Mold.... - DPChallenge Forums

Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS

11/30/2011 11:13:15 AM · #1

When my exterminator was here he noticed some white powdery stuff on the wood under my bathroom he said was mold.

I just noticed it on my basement floor by the water meter too...

I am not sure it's mold, but it makes sense...it's pretty humid down there.

Anyone with advice?

ETA: I'm sure I could clean it off the floor pretty easily...but should I wait for the professional to see it, if that's the direction I need to go for the wood under my bathroom?

Message edited by author 2011-11-30 11:14:11.

Strikeslip

Canon EOS-5D

11/30/2011 11:25:44 AM · #2

Since it's white, it could be calcium from hard water. Can you get a good enough macro of it to see if it is crystalline?

Based on this, you should call a pro.

Message edited by author 2011-11-30 11:32:53.

11/30/2011 12:15:10 PM · #3

Ok...will do later this afternoon.

11/30/2011 12:43:14 PM · #4

Douse it with Clorox Bleach to kill it....Also you may want to look into a de-humidifyer...Mold can make people and pets very ill. So be cautious and get rid of it.

12/01/2011 01:12:55 PM · #5

Here are some pics...I spoke with a mold removing specialist...he was very nice, but told me for that "little" area mold, they won't come out, that I can do it myself. I did ask if I could send him some pics to make sure he understood what it was. I've emailed him some and I'm waiting for an answer.

Meanwhile, here are the pics...the first five are the ceiling in the basement under our bathroom where there has been some water leaking. The next batch are the white "stuff" I see next to our furnace and water heater, and the water meter. The close ups show the cotton candy like powedery stuff near the water meter. (There are also some styrofoam "peanuts" laying around there that fell out of our bag of packing materials we used to keep in that area.

Here's the gallery

12/01/2011 01:23:44 PM · #6

I would definately soak everything down with clorox and make sure the leak is fixed 1st.

12/01/2011 01:39:11 PM · #7

Originally posted by cowboy221977:

I would definately soak everything down with clorox and make sure the leak is fixed 1st.

We have to find the source of the leak first. I had our contractor here (did our other bathroom) and he thinks something is leaking down the wall...we don't know what, but we stopped using our shower for now to see if it dries out.

I also probably need to buy a dehumidifier for the "main" basement where the water heater is. Ours was so old we stopped using it because I think it was really wasting energy (we have another though in the next room).

Canon EF 24-105mm f/4.0L IS

12/01/2011 03:59:30 PM · #8

My bro had the dreaded black mold in his house from his hot water heater. The insurane ended up completely remodelling his house, dry cleaned everything...it cost the insurane company a pretty penny.

Art Roflmao

Canon EOS-6D Mark II

12/01/2011 04:43:11 PM · #9

Originally posted by cowboy221977:

My bro had the dreaded black mold in his house from his hot water heater. The insurane ended up completely remodelling his house, dry cleaned everything...it cost the insurane company a pretty penny.

I'm curious if mold coverage is part of standard homeowners insurance?

Tamron SP AF 28-75mm f/2.8 XR Di for Canon

12/04/2011 02:40:38 PM · #10

It's like invaders from space!

I cleaned the floor where there was the fuzzy stuff...these could be spores or effervesence...but I don't understand. They keep coming back, and quickly. And to the exact same places on the floor. Like they're growing there, but there's nothing left on the floor and bleach is supposed to kill mold if its there.

Day 1) sprayed with solution of outdoor bleach ... cleaned up with paper towels and a sponge...
Day 2) they're back. Same place, surprising amount for one day.
Day 2 mid day) Treated again...scrubbed with a sanding/smoothing style sponge and diluted bleach...did not wash off
Day 2 night) Spores (or whatever) are back again. Tried scraping them off with a spackling brush and carefully putting in a waste bag. Figured I would try "dry"
Day 3) 12 hours later, back again, nothing "grows" this fast, does it?

Always comes to the same places...so it's not like spores are coming from somewhere else...seem to be "growing" from the cement. So is this effervescence? Do spores "grow/accumulate" that fast?

I'll take a new pic and put it in the gallery shortly (link in one of my previous messages)

Garry

Canon EOS-7D

Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II

12/04/2011 02:48:01 PM · #11

Yup, that there is most definitely mould. Without changing the environment, you're not going to get rid of it. Suspect, you'll have to get a professional in there to clean it up...probably will need to replace some of the wood, and do something to either treat the new surfaces, or dehumidify the room.

Don't mess around by trying XYZ...mould and their spores are very resistant little buggers.

MelonMusketeer

Nikon D7000

Nikon MF 50mm f/1.4

12/04/2011 03:00:36 PM · #12

I have done a lot of work on wooden boats. Try white vinegar on it. It don't smell great, but it will kill the mold, and the smell will go away soon.
You will have to address the cause of the problem to get a permanent solution. Ventilation and removal of the source of the moisture is essential. You may have to do some carpentry and plumbing to get it all straightened out.
Be sure to keep your lenses far away from it. If those spores get inside, it's not pretty. Focusing or moving a zoom can draw them into the lens.

BrennanOB

Canon EOS-1D Mark II

12/04/2011 03:02:24 PM · #13

The stuff on the wood is mold, and yes it grows fast, you need to hit it hard enough to mess up it's ph balance with the bleach, or starve it of moisture. I don't know the molds in your area, but unless you are allergic most molds are pretty harmless, and at least in my area the only dangerous ones are black and spread very thin. I would not scrub it off for 2 reasons. It might be harmful and you don't want it in the air. You want as much of the organism available to spray bleach on to carry the toxin back to the mold you cant reach inside the wood.

The stuff on the concrete looks crystaline, not mycological. When you crush it between your thumb and fingers is it powdery or grainy? If it's grainy then it is just water moving through the concrete and leaving behind its minerals when it evaporates. My bet is on efflorescence. It cleans up with any mild acid, vinegar, coke, or diluted muriatic or phosphoric acid.

Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 USM Macro

12/04/2011 03:42:51 PM · #14

Originally posted by Art Roflmao:

Originally posted by cowboy221977:
My bro had the dreaded black mold in his house from his hot water heater. The insurane ended up completely remodelling his house, dry cleaned everything...it cost the insurane company a pretty penny.

I'm curious if mold coverage is part of standard homeowners insurance?

It used to be but now they don't offer mold insurance...The insurance companies were getting hit hard.

MelonMusketeer

Nikon D7000

Nikon MF 50mm f/1.4

12/04/2011 03:50:10 PM · #15

Look up "Dry Rot" on Wiki. It pretty much describes your situation and the photos you posted Neil.

Spork99

OM System OM-1

12/04/2011 04:32:04 PM · #16

At least it's not black mold...that stuff is lethal.

PapaBob

Sony Alpha a7 IV

Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS

12/04/2011 05:37:45 PM · #17

I used to do home inspections and I will give you the same advice I would give any client when I would see something like this in a home - Find a professional testing company in your area!", it is not cheap but you really need to test it so you know what you are dealing with before you start treating it. To me it looks a lot like Efflorescence but could also be a type of mold. Without knowing for sure it makes it harder to treat. There are also testing kits at some of the big box hardware stores that can be used to test it yourself, it's cheaper but with the photos you showed I would recommend the professional route.

With mold and especially black mold the best thing is to get rid of affected surfaces when ever possible. Bleach can sometimes work but is not as effective as you would think. In either case getting rid of the source of the moisture is a must or it will just keep coming back but keep in mind with mold when you take away the food source it makes the mold mad and it starts putting out spores to help itself survive by finding new places to grow and that is when it is most dangerous.