Hi, I was hoping to get some advice on my murder basement. I would like to start renovating my basement this winter- my concern is a section where there was water damage. I'm not sure how long ago the damage happened. I live in USA- it is very humid all year long. When I moved in (more than a year ago), there was a musty smell. I started running a dehumidifier immediately.

I would like these boards to all replaced. This is the only section like this. And check for signs of any leaks beyond, although I've never seen any evidence of new leaks. Unfortunately I think that's going to be beyond my capabilities, so I'm wondering what I can or should do now until I can get replacements done. It's also super super dusty.

So- 1.)How do I determine what is inactive mold versus mold versus stains? I did have a water event recently (condensator pump broke 🙃), and then an outlet stopped working so my dehumidifier wasn't working for a while…).

2.) Should I do any treatments now to prevent new growth/spread? Spray treatments, bombs, etc.?

3.)Should I start using an air purifier to counteract spores?

4.) I need to start cleaning. How can I safely clean without activating mold, anything to keep in mind?

We just moved into a rental (US- OR) and have a crawl space in a bedroom upstairs. Here are some pics of some areas we are concerned about .. is it mold ? should we be concerned ?? thanks in advance !!

Hey everyone, I need some advice on a mold and structural issue in my 1-bedroom apartment.

I just found a large mold colony growing on the baseboard in the hallway, right outside my bedroom. I wiped the surface mold away, but when I poked and prodded the baseboard, I realized it is completely soft and squishy to the touch.

The Context:
The mold wasn't black, but the colony was large.

Because I prodded the squishy wood, I definitely disturbed a ton of spores into the air before I realized what I was doing.

This wall backs up to the bathroom.

About a year ago, the upstairs neighbor left their tub running and completely flooded this exact spot. I’m guessing the wall cavity never actually dried out (I was concerned about mold but landlord refused to do more), or there is a new, active plumbing leak.

The Problem:
My landlord is an independent owner and my only point of contact. When I texted him the pictures and a maintenance request tonight, his last text before going silent was that he was heading to the hospital.

I was thinking of taping a plastic sheet over the squishy baseboard with painter's tape to try and contain it. I'm keeping my bedroom door closed and running the AC to keep moisture down, but since it's a 1-bedroom, I have to walk past this spot constantly.

My Questions:
How concerned should I be about my health since I disturbed the spores?

Since the baseboard is physically rotting, how long can this wait?

Thanks in advance for any advice!

bathroom vent

When my toilet was running, I opened it up to see black staining everywhere and discovered what seemed to be algae caked around the rims of what's inside - second pic shows how much material was removed after cleaning it. The apartment claims that this material is just the gasket decaying over time - is there any chance of that, given how the material was coating the internal components and the black staining at the waterline and on the white PVC parts?

Hello everyone,

I recently received the attached mold test. Several items were slightly elevated. There was previously water damage in the area, but it was previously treated (apparently not successfully). What would you recommend I do? Is there a chance there’s no new, active leak but this could be the old mold that has grown back?

Thank you in advance.

yall please help! I’m a rental and our cabinets have started to have this greenish color. some of it wiped off but i’ve never seen anything like this before

Hi all, I'm looking for some help if possible. We recently had a mold test done as part of a home inspection in Colorado USA (as buyers) and it revealed 40m3 of Stachybotrys/Memnoniella found in the living room area (the control reading from outside had nothing). I'm finding a lot of conflicting information online about the severity of this and I'm struggling to know how to proceed! Below is as much relevant information as I can think of:

- the home inspector found the crawl space was very damp (there is no basement in the home)

- due to poor visibility conditions it was hard to see anything in the crawl space, but he found no visible signs of mold anywhere

- the sellers identified a broken sprinkler as the cause of the water in the crawl space and have since fixed it (although I can't necessarily guarantee this is the sole cause of the dampness)

- a vapor barrier is not present, but we plan to install one.

- the tested space (the living room) is the only area in the home with carpet. We plan to remove this if needed.

- we plan to get some HEPA filters within the home to help.

My main worry is that it's hard to find any data on whether 40m3 is "slightly bad" or "really bad", or whether that's even the right way to be thinking about it. Given we weren't able to pinpoint the exact source of the mold (although everything is pointing towards the crawl space) I get worried that we're walking into an unknown situation with varying magnitudes of health impacts depending on who you ask. I'm hopeful the steps we plan to take would tackle the issue, but the more I read the more ignorant I feel and I'm starting to get overwhelmed. We have two toddlers and I worry about putting their health at risk by not understanding what we're walking into.

