Mold FAQs for Tenants #5

Bird feathers or feces contaminants Q&A
Black mold test neededdFAQs
Blood contamination cleanup on carpets FAQs
Hygienist knows about health-vulnerable occupants?
Mushrooms growing out of building surfaces FAQs
Small areas of mold cleaned up by occupant Q&A

Mold or Hygienist Inspector Conducted Inspection FAQs

Tip: to contact an expert see ENVIRONMENTAL INSPECTORS & TESTING SERVICES

Should the hygienist be told about an immune-compromised occupant?

Should a certified industrial hygienist be informed of any immune-compromising condition of an apartment dweller before inspection? On 2019-01-27 by Charles

by (mod) - Yes but : warning about relying on reports of vulnerable building occupants

Of course, Charles, in order to give the onsite expert as much helpful information as possible she or he should be informed of occupants with special health risks before or during or before completion, but in my experience no expert would rely on being so informed or not.

Watch out: That is to say, we can't count on people at or involved with a property to know much less to report on who has what health or other vulnerabilities.

Fururthermore, and to use an example from my own experience (Daniel Friedman, AIHA, ASHRAE etc.) as a field inspector, even if nobody currently in a building has reported any particular vulnerability or health concern, that is absolutely no assurance that moments after we leave the building such a vulnerable person might walk in.

I inspected and found mold contamination in the ceiling of a soundproof test booth used by an audiologist. No one in the office knew about the mold and nobody reported any reaction or complaint until a new client walked in, sat down inside the test booth, closed the door, and went into analyphalactic shock due to a severe allergy to mold in the ceiling.

So the inspector is expected to be appropriately diligent in any case.

My apartment had nasty carpets and pigeon feathers in the HVAC ducts - now I'm sick inhospital with viral pneumonia

I just moved out of an apartment that had really old, nasty carpeting when I moved in that managent refused to replace.Pigeon feathers in all my air vents.I am an now in the hospital with bacterial and viral pneumonia.Immediately following the move. My doctor thinks there's a connection.How do I proceed to get testing done before they can cover all this up? On 2019-01-23 by Margaret Zverina

by (mod) - Discuss Histoplasmosis & other health hazards with your doctor; focus on health first.

Watch out: Pigeon feathers mean birds in the building's HVAC system, and can mean health risks just as you describe and including bird-borne disease such as

Histoplasmosis a dangerous respiratory disease
Candidiasis
Cryptococcosis

Be sure that you have discussed your concerns and exposure with your doctor.

About testing before a cover-up, that's a question out of order.

Ahead of that concern in my OPINION should be your notification of your local health department of what you believe is an urgent and serious health concern for building occupants.

The health department would be expected to conduct their own inspection and testing.

Other coverup and testing concerns might be discussed with your doctor and your attorney.

Black or Dark Colored Mold in Rental Unit FAQs

Greenish black fuzzy mold: is it deadly?

I think I have mold in my apt it's greenish back fuzz and it has mushrooms growing is this one deadly (Sept 25, 2016) Theodore jones

Reply by (mod):

I can't know from just your one line e-text how dangerous is the mold in your apartment, Theodore, but if there is 30 sq.ft. or more of contiguous indoor mold it almost certainly merits professional cleaning and a repair of the leak that caused it.

Certainly there are some green fuzzy molds such as some species of Aspergillus or Penicillium that are hazardous at high levels in indoor air.

Where occupants are elderly, asthmatic, immune impaired, infant, or otherwise at extra risk, the hazard is even more serious.

I want HUD to check for black mold in my apartment as it's making me sick

I have been constantly I'll with respiratory problems and sinus infections. l live in HUD housing.

I have given written notice that I want a specialist to check my apartment for black mold.

She has done nothing and acts like it's unimportant. What should I do? On 2018-10-31 by Alana Ferguson

Answer by (mod) -

Watch out: Checking for *specificall* or **only** for "black mold" is a very serious, possibly fatal error in investigating any indoor mold contamination question, as there are thousands of species of mold, or at least hundreds of common ones, found indoors and that are not black or even dark in color but that can be very harmful, ranging from allergenic to pathogenic to toxic.

If you have visual or other evidence that a mold problem exists in your home and are not getting help from the housing authority you probably need to ask for help from your local health department.

Keep in mind that "black mold" is a dangerous misconception fired-up by some vendors and journalists. There are harmful molds of just about any color and texture, and some, such as Aspergillus, produce small spores that are more-easily airborne, are breathed deep into the lungs, and that are probably more harmful to more people than most popular "toxic black molds" such as Stachybotrys chartarum.

Start by consulting your doctor and follow her advice.

For finding an inspection or mold cleanup service in Kansas, you can use our page top EXPERTS DIRECTORY or do your own local search.

To determine the scope of cleanup needed as well as the cause (and thus steps to prevent recurrence) of the mold growth, it's best to use a professional who has NO business nor financial relationship with the company who will do the actual cleanup.

Small areas of mold under 30 sqft. are a handyman or homeowner chore for most people.

