lost cause?

[Askme42]

So my uncle has a very small old second house that he offered to let us stay in for free as long as we wanted. Seeing as how my wife has some sizable school loans and we are saving up to buy a large farm we thought it would be a good idea to spend a year or two there. Well when my wife was cleaning she made the comment that she could see daylight through the drain in the shower. I was not there with her but when we were moving our stuff in I saw the same thing so I headed the basement.

My uncle had made the comment that they didn't go in the basement because it was a bit wet. I didn't think of this as any big deal. All old homes basements are a bit wet. Well I open the door and this is what I see.

 

[Todd.Brock]

Run man , run...

 

[holt2ton]

I'm surprised you stayed there long enough to take a pic.....RUN

 

[Jarhead0408]

Out,out,out,out.

I wouldn't stay there. Dang sure wouldn't have my wife in there.

 

[jd_1138]

That looks like toxic mold. That can cause a lot of health problems. Sad that the house was not maintained well.

 

[Jarhead0408]

P.s. stop saving for the farm and just pay off the student loans. No reason to split up the amount of impact you are having on your debts and goals. Do one or the other. Debt first.

I know you didn't ask about this so my apologies. Not trying to hijack the thread.

 

[Zeke]

It's fixable but not livable until it is fixed. What about his insurance?

 

[xyster101]

Might be savable, but you will need to call in a mold company to tear apart the basement.

Check you student loan interest, in our case the loan interest was lower then our mortgage, so it made sense to put pay that off slower. Besides, at 0.9% interest on a student loan, that is like free money!

 

[cdestuck]

Just take small breathes

 

[Askme42]

P.s. stop saving for the farm and just pay off the student loans. No reason to split up the amount of impact you are having on your debts and goals. Do one or the other. Debt first.

I know you didn't ask about this so my apologies. Not trying to hijack the thread.

Family farm it's buy it soon or don't get it. Got married on the land want to build on it. We make enough drowning in debt shouldn't ever be a problem.

 

[G_P]

No way in hell I would live in there until all that mold is removed. Grab a tyvek suit and a HF respirator and get to ripping out drywall and any insulation.

Oh and hook a drain pipe to the shower so that it is not just dumping into the basement!

 

[Askme42]

Might be savable, but you will need to call in a mold company to tear apart the basement.

Check you student loan interest, in our case the loan interest was lower then our mortgage, so it made sense to put pay that off slower. Besides, at 0.9% interest on a student loan, that is like free money!

Try 7%. Where in the hell did u get a student loan at that rate?

 

[Askme42]

Out,out,out,out.

I wouldn't stay there. Dang sure wouldn't have my wife in there.

Yeah. We plan on starting to try and have kids soon and that was a big deciding factor that this was likely a no
Go.

Another question guys we have already moved a decent amount of stuff into the house. By luck we just found a house for rent 150 yards from my parents but can't move in til oct 1. Is it going to be hazardous to health to let like a couch and bed sit there for a month?

 

[truckman5000]

No way in hell I would live in there until all that mold is removed. Grab a tyvek suit and a HF respirator and get to ripping out drywall and any insulation.

Oh and hook a drain pipe to the shower so that it is not just dumping into the basement!

Yah why not. It shouldn't take too long to do.

 

[McGoo]

People always freak out around mold. Mold is a natural occurring fungus that breaks down plant matter. Just because it is black does not mean it is the toxic black mold you hear so much about (that is a small percentage of black colored mold). If it were me, I would borrow a high quality mask from someone and get it all out of there. It doesn't look like that big of a job. Just my $.02.

 

[nine4gmc]

Yeah. We plan on starting to try and have kids soon and that was a big deciding factor that this was likely a no
Go.

Another question guys we have already moved a decent amount of stuff into the house. By luck we just found a house for rent 150 yards from my parents but can't move in til oct 1. Is it going to be hazardous to health to let like a couch and bed sit there for a month?

Mold spores can float around easily, I would NOT leave anything there that I sit or especially sleep on. Good luck!

 

[ZRX61]

Is it going to be hazardous to health to let like a couch and bed sit there for a month?

Hell yes.

 

[gregtwojeeps]

Don't risk your lungs. We don't think much about them until one day they hurt so much a person cannot take a breath.

 

[LS6 Tommy]

After the mold clean up you can start the remediation on the floor tiles...


RUN AWAY...


Tommy

 

[LS6 Tommy]

People always freak out around mold. Mold is a natural occurring fungus that breaks down plant matter. Just because it is black does not mean it is the toxic black mold you hear so much about (that is a small percentage of black colored mold). If it were me, I would borrow a high quality mask from someone and get it all out of there. It doesn't look like that big of a job. Just my $.02.

I agree the media has gotten people into a frenzy about "black mold". I can't count how many times I've gotten complaints from teachers & Principals when a carpet or something got wet & they wanted it immediately treated for mold.

You're right that not all black mold is toxic. You also have to understand not all toxic mold is black & almost ANY mold of any color can create the Mycotoxins that are dangerous. There haven't been any firm conclusions as to why the potentially toxic molds don't always produce Mycotoxins, so the best thing to due is ALWAYS treat it as toxic unless it's been tested.

