Re: help with ideas for someone just realizing their mold exposure

[Guest guest]

1.) Eliminate the sources of moisture for the mold to grow on. This

could be condensation somewhere, hidden.

2.) They need to 'kill' and detoxify the mold (very difficult, just a

little bleach and soap wont do it.. ) and remove the killed mold,

being careful to not get it on their bodies.. (They should use full

body protection if there is a lot of mold..and it sounds like there

is..) Arrgh...

Actually, IF THEY JUST BOUGHT THE HOUSE, they should try to UNBUY it..

This is way too much of a problem for anybody...In my opinion, they

really should consult a lawyer..

3.) If they want to do mold testing, and there is any chance of a

lawsuit in their future, they should have the samples collected by a

disinterested third party (a mold professional would be best, but if

that is not an option, its expensive, they might be able to hire a

notary to come over and do, say, tape lifts..and then mail them off to

the lab to preserve chain of custody.. Ask a lawyer, I'm just guessing

on that one.. I ended up hiring a lab. And I'm still fighting the

monster..) Id hire a pro who has testified in court.. In this

situation, the experience is worth paying for..

- and have them analyzed by a reputable forensic mold lab.. Try to

find the best - Its worth it.

the agar plate tests are basically worthless, IMO. There are so many

different molds in the air at different times the mold that grows on a

plate will not necessarily be the same mold that is there. For legal

purposes, the result you'd get get would probably also be useless in

court... The mold that gets sent to the lab needs to be the mold that

is growing in the house under the house's conditions..

For stachybotrys, which doesnt emit (microscopically identifiable)

spores into the air unless its been recently wet.. tape lifts are

best.

(What they really should do is measure mycotoxins in the dust.. and

air.. not mold spores in the air..)

Stachy grows on drywall and wood.. In other areas, where the dampness

is lower, like closets, the mold is much less likely to be

stachybotrys.. But it still could be a toxic mold..

Just my opinion.. If this is at all an option, they should cut their

losses and get out of there..

And sue.. if they can. Staying may not be worth the pain..Others will

probably tell you the same thing..

On 11/8/05, jbeansved <Jsverdlove@...> wrote:

> I went through mold poisoning that was the final cause of my MCS 4

> years ago. Now my boyfriend's sister is realizing that her house in

> NC that she just bought and renovated is possibly the reason she's

> been getting sick. She has a bad cough with phlegm, and

> exhaustion. There's visible mold in their basement, water damage,

> and mold is even growing on her shoes in her closet.

>

> I told her enough to start her getting panicked and, like anyone,

> she didn't want to be overwhelmed. Her doctor put her on

> antibiotics, which I know is going to only make things worse. She

> just wrote and asked me what I would advise about a few things, so

> I'm asking the group, because again I don't want to give too much

> info, and some answers I'm really not sure about. I did already

> tell her to join the group and get Mold Warriors, but I think right

> now she needs to keep it simple and I'd like to help.

>

> Any advice on:

>

> 1) What to do for her cough? (besides get out of the house, which

> is not a possibility for her)

>

> 2) What to use to clean the mold?

>

> 3) Any good, clear instructions out there for black mold remediation

> they can do on their own (they don't have money)?

>

> 4) Is it worth it to do the petri dish tests? And if so, which lab?

>

> 5) Any other advice that's not too much for her to handle at this

> time - like basically, the top three things to do for her health and

> house that won't cost too much and won't be something she can't

> handle (like having to leave the house)

>

> I had to remember that when I was in the same situation, I couldn't

> imagine that mold could be that bad. It took losing my health and

> everything I owned completely to wake up to the reality. So it's

> hard to advise others when I know too well the damage that living

> with mold causes, as I just want to say - get out, it's not worth

> it! So any help is appreciated...

>

> Jill

>

>