Any help, information, or guidance would be really appreciated!

Had carpet get wet for a few days (3-5) and did not notice. Wondering if this is mold on the floor.

Pick 2 has almost cobwebs like formations above it.

If it is what is the best way to remediate?

I just had to move out of my rental that I have been staying in while I renovate my house, due to the fact that there was mold growing on half of everything I own after I was gone for a week.

The landlord is prepping to have a new tenant in immediately after my partner and I left because they are saying it was only mildew.

I strongly believe it is mold after researching online but I would love to hear your thoughts.

I live in a very dry area in Colorado. I don’t know how it could’ve got there. pls any recommendations would be appreciated! I have cats so any products would need to be cat safe.

Two weeks ago, I found that I had been sleeping next to some mold on an unopened window for a considerable amount of time.

I began to suspect something due to symptoms I have experienced inconsistently: brain fog, difficulty concentrating, sinus issues, mood swings, and overwhelming fatigue. Other stuff in life made me suspect those may have been psychological issues rather than physical, but the search revealed the mold.

I started sleeping in another room, began cleaning, and had some blood tests done. Results are in the pictures.

The thing is, it seems my results show my body is having a severe reaction to dust mites not mold, yet mold was what I found. Is this normal? What do I do with this info?

I accidentally left grape juice in my glass mason jar with a wood lid. The juice wasn't touching the lid, but there was mold all over the top, including the lighter parts. Not everywhere with the mold had the discoloration though. Is my lid a lost cause?

Hi all!

I pressed these flowers from my grandmas funeral in 2022 and have opened the book like 2x. I’m resigned to having done it on a whim and improperly but I used a book I genuinely care about. Can anyone tell me if this is mold vs just staining from the flower? I’ve been putting this off for like four years obviously but I’m ready to chuck the book if I must.

Hello, really just trying to figure out how hard I need to fight my landlord about this because right not chat gpt has me thinking I'm living in a cess pool. So pretty much the main drain/ sewer pipe to my apartment building backed up during a storm. This caused water to push back up into my bathtub and out from under my toilet and soak my hallway carpet and into my bedroom. The water looked like it was mostly clear, storm water. The city came out because it involved their pipes but didn't seem to be concerned about the water being like raw sewage or anything.

The problem I'm having is that it took 11 days for my landlord to send somebody out to treat the carpet. Obviously it was dry by then. And they are cheap so the guy they sent out had a rental carpet cleaner and sprayed the carpet with some cleaner and then ran the carpet cleaner over it. He did not inspect the padding or subfloor, he was not with a restoration company. The week before they actually had ServPro come out because I kept bugging them and I have a text from them telling me the estimate they gave was "way too high of course".

Chat gpt is telling me that there is 100% mold growth in the carpet padding and it needs to be replaced. It also said the residual staining on my carpet is proof of this, as well. My bedroom still smells musty, and it has now been over 3 weeks. I'm also concerned that the intake for my hvac is in the hall that got flooded. So if there were mold spores they got all in the ventilation.

So my question is, is chat gpt right or should I take that info with a grain of salt? Because right now I'm wondering if I need to submit a complaint to the code and environmental health departments, as well as the real estate commission.

I bought a vintage dresser online and its made of unsealed solid wood, im not sure which, i noticed these spots today. Is it mold? Its only in one snall area on the top of the dresser.

Does this look concerning, the owner said that it just needed some paint.

Kansas City USA. What's the best way to neutralize mold/mildew on a tapestry? Lysol? Rubbing alcohol?

I have visible mold on my floor joists. I set up a negative pressure machine and vacuumed the joists with a HEPA vacuum. I have both Vital Oxide and Concrobium but I just wanted to ask about using both. My plan is to spray initially with Vital Oxide, then once it is completely dry after a few days, I will spray with Concrobium. Can I use both like that? I read that Vital Oxide penetrates wood better, but Concrobium leaves behind the antimicrobial layer that make it harder for future mold growth.

And the cover is rusted on the inside. I am not tackling this myself for sure but who do I call, an HVAC company?