How do I get rid of mold in the bathroom ceiling for good?I have an infant so I'm afraid to bathe her in there

Question

We are undergoing a major renovation at our home. Our contractor had put the walls up but not a roof yet. We had very heavy rainfall that night and water was streaming down our kitchen, laundry, and bathroom walls. Nevertheless, we are dealing with mold now because of the water damage. Our contractor said he cannot do anything about it until we get to the drywall stage which could be another few weeks because of all the inspections required before we get to that point. I'm really scared to even go in the bathroom for fear my 9 month old daughter will get sick. Our contractor admitted it was his fault and that he will fix it. He wants to put bleach on it and KILZ? over it. I don't think that is going to fix the mold problem. What is the BEST way to get rid of the mold problem for good? Thank you.

Answer 1

KILZ-binning the area is a good temporary idea. it will cover and seal the mold for good. This is what emergency comapnies use for water and fire damage immediately. Your contractor should not have let the roof go undone. He should seal all the nailers with bin at his own expense.

Inspections should NOT take that long. As a concerned homeowner call up and harass them to get an appointment sooner. They will pay more attention to you than the contractor. Also in certain areas, drywal CAN go up before inspections are done AS LONG AS ONLY ONE SIDE OF THE WALL IS ROCKED TO LEAVE IT VISIBLE FOR INSPECTION.

Answer 2

Going by your question, the drywall is not installed? If not I do not know how mold would develop so quickly unless it was present in the framing already. Either way. If the mold is on the framing timber a total good soaking of bleach will work (make sure it is allowed to dry 100% before covering. However if the DW is up then the bleach is unlikely to do the job as the mold is probably all the way through the DW.

If this is the contractors fault remember that you are paying for a professional installation free of any concerns on completion - if it costs him money or profit he should have been professional enough to protect the area from rain. The Drywall and any vapour barrier should be removed and the framing treated with bleach.

Have a good quality ventilation fan installed rated slightly higher than required for the volume of the room (to large might be too noisy) and make sure it is vented to the exterior of the house which frequently is done via soffit vents or end gables - not just into the attic space as this may cause mold or moisture related probs later.

Vapour barrier should be UV rated heavy plastic on all exterior walls (ceiling to attic is exterior) and sealed properly.

Your concerns should apply to any area that was soaked by water. Mold is not something to mess around with - especially for children and seniors.

If you are paying market price for the renovation everything should be done leaving you with zero concerns and feeling satisfied with the work done - anything less is not acceptable. As a guide, the minimum hourly rate for any serious renovation contractor in Canada should be $50 hr plus. In the USA I would imagine this would be around $40. Anything less and good luck finding him later for any repairs - chances are he/she will be out of business.

Answer 3

there's only one hope for depression. That is an effective anti depressant medication. Depression comes from a checmical imbalance in the neurotransmitters and the brain and nothing in the world will alleviate unless you compensate for it. The right medication will do it. When you're depressed, you're unable to interact with a therapist by talking or be with or around anyone so talk therapy won't work. Being around people is a waste because the loss of interest makes it difficult to tolerate company and again, verbal interaction. You will have no desire for pets or taking care of animals as it's too labor intensive, too complex and your mind can't handle it. Excercise requires motivation which you have none. Until you can compensate for the chemical imbalance that's causing the depression and anxiety, none of these suggestions are useful.. Once you regain your sense of motivation and desire to do things, only then can any interaction or activity possibly help feel good.. There are ssri's, snri's mao inhibitors and trycyclic anti depressants. Some work better than others depending on the individdual. It is frustrating until you find one that works well with tolerable side effects. If none of these are ever an option, try ect (shock therapy)l

Answer 4

kilz will cover and the mold, but may not prevent it in the future. The only way to abate mold is to start over... with new gypsum board. Once mold starts growing it doesnt stop. If it is black mold growing, you shouldnt even be around it, black mold can kill you. Just make sure there is plenty of ventilation in the bathroom, and stay in there for only a minimal amount of time (I dont know how bad it is, so cannot completely diagnose). Your contractor really needs to replace any gypsum board that has gotten wet. It is a harbor for mold growth.

can you give your daughter a bath in a clean kitchen sink until you get things worked out?

Answer 5

In a way it's a good thing you're not at the drywall stage because if you were, it would have to be redone. Yes, bleach will kill the fungus and kilz will seal it in to where it cannot regrow.

Unless your baby has breathing problems to begin with, he is not likely to be any more susceptible to problems from mold than an adult. In fact, babies' immune systems are at a point when they are sensing antigens in the environment, rather than reacting to them allergically. A adult who spent their childhood in a mold-free environment until the age of 12 is more likely to have a problem.

Answer 6

The first thing you need is a roof that will shed the water. Then you can start to deal with the mold issue. It may behove you to have some testing done before this process is finished.

DO NOT BLEACH. Contrary to popular belief, bleach will not kill the mold. You need to clean and thoroughly dry ALL materials before encapsulating (painting or drywalling). Visit www. horizon-inspections.com, mold page for more info regarding mold issues. Please feel free to email me with additional details if you wish.

Answer 7

Actually my grandfather told me that bleach is the #1 killer of mold. It'll work. Whether it will work on the drywall, I'm not sure. The best thing your contractor could do for you though is probably redo the walls themselves. But for now, bleach should make it safe enough.

Answer 8

yes put bleach on it . then ventolate the room well .
after this other work is done and before you pay one cent have the dry wall taken down look on the back side for mold as well .
they may find lots or they may find little and say they dont want to rip all the dry wall down . if they say that then ask for random holes to be cut in the walls check them yourself and have any that are black removed.
you are right mold is deadly . not just to children but to everyone

Answer 9

Bleach and water in a pump up garden sprayer. After drywall is up install a really good vent fan. These can be $$$, so expect to pay $80-120 for a good one.
Good luck

Answer 10

The best way to kill mold is to make a mixture of miracle whip, mustard, milk, hot sauce and (it sounds disgusting but it works) urine. The acids in all the ingredients will kill off any kind of mold.