Started By
Message

Question about testing for mold in home

Posted on 6/24/16 at 8:23 pm
Posted by MSCoastTigerGirl
Baton Rouge
Member since Dec 2008
35525 posts
Posted on 6/24/16 at 8:23 pm
I know this is a really long post, but Google isn't helping me at all.

I rent (trashy, I know), and I'm pretty sure I have mold in my bathroom ceiling that's making me sick. Besides the smell, I'm having many symptoms of mold exposure, including waking up every morning extremely conjested and with a headache. I start to feel the same way not long after I get home every day. When I'm here I'm always thirsty, I get dizzy, and I have multiple respiratory symptoms. After I'm out of here for about 30 minutes or so I feel much better.

A few months ago, the pipes in the apartment above me were leaking. There was visible black mold on the ceiling along with visible water damage. The first time I called maintenance, they came and painted over the visible mold with latex paint (which any idiot knows doesn't kill mold). About a month or so later, it was visible again so I called maintenance, again. He came and sprayed bleach on the ceiling and told me that it was mildew and I didn't know what I was talking about. At that point, besides being extremely pissed off, I realized that they weren't going to do anything about it, so I said frick it. The pipes above me continued to leak...mold and water damage spread. About 2 months later the ceiling above my bathtub caved in because it was saturated from water damage. It was about a 3 foot by 5 foot section.

They relocated me for 4 days so they could repair the damage and "kill" the mold. Welp, they only replaced the part of the sheet rock that caved in instead of replacing the entire ceiling. There is still some visible water damage, however, there is no visible mold at this point.

When the ceiling caved in, there was extensive water damage to the structural beams, along with a shite load of visible black mold. I immediately got a terrible headache, sneezing, etc. and had to wait outside for maintenance to come. They fixed the leak, replaced the sheet rock, painted the ceiling and moved me back in. There is no way they had time to properly handle the mold. I'm almost positive that the only thing they did was fix the leak and replace ceiling.

Can mold on the structural beams be making me sick? I've been trying to find info online about testing for mold, and most sites mention home testing kits. What is a good home testing kit to buy and are they accurate? There is a mold clause in my lease. Basically, if it tests positive for mold they either have to fix it or I can gtfo without penalty.

tl;dr. Mold in bathroom ceiling. I need a good home testing kit (if such a thing exists). Any recommendations are greatly appreciated. TIA.
Posted by Paul Allen
Montauk, NY
Member since Nov 2007
75193 posts
Posted on 6/24/16 at 8:25 pm to
tl;dr
Posted by MSCoastTigerGirl
Baton Rouge
Member since Dec 2008
35525 posts
Posted on 6/24/16 at 8:26 pm to
Gfy, Paul
Posted by Paul Allen
Montauk, NY
Member since Nov 2007
75193 posts
Posted on 6/24/16 at 8:26 pm to
Excuse me?
Posted by Rouge
Floston Paradise
Member since Oct 2004
136810 posts
Posted on 6/24/16 at 8:31 pm to
Can take indoor swabs and/or air samples

Have to compare indoor sample to outdoor samples to see if you have elevated spore counts.

Test cassettes run about $10 a piece. Sampling runs about $60 per test. Sure that your town has a few labs that can provide analysis.

Want to mainly compare penicillum/aspergills (sp) and stachybotyrs fungi
Posted by djangochained
Gardere
Member since Jul 2013
19054 posts
Posted on 6/24/16 at 8:31 pm to
So poor and stupid?
Posted by Calvin Candie
The Cleopatra Club
Member since Dec 2014
485 posts
Posted on 6/24/16 at 8:40 pm to
You need to move asap.
Posted by soccerfüt
Location: A Series of Tubes
Member since May 2013
65667 posts
Posted on 6/24/16 at 8:40 pm to
It was a dark and moldy night....

tl/dr
Posted by Rouge
Floston Paradise
Member since Oct 2004
136810 posts
Posted on 6/24/16 at 8:44 pm to
The second one, and you need two

The service is called indoor air quality. If mold is amplified, you need to see if it is as bad or worse than the outside conditions.

Set up the inside sample at least three feet from entrance to restroom of concern. You do not want any standing water in restroom to compromise the testing.

In a past life, I used to do this for a living. Now I just review other people's work on this shite.
This post was edited on 6/24/16 at 8:47 pm
Posted by MSCoastTigerGirl
Baton Rouge
Member since Dec 2008
35525 posts
Posted on 6/24/16 at 8:48 pm to
So I put the 2nd one outside? If so, does it need to be a certain distance from buildings, pool, etc?
Posted by MSCoastTigerGirl
Baton Rouge
Member since Dec 2008
35525 posts
Posted on 6/24/16 at 8:49 pm to
quote:

You need to move asap.



That's exactly what I'm trying to do.
Posted by Rouge
Floston Paradise
Member since Oct 2004
136810 posts
Posted on 6/24/16 at 8:50 pm to
Putting it in front yard area should work just fine.

I typically put within 10 feet of the building being tested
Posted by MSCoastTigerGirl
Baton Rouge
Member since Dec 2008
35525 posts
Posted on 6/24/16 at 8:50 pm to
Gotcha.

Thanks
Posted by Rouge
Floston Paradise
Member since Oct 2004
136810 posts
Posted on 6/24/16 at 8:52 pm to
If you are trying to move, test shortly after a rain event. It knocks down the outdoor mold, and it will show a greater disparity with your indoor levels, if you have any elevated levels.

Not sure if you are willing to go that route, but just throwing it out there.
This post was edited on 6/24/16 at 8:53 pm
Posted by Spankum
Miss-sippi
Member since Jan 2007
56028 posts
Posted on 6/24/16 at 8:55 pm to
At this point, you are obviously not going to be happy living there any longer. Have you just asked to see if you can get out of your lease? May save both you and them a hell of a lot of bs to just part ways now...
Posted by Capital Cajun
Over Yonder
Member since Aug 2007
5525 posts
Posted on 6/24/16 at 9:00 pm to
I think you can get a mild test kit from home depot but mold exist naturally in the environment. The only way to get an accurate reading is from an environmental company.

Tell the comolex to relocate you to another unit or tell them they will be hearing from your attorney. I bet they will move you or have professionals come out to abate the affected area.
Posted by charlieg14
Member since Mar 2006
3076 posts
Posted on 6/24/16 at 9:01 pm to
DEMAND free rent until problem is completely eliminated. If they refuse, report them to BBB and contact legal advice.
Posted by dbbuilder79
Overton NV
Member since Dec 2010
4151 posts
Posted on 6/24/16 at 9:02 pm to
Are any of the walls in the exposed areas a fire wall where there would be another unit on the other side? Of so, ask if they're having the same problem.




Or just lawyer up
Posted by MSCoastTigerGirl
Baton Rouge
Member since Dec 2008
35525 posts
Posted on 6/24/16 at 9:02 pm to
I've tried to talk to them on more than one occasion. It hasn't worked. They won't let me out of my lease and if I break it without justifiable cause I'm fricked.

first pageprev pagePage 1 of 2Next pagelast page

Back to top
logoFollow TigerDroppings for LSU Football News
Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram to get the latest updates on LSU Football and Recruiting.

FacebookTwitterInstagram