In the INDEX to RELATED ARTICLES found at the end of this article these articles may help you

EMERGENCY RESPONSE, IAQ, GAS, MOLD - deciding when to hire an expert

MOLD: A COMPLETE GUIDE TO MOLD - what to do

Moldy black slime in apartment in Oxford New Zealand

We have been living in an apt. in Oxford NZ. The bathroom has had mold in the windows, but not everywhere. When I mop the floor, within 24 hours there is a black filmy substance all over the floors.

Can't see where its coming from, but we live downstairs of a two story place. Should we be concerned about what is in the air depositing on the floors? 2016/10/18 Annie

Reply by (mod):

I'd be concerned, Annie, since even if the slime is not mold but algae or something else it's a slip and fall hazard. We don't know if the source is in the air (which should mean it shows up on other floors too) or something left on the floor from leaks or poor cleaning.

How do I identify black asbestos mold?

Erika

There is mold in all the window sills of my apartment including my bathroom in my apartment windows in my bedroom and its black and it started raining and I haven't been feeling well so is that black asbestos mold should I be concerned about it

Reply by (mod):

Erika

Asbestos and mold are two completely different potential building hazards.

Mold Appearance is described at

MOLD APPEARANCE - WHAT MOLD LOOKS LIKE 

Asbestos is described at

ASBESTOS IDENTIFICATION IN BUILDINGS

Mushrooms Growing on Rental Home or Apartment or Trailer Indoor Surfaces

Tip: See BROWN or TAN MUSHROOMS GROWING on BUILDING SURFACES

Other examples of mushrooms growing in or on buildings are

at WHITE MOLD PHOTOS

and

at MOLD on DIRT FLOORS - separate article, includes white mold on dirt in crawl spaces & basements

Mushrooms growing out of carpet

I am the anonymous poster that had the mushroom growing and the health issues. the land lord is pretending there is no issue. she said the mushroom didnt grow here, but it did.

I still have it even though it has been pulled from its root. i havent looked into a lawyer. cant afford any extra bills. but i will definitely contact the legal clinic here. thank you for that.

i really dont know how to prove it though. im scared they will just say i have always had asthma or that its just gotten worse and that my son is just getting sick because he is a kid and they get germs. Aug 29, 2011 by still sick in Tennessee

Answer by (mod) -

Sick, the mushroom itself may be unimportant; but if there are wet conditions and a large problem mold reservoir (visible or hidden) there are likely to be health risks.

It is very difficult to PROVE that mold in a building has caused an illness.

People are complex organisms exposed to a wide range of materials moving through various buildings and spaces, not just their home. BUT if we find a large problem mold reservoir in a building, experts agree that it is a hazard that should be removed.

And if you determine what kinds of mold dominated the environment, your physician may find that information helpful.

Why would a mushroom grow out of a crack where the ceiling and wall meet and what do I do about it?

I was wondering, what would make a mushroom grow from the ceiling crack (Where the ceiling and wall meet)and what should I do?

It's a condo that I rent and I have told the landlord that I thought there was a mold problem in the home because of a leaky plumbing pipe that has now been fixed,but it still had that mold smell, but landlord assured me that mold was not a problem.

Just yesterday, I happen to look up on the ceiling in the bathroom I seen something strange on the wall, so I took a closer look to see what it was and discovered that it was a mushroom, what should I do from here? Please help. On 2018-10-21 by K.Rich

Answer by (mod) -

K

There is or was a water leak into the ceiling above, and mold friendly materials like wood or paper were or are wet.

A landlord assuring you that "mold is not a problem" is

1. correct if the mold is trivial in total area in the building - say a few square inches AND has reason to know that that is absolutely all of the mold that's present - just clean it off and fix the cause

2. is wrong if the mold is larger than in #1: the mold needs to be found, removed, and its cause corrected. Furthermore if the moldy materials are more than 30 sq.ft. in contiguous area, professional remediation is needed.

If you see a mushroom, that is the fruiting body of mold and there is certainly justification for further investigation.

The maintenance man sprayed bleach as a "cure" for mushrooms growing out of my ceiling

About a week ago I have water leaking from my ceilling from the people who live upstairs had a leak and it came down to us.

Later I saw a mushroom growing found out that it was mold.

The maintenance man in my apartment came and sprayed it with bleach that's it does the wood and stuff have to be removed or just bring or bleach fix it.

Please help I have a newborn baby On 2018-04-24 by Vanessa Aguilar

Answer by (mod) -

It's important that mold in buildings be removed including physical cleaning.

I sometimes include bleach or a sanitizer as a final step but I don't use bleach as a substitute for cleaning and removal. And part that's because even if you kill mold spores With bleach as bored as may still be allergenic or toxic, containing mycotoxins. If there's a large area of moldy material, more than 30 square feet, then professional cleaning is needed.

Of course it's also essential that the leaks that cause the mold are repaired.

Finally if water leaked into building wall and ceiling cavities, it's not likely that a surface spray of bleach on the exterior of those ceilings or walls would be adequate.

I have to add that spraying moldy drywall with bleach or any other disinfectant is never adequate and that moldy drywall needs to be removed.

Mushrooms were growing out of the bathroom ceiling; the landlady just laughed! Is the mold dangerous for my pet?

I rent a house ( been there for 4 years ).

