Community Chat

[Purrrfect]

On 4/8/2015 Ford1224 said:

On 4/8/2015 Ugh said:

How disappointing for you.

Not all mold is toxic. I would call a mold specialist and have them test it, if you can afford it, and save all documentation. Take photos too. If the findings come back that it's toxic your landlord is responsible for having it removed.

Home Depot sells kits that you can test yourself but I wouldn't rely on a home kit. My brother had a similar issue in his shower but it was remedied with bleach.

However, I suspect your mold is coming from behind the drywall in your shower. Most older bathrooms have mold harboring behind tiles and sheet rock from previous leaks and flooding.

The maintenance guy (who was very nice) came yesterday and told us the shower stalls were put directly onto concrete, there is no drywall or sheetrock in between. They would have to destroy them to get them off and we would probably have to stay somewhere else while this is done because the fumes would be dangerous. I have seen cases where the remediation had to be done while the workers were in full hazmat gear, including face masks. Hopefully this situation is not that bad, as that would be a worst case scenario.

Actually that's good news that there's no sheet rock that can rot behind your shower walls. Is the shower tiled? It's possible that it can be a fairly easy fix. Only if it's toxic mold will it need to be removed with hazmat gear. If it is toxic, Ford, this is a serious health issue, as you already know, and could even be life threatening. With that being said, if it was a stachybotris (Sp?) mold which is deadly, someone in the building by now would have gotten so sick, there would have been reports filed and the building would be permanently condemned.

I know it's nerve wracking because I went through this helping my brother.

[LilacTree]

On 4/8/2015 bikerbabe said:

In CA they can give you a notice to vacate if they determine the problem cannot be fixed with the apartment occupied. It could mean ripping out the entire bathroom, treating and rebuilding it. You do need to find out what kind of mold it is. I would try to work through management first. Next step would be to contact local authorities for safety issues. Be prepared it could make for a bad relationship with management and an unhappy living situation (ie, be prepared for the possiblity of moving).

I know. We spent a lot of money moving in, I don't know where we would get the money to move out . . . plus packing all over again IF we could find a decent apartment. We have already been through that and felt so lucky to have found this one. I am trying to be positive and hopeful that there will be an acceptable solution to this.

[Purrrfect]

It's amazing today all of the background checks they do to find their new perfect tenants yet they sit there harboring a nasty secret about mold. So wrong.

[Tinkrbl44]

On 4/8/2015 SoftRaindrops said:

Ford, I am so sorry to hear this but there are ways of handling it without necessarily needing to hire an attorney.

First call the building management and tell them if it is not cleaned up immediately, you have no other choice but to call the building code (violation division) Board of Health in your town. I called years ago when something similar happened. They came and inspected. Afterwards, they told the management they had 30 days to clean it up or they would be fined. They know they can be sued for this, so they usually just need prompting from law enforcement.

You can do this on your own....an attorney will cost you and won't always work in a timely fashion because it is a small claim...

Apartment living can be very difficult so I really feel for both you and your daughter.

I also think this is the best way to go with this ..... you need to get some action on this, ASAP.

[LilacTree]

On 4/8/2015 Ugh said:

On 4/8/2015 Ford1224 said:

On 4/8/2015 Ugh said:

How disappointing for you.

Not all mold is toxic. I would call a mold specialist and have them test it, if you can afford it, and save all documentation. Take photos too. If the findings come back that it's toxic your landlord is responsible for having it removed.

Home Depot sells kits that you can test yourself but I wouldn't rely on a home kit. My brother had a similar issue in his shower but it was remedied with bleach.

However, I suspect your mold is coming from behind the drywall in your shower. Most older bathrooms have mold harboring behind tiles and sheet rock from previous leaks and flooding.

The maintenance guy (who was very nice) came yesterday and told us the shower stalls were put directly onto concrete, there is no drywall or sheetrock in between. They would have to destroy them to get them off and we would probably have to stay somewhere else while this is done because the fumes would be dangerous. I have seen cases where the remediation had to be done while the workers were in full hazmat gear, including face masks. Hopefully this situation is not that bad, as that would be a worst case scenario.

Actually that's good news that there's no sheet rock that can rot behind your shower walls. Is the shower tiled? It's possible that it can be a fairly easy fix. Only if it's toxic mold will it need to be removed with hazmat gear. If it is toxic, Ford, this is a serious health issue, as you already know, and could even be life threatening. With that being said, if it was a stachybotris (Sp?) mold which is deadly, someone in the building by now would have gotten so sick, there would have been reports filed and the building would be permanently condemned.

I know it's nerve wracking because I went through this helping my brother.

They are shower enclosures made of vinyl I think . . . very popular 25 years ago. And from what the maintenance guy said, they have never been removed and replaced. No tile.

Bleach, by the way, is just a temporary fix. Once its properties have dissipated, it is no longer sufficient to keep mold away. One would have to keep applying a lot of it. Borax or baking soda and water is better and more long term, which then has to be scrubbed ten minutes after application. Vinegar is also used in spray form.

[CouponQueen]

Go to Lowe's or HOme Depot and they have mold kits for like ten bucks..you can put them in a couple rooms..and then you have absolute proof..it is like a little petri dish.

I did it for my grandmother and it grew black mold..! She moved in with her daughter and never moved back for other reasons...

The owner called in a legit company who handled the issue well.

[CouponQueen]

You don't want it caulked until it has been bleached and cleaned..but I would do the mold tests/kits..that is cheap proof.

[CelticCrafter]

Ford, before you let the maintenance man in to recaulk, take pictures of it.

[LilacTree]

On 4/8/2015 CouponQueen said:

Go to Lowe's or HOme Depot and they have mold kits for like ten bucks..you can put them in a couple rooms..and then you have absolute proof..it is like a little petri dish.

I did it for my grandmother and it grew black mold..! She moved in with her daughter and never moved back for other reasons...

The owner called in a legit company who handled the issue well.

These kits are not totally reliable, and in this case we have to be very careful to get an absolutely perfect test result.

I have already been in touch with an environmental company in the area who is willing to work with me on this when I give them the go ahead.

[LilacTree]

On 4/8/2015 CelticCrafter said:

Ford, before you let the maintenance man in to recaulk, take pictures of it.

I will, but I do not intend to let him caulk at all. We will have to take photos today.