combined with scrubbing will kill surface mold. Unfortunately, it also leaves some moisture behind, so you might want to direct a fan onto the surface after you spray.

Another strategy is repainting the area with a paint containing a fungicide, available at most paint stores, but again, this will work only when the drywall is completely dry again.

I'd keep the pantry empty until you're sure that drywall is again dry and have painted with fungicidal paint. An empty pantry will be easier to treat than a full one.

You're correct to say that the drywall should be removed, along with any insulation that has become wet. Unfortunately, this is unlikely in any housing approved for Section 8. Reducing the problem is the best you can possibly hope for. Part of that will be to keep that pantry closed and wearing a mask when you have to enter it for any long period of time.

More info at http://www.inspect-ny.com/sickhouse/CleanUpMold.htm

[madamesilverspurs]

7. Thanks, all.

Still waiting for the maintenance guy to get here. Landlady said he would be treating the wall with Kilz. We'll see.