The first year the windows would leak when it rain and I noticed 3 mushrooms growing on the bathroom ceiling.

I informed the landlord about these issues she said put a towel in the window stills to soak up the water and that she would have someone fix it She just laughed about the mushrooms.

Dec 2015 there was mold on my furniture, my clothing & around the the baseboard. I told the landlord about these issues she even came in the house to see it. Jan 2016 I called the city building code enforcement.

The city gave her a written report to repair the roof & wooden flooring & the drywall - no repairs to this date. Dec 2016 went to court for a unlawful Detainer the landlord served me with The case was dismissed due to the 30 day eviction notice was invalid.

The mold is so bad that you can smell it when you open the front door to enter.

I'M sick to my stomach & feeling tired all the time, was even tasting it in my mouth. the mold is in the bathroom & bedroom (haven't used the bedroom almost a year- there's no door- I have a heavy blanket hanging in the doorway to the bedroom to block the smell.

Jan 2017 the bedroom ceiling started leaking in one spot now the leak is one straight line from one end to the otherside of the ceiling.( 9 ft 7 1/2 inches across ) There's also mushrooms growing up from the carpet.I told the Landlord about the ceiling leaking bad she said no thing I asked her about putting a tarp on the roof her answer - no can't do that.

She wants me out due to me calling the city. She even told me she is not fixing or repairing anything. I've been washing the dishes in the bathtub 9 months she won't fix the kitchen sink.

March 4th 2017 was told by the landlord that home depot will be here on Monday to finally repair the roof. Its been raining hard for 3 days can they still work on the roof if it's wet?

was also told that I would have to leave the house & can come back when they are finished for the day. Do I have to leave the house while the work is being done? What about my small dog would she also have to leave while they are working on the roof?

I doubt that landlord said anything about the mold when home depot came out to inspect the roof before starting the job what steps are there to repairing a roof that has mold in the house?

I was also told not to talk or say anything when they come out to do the work

I've been looking for a place to move to for a year it's hard when your on a fixed-income (SSI) & you have a dog (dog is for emotional support )
Is mold dangerous to my pet?

Beverly
bevjmartinez@yahoo.com
P.S. I have pictures how do I send them to you ? 2017-03-05

A mushroom grew out of the bathroom ceiling; what do I do about it?

I am the manager of an apartment building and a mushroom grew out of the ceiling in the bathroom.

Around the same time my eyes turned red and were very dry (I am severely allergic to mold). Maintenance opened a very small piece of the ceiling. The 2 x 4s were blackened but maintenance said that was normal. It was dry inside.

As I was cleaning up the mess I found a piece of drywall that was completely black and sooty. I showed it to the management company and they said it was inactive. They send a contractor over to test for leaks.

He inserted a couple of needles into the ceiling and said there were no leaks. I had already done a mold test but had not received the results. The results were penicillium and cladosporium. I am tired and my nose is swollen, pain in abdomen and swollen upper back along with dizziness and headaches for over a month.

My doctor wants to send me to an infectious disease doctor but I do not have insurance. I gave the results to the owner of the property but he did not say anything. He did take the paperwork with him.

Does there have to be a leak to have the tests come back with penicillium and cladosporium? we just found another apartment that had a slab leak and we had to remove the bathtub, tiles and boards underneath the drywall.

Should we remove the entire ceiling (there was a leak before we took over this building, you can see where they removed a portion of the ceiling)?

I tried to clean blood stains out of the carpet and it just fell apart. Is the landlord responsible ?

I rented a appartment I didn't notice that there were blood stains in the carpet fro a apparently stabbing that happened in 2011 when I tried to clean the bloodstains the carpet started to fall apart my landlord is charging me a very large deposit for the apartment

do you think it's his responsibility to replace the carpet or fix dispatch for the blood stains have occurred thank you very much for any advice that you could give me sincerely Douglas Adams

Just rented a appartment has two old large blood stains in the carpet this must be harmful for my health COPD Cancer survivor On 2018-02-13 by Doug Adams

Answer by (mod) -

Doug,

One cannot estimate by just a note ike this exactly what health risks such as the presence of pathogens or disease-causing organisms might be present in bloody carpet left in an apartment.

In my OPINION such Carpeting and padding that has been wet and/or is now falling apart fshould have been removed and discarded and the floor and other surfaces appropriately cleaned and disinfected.

The question of who's responsible for just that work is one to be answered by the terms of your lease and by an attorney who knows rental law where you live. However generally I would expect a landlord to be required to deliver a rental property that is safe and habitable.

If there is just a couple of square feet of mold, can I clean it up myself?

Can I clean up a couple of square feet of moldy stuff myself? Will there be moldy dust on the rest of my apartment? On 2017-03-04 by Anonymous

Answer by (mod) -

Anon:

If the mold genera/species present (normally there are more than one) happens to be one that easily releases airborne spores then yes, moldy dust may show up on furnishings and other building surfaces.

If the area is large in size - say more than 30 sq.ft. of contiguous mold - that's big enough to warrant professional cleaning

Otherwise normally and for people who are themselves not at unusual health risk, it's a normal household cleanup job using ordinary cleaners.