Problem with mold

I am having a problem with mold in my bed room /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/icon15.gif, and I was thinking does dryness kill mold or does it mask it?

Thanks for the input! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif

I have heard that a relative humidity level above 50% will tend to stimulate mold growth. I dont' know if dryness will kill it, but it should at the very least make it stop growing and become dormant. You would still want to clean it up somehow.

Moisture is probably the #1 cause.
I live in a damp basement, and things down there tend to get alittle mold if unattended.
You might want to find an old dehumidifier.

Cleaning it up is fairly easy, use a wet rag to get most of it off, then use a bleach of some sort to whip the area down.

These molds can cause you to get sick, so take care of them
Not to mention they like to eat nice shinny metal in your electronics.

Try Clorox; a dehumidifier; a fan to circulate air; removal of damp clothes, aquarium, or other sources of humidity; add direct sunlight.

If all else fails, look for an external source of moisture like a leaky gutter that is introducing water into the wall.

good luck!

I don't know about the dehumidifier because my nose gets dry really fast and start bleeding. What about Silica Gel I can easily tape that to the wall that the mold is growing it will suck up all the humidity form that spot.

Thank you

You have a moldy bedroom and you get nosebleeds. I bet you have to fight off the chicks! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

You might skip the dehumidifier and try the clorox and a 24/7 fan to circulate the air, and see how that goes. I don't think that silica gel would do the trick, because its not only the wall surface but the air that needs to be dried. Maybe crank the air conditioning while you aren't at home, which dries the air somewhat. I keep a small fan on 24/7 in my basement to keep the air moving past a dehumidifier.

best regards

I live just off the ocean on the Oregon coast -- EVERYTHING gets moist.

We have small containers of Calcium Chloride in all of our closed rooms. These containers remove all the excess moisture from the air, and we only have to replace the calcium chloride every couple of months. It's really cheap ...

You can find these little systems at www.drizair.com

We have no problems at all with mold while using these -- and I don't know anyone up here with a dehumidifier. The chemical solution works better. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

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powernoodle said:
You have a moldy bedroom and you get nosebleeds. I bet you have to fight off the chicks! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

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I grew up in the Humid Zone and a de-humidifier is a must!
Your nosebleeds and dryness probably wont be exacerbated by the addition of a de-humidifier. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

UVLaser, you don't have to dehumidify all the way to nothing /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif Just as jtice says below about 50%. Unless you are in standing water, you don't want to run the thing 24/7 anyway as it will cost you $30+ a month extra on your electric bill for a normal sized one! but they have humidistats on them, like a thermostat and they will cycle as necessary.

I have always had one in the finished part of every basement I've ever owned to keep things from getting moldy.

If it's just 1 corner or something where there is no air then a fan can help, I had to do that under a desk in the corner once, but a fan won't help if it's just humid overall.

And you will have to clean up whats already there. Just like you'd clean anything else, but you can follow up with a dilute bleach if you want afterwards. but if you just let it dry in place it will turn into dust and be doubly bad for your nose and lungs until you get it cleared out. So get a dehumidifier and clean it up and the problem will go away.

Dryness causes the mold to go dormant which makes it less toxic. If you can't dry out the place then there is likely nothing you can do to make it healthy. I'd investigate the cause; is there an unvented dryer, a bathroom that doesn't vent or other poor building design? It might not be trivial. I've seen moldy homes condemned and I've seen the inhabitants health destroyed before they knew what hit them. An internet search on this issue will produce results. If it's bad, you might just want to move.

First, regarding clorox for removing the mold, a solution of 10%-clorox 90%-water works better than pure clorox.

Mold can form is seemingly dry rooms. If your walls aren't well-insulated, when it's cold out, your bedroom wall will be cold while the bedroom air will be warm. This will cause the water to condense, and voila, mold. Better insulation in your cold walls is one of the possible solutions. Is your bedroom in the northeast corner of your house?

Once you've tried the good suggestions above, finish it off by painting the walls/ceiling with a mold-resistant paint. Yes, there is such a thing. We painted a problem area of a bedroom ceiling and bathroom ceiling with it, and it brought a dramatic improvement in mold resistance.

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vontech said:
We have small containers of Calcium Chloride in all of our closed rooms. These containers remove all the excess moisture from the air, and we only have to replace the calcium chloride every couple of months. It's really cheap ...

You can find these little systems at www.drizair.com


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Do the crystals change color when they absorb moisture? We used to use a dehydrator/dessicant system for keeping moisture out of microwave waveguide, and the crystals would change color when they were full of moisture. They could be "recharged" by putting them in an oven (NOT one that you prepare food with!) to pull the moisture back out.

Won't bore you with our mold bloom in my house that cost us $ 50,000 for clean up.

Moisture is EVERYTHING. Mold spores are pretty much all over. They will NOT grow in low <50% humidity, and 60 % may be OK. Locate the source of moisture FIRST. If it is localized, say a window that condenses, a fan to move the air/moisture around may do it. If more widespread (water under the house, roof leaks,etc.) address that.

I have done extensive french drains, and other overkill, to prevent moisture from causing our former DISASTER.

The above advice of 10% clorox solution is what the clean up guys use; they just won't tell you until they get paid.

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powernoodle said:
You have a moldy bedroom and you get nosebleeds. I bet you have to fight off the chicks! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif


best regards

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The mold-resistant paint primer that we used is called Killz. You can buy a fungicidal paint additive here that can do the same thing. They also have other mold control products as well as good advice.

Hi UVLaser,

My friend, Britt, had a UVC/HEPA filtration unit installed in line with his home HVAC system in Florida. It is amazing. When he goes there his lungs and sinuses clear up completely.

You might find it particularly interesting that your namesake UV (C) is effective at controlling mold. His home unit is extremely powerful and can give some protection even against Anthrax spores and almost 100% protection against Anthrax bacteria.

If you are sensitive to mold, you need to wear a respirator when you clean it up. Brushing against mold can release millions of spores into the air and can cause serious problems.

Best of luck,

Cathi

Here is the website where he started his search:

UVC and Mold

Photonwrangler,

The calcium chloride crystals leech the moisture out of the air and I assume combine with it. The crystals disappear slowly, leaving the container full of water. They get "used up" and have to be replaced every two months or so. And the water needs to be dumped.

Vontech is right. I used to live in a sort of run-down apartment here in Seattle, and there was a mold problem. Those chemical "air dryers" work pretty good, but if the problem is bad, run a dehumidifier for 8 hours every couple of days. Ours used to take a gallon of water out of the air at least once a day! Yuck.

Get the calcium chloride kit, wash the mold with a little bleach mixed with water, and if that doesn't work, consider a dehumidifier.

So the question is ... you guys seem to think you can sort of home-remedy mold with bleach and a dehumidifier. I was under the impression that if there's any real problem, you need professional assistance at big $$$$. Am I wrong?