Mold Clean-up

Q: How do I repair and clean up the mold on the wall. Is it necessary to get a mold specialist to clean, or just an ordinary contractor will work? How much it usually cost for 10' length wall?

A: Mold is the result of two much moisture in your home, if you do not correct the problem it will keep coming back.

Follow the link for some mold clean-up guidelines.

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Musty Smell

Q: My daughter has just moved into a beautiful huge house. It has a very bad musty smell i believe comes from the basement. They have a large dehumidifier that is on all the time. The house was empty for 2 months before they moved in. What can be done to remove the smell it is on all three levels?

A: New homes can smell musty due to the drying of the materials used in construction - there isn't a lot that can be done for that other than leave the windows open - it will go away. If it is an older home that has been closed up, the musty smell can becoming from drain traps that are all but dry - tell them to turn on all taps for a few minutes - one at a time is fine. If drapes or other furnishings, such as carpet were in the home, they need to be washed or dry-cleaned - carpeting needs to be steam cleaned. If the furnace is on, now, the odor could be from mildew in the ducts after not being used and humidity in the air - the ducts may need to be cleaned by a professional.

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Bathtub Surround Backing

Q: I am in process of replacing my fixtures for my bathtub with shower. My house was built in the mid 70's. When we pulled the laminate sheet to get to the pipes the only thing we found behind it was drywall. I found some tiles that will be a nice for the walls as a new surround. I've gone to home depot to be told that I need to take out the drywall down to the studs and install another type of board. Can't remember the name of material. Is it necessary to remove the drywall? The old surround did not go all the way to the ceiling and if hasn't seemed to bother the dry wall that is there. A friend who does tiles seemed to think that I could just get the board and put it over it. I'm confused. Are there other methods can this be placed over the drywall that is already there.

A: "CONDENSATION" - The moisture that forms on your mirror when you take a hot shower, is also forming on the walls! As there is a small air gap, in places, between the panel and the wall that it is glued to (unless you got 100% coverage of a waterproof adhesive), you have condensation forming between the shower panel and the drywall, which will eventually cause mold, mildew and rot.

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Getting Sick When Furnace comes On

Q: It seems like when the furnace first came on this year, my nose was running like a tap and I was feeling lousy.Then we had a warm spell and it cleared up. Now it's cold again with the furnace coming on again and my problem has returned.We have had mice in the house and I wonder if their droppings are in the ducting causing illness. I'm wondering if I should bring in somebody that does air quality testing and have the ducts cleaned?

A: You could have mold in the air ducts and when the furnace comes on it is blowing the spores throughout the house. However, a worse problem could be that your flue is damaged and you have carbon monoxide entering the home. It is probably worth having someone come in and check the furnace and the duct work.

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