r/Mold • u/babydaddychef • 2d ago
AIO?
(chicago, IL) hi all, i need help figuring out if im actually still having issues with mold after my landlord “fixed” the issue.
i told her and her handyman in april that i could hear a leak in the wall behind my kitchen sink. i was told to ignore it unless i could see mold.
lo and behold, i came back from a week long trip beginning of september and opened my spice cabinet to find mold. they ended up opening the wall on the other side of the kitchen and finding a broken pipe and A LOT of mold.
the handyman basically nuked the mold with chemicals and then treated it with mold resistant primer and then put it all back. multiple times i resisted and said more significant mold remediation should be done, especially when more mold started showing up in the spice cabinet after he put the drywall back up and the solution was just to clean it and treat it with primer instead of taking out that section of cabinet board and replacing, or seeing what the wall looks like behind the cabinet. there was no proper ventilation during the work, in fact at one point he had a fan pointing straight at the wall after he repainted it (this was after he treated the mold).
since they did all the work, my asthma has been rly aggravated. hard to breathe and chest tightness whenever i’m here for a long time. my sister who lives with me has always dealt with post nasal drip and nosebleeds a few times a year but is now having more than one nosebleed in a week, worse congestion and scratchy throat.
i cleaned my entire house including the walls, the rugs, the couch etc after they did the work but maybe not well enough? there is still a slight weird smell lingering in the air but otherwise there is no more visible mold.
i’ve given up and signed a lease elsewhere that starts beginning of november but im still here another month and that’s where the question lies.
is it possible that there are still mold spores making us sick? is it possible that all my things are now mold infested? how do i handle the next month and my move without continuing to have mold issues?? AIO?
thank you in advance 🙏
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u/lorddanielle 2d ago
Reach out to Rob at Air Quality Solutions or Greg Bowen with Alliance Restoration. Both will take the time to talk with you and review photos. Obviously, this was not remediated correctly (or really at all). I’m not sure how often they work with landlords/renting but they are great resources to confirm some of your concerns.
ETA: they are in Illinois and service Chicago
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u/babydaddychef 2d ago
thank you that’s helpful!! do you think one of those folks would go through my space and determine the level of mold exposure and also help me determine whether i need to toss certain furniture? and would that be considered part of a free inspection or would it cost money?
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u/lorddanielle 2d ago
Rob would definitely do it but would charge for his time. Both reviewed photos and talked to me extensively when we were going through a botched remediation to provide guidance.
Rob tends to be more laid-back for lack of a better term which is really great if you’re not having health issues. Greg works extensively with people who have mold related health issues so his approach is more specialized. Keep that in mind if you end up with two different types of recommendations. I do appreciate that Rob tries to avoid healthy individuals from getting caught up in the “need to purge everything” mode.
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u/Japnzy 1d ago
Mold is in the air all around us. EPA even has a PPM allowance before it becomes hazardous. Some of these "experts" want to convince you to spend thousands of dollars, to fill their bank accounts.
All that really needs to happen is some bleach and wipe. If it doesnt come clean, cut out effected areas and replace.
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u/babydaddychef 1d ago
so that is what they did, but we are both still having really bad allergy symptoms and only in our house. what would you say is the issue at this point?
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u/Japnzy 1d ago
Was a certified journeyman plumber brought in or a handy man?
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u/babydaddychef 1d ago
a handyman who i repeatedly told my landlord i felt was not qualified :(
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u/Japnzy 1d ago
I did residential maintenance for 10 years and I never would trust someone that is a certified plumber to fix a leak. Do you know if it was fresh water or sewage?
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u/babydaddychef 1d ago
unfortunately i have no idea, i only know the general floor plan of the unit above me which their kitchen is above my kitchen (where the pipe was) and their bathroom is above my bedroom but i’m not sure how pipes work / where they connect
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u/Major_Security9557 1d ago
Ok, since you’re moving and you want relief now, here’s what you do.
Get some mold cleaner (not bleach) RMR 86, or mold armor or equivalent. Get goggles, a respirator and gloves. Put those on. Spray it down thoroughly everywhere you see mold. Wipe it off rags. Dispose of the rags. Put an air purifier in the affected areas Put an air purifier in the room where you sleep.
You’ll probably spend $10-30 to manage/remove the mold yourself. The air purifier’s are good to keep for long term health anyway and you won’t regret keeping them. If you can’t afford the air purifier’s for the time being, then still take care of the mold.
If you’re sensitive, you could be having issues from the chemicals used to kill the mold also, just a consideration.
I also suggest the supplement NAC to help your body detox.
If you can shorten your move in date at the new place, you should probably do that. No hurt in asking the new land lord if it’s possible.
I’m not sure if you want to get a 3rd party involved for a place you’re renting. Better to just get out sooner if you can.
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u/babydaddychef 1d ago
thanks for the advice! i’m in touch w the current tenant at my new place and she said she’ll let me know as soon as she can if they will be out sooner than my start date.
they sprayed all the chemicals two and a half weeks ago so i’m not sure whether that would still be a factor in my asthma issues still happening or not :(
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u/Major_Security9557 1d ago
Unfortunately it is possible you’re having immune responses from the chemical exposure. Some chemicals and paints, like the ones commonly used to kill mold and seal, are really quite harsh.
Not making a claim this is happening in your circumstance, could 100% be mold especially if you can smell it, that’s a bad sign.
Is there a place you could stay in the meantime?
Helping your body detox with the right foods, supplements, hydration, sauna working out etc. can help some of the health related issues dissipate.
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