"Borrow a high quality mask from someone" is not very good advice. Never share a mask. You have no idea how it's been used or cleaned. A dust mask will not protect from mold spores. You need an unused N-95 approved disposable respirator and unventilated goggles or better yet, a full face respirator with the proper organic cartridges & you should be fit tested before you wear it in an occupational setting (obviously not the case here).

Tommy

 

[plow]

Fix that sh#t an start living. Your Uncle would probably pay for the sh#t to fix it anyway. If you plan on moochin off of him it's the least you can do. Are you paying any bills???

 

[Askme42]

Fix that sh#t an start living. Your Uncle would probably pay for the sh#t to fix it anyway. If you plan on moochin off of him it's the least you can do. Are you paying any bills???

He could care less if the house crumbles. They've stepped foot in the house maybe 20 times in the 5 years they have owned it. It's strictly an address for the school district.

We would pay all utility bills and keep up the yard and such.

 

[mountainman72]

Not a lost cause. I've seen and repaired worse.

Protect yourself well with a suit and respirator. Cordon the area and use multiple fans to create negative pressure in the area to move all spores to the outside. Tear it all out and bag in heavy duty contractor bags. Bleach everything that is left. Rebuild.

Good luck, Brett

 

[ford33]

Yes, this doesn't look good but it is fixable. Like others have said the government and real estate people have scared everyone into thinking all mold is bad. That is not the case.

For peace of mind and the benefit of the wife, I would not live in the house until you cleaned it and I would take what you have there and put it someone else.

Get a good mask, goggles and a cleaning suit and tear out the molded items and bag them in thick plastic bags and throw it out with the trash. Then clean everything with a mold specific cleaner. Then clean again. Patch and then prime with Kilz and paint it. Fix the plumbing.

It is nasty work but if you take adequate precautions you can do it.

I purchased a rental property with a garage that was not used for 10 years. A roof leak caused water to get into the interior and mold formed on the interior drywall. People looked at the property and ran away. It sure was nasty to see but within two days we had removed all the drywall and sprayed the structure with a mold cleaner. The next weekend we had no visible signs of mold. The walls were left exposed. Six months later and no mold is evident in the garage.

 

[ford33]

For additional information on mold hazards, visit the Center for Disease Control (CDC) website. Perform a search on Mold General information.

The CDC states the following about mold in homes and offices "Mold exposure does not always present a health problem indoors. However some people are sensitive to molds. These people may experience symptoms such as nasal stuffiness, eye irritation, wheezing, or skin irritation when exposed to molds. Some people may have more severe reactions to molds."

CSC also states that as long as necessary precautions are taken - "We do not believe that one needs to take any different precautions with Stachybotrys chartarum (Stachybotrys atra), than with other molds."

Good luck.

 

[Leaflessshadetree]

Get a dehumidifier and fans running down there. Tear out the dry-wall, any fabrics, rotted wood. Wash everything left down with bleach. Replace any damaged structure.
Keep the fans/dehumidifier going until it's all very dry. Fix any plumbing leaks. Make sure it stays dry.

Oh yeah, almost forgot. Mold, asbestos, lead, air masks, filters........

 

[NUTTSGT]

Get a dehumidifier and fans running down there. Tear out the dry-wall, any fabrics, rotted wood. Wash everything left down with bleach. Replace any damaged structure.
Keep the fans/dehumidifier going until it's all very dry. Fix any plumbing leaks. Make sure it stays dry.

Stuff happens all the time, people just don't realize it. Fix it and be done with it.

 

[Piece-it Pete]

Some good advice but no bleach. It can literally bleach the mold clear without killing it (it'll come back) and often spreads the spores (these from a mold remediation certification teacher I know). Get a mold specific killer.

Pete

 

[woodrail]

Also, is that an asbestos wrapped steam pipe? I think you hit all the marks!

Seriously, get yourself some safety gear and some bags. In less than an hour, you will have 90 percent of the problem solved.

Repair the leak, and get some fans for air movement going. You will be fine.

 

[LS6 Tommy]

Also, is that an asbestos wrapped steam pipe? I think you hit all the marks!

That is the very poorly run (and most likely against code) stack for the boiler/furnace. He does have floor tiles that are most likely asbestos...

Tommy

 

[jwith68]

Not a lost cause. I've seen and repaired worse.

Protect yourself well with a suit and respirator. Cordon the area and use multiple fans to create negative pressure in the area to move all spores to the outside. Tear it all out and bag in heavy duty contractor bags. Bleach everything that is left. Rebuild.

Good luck, Brett

Get a dehumidifier and fans running down there. Tear out the dry-wall, any fabrics, rotted wood. Wash everything left down with bleach. Replace any damaged structure.
Keep the fans/dehumidifier going until it's all very dry. Fix any plumbing leaks. Make sure it stays dry.

Oh yeah, almost forgot. Mold, asbestos, lead, air masks, filters........

I'm in agreement with above, but do use a mold-specific killer/cleaner. Do not move in until this is done. Definitely not a lost cause.