# How can I deal with black mold?



## adadriga (Jun 12, 2009)

About a year ago my brother moved his family out of their mobile home and off the property that he and I where buying together because he said the mobile home got black mold in it. He believed it started around the hot water heater. Now I'm want to make it livable if I can for myself. Is it possible? Is it cost effective? I hope I'm in the right forum for this topic. I'm real new to this type of communication, but really enjoy this site.

Thanks,
Mark


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## Betty Jean (Jan 7, 2009)

'Black" mold does not always equate to toxic mold that garnered so much press. How extensive is the problem? 

You may want to try to clean the area with a bleach solution. If the water heater leaked, you may need to rip up the flooring and baseboards in the area to clean. If the walls got damp, you may need to remove and replace some wallpaper and/or drywall. 

If you are really nervous about it, you could have it professionally cleaned and/or tested.


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## ldc (Oct 11, 2006)

My house has the toxic black mold from last years' hurricane when I lost the roof. Someone tested it for me at the local university. I was sick all last winter with superating lymph nodes, even after getting a new roof, b/c even with all the tarps rain got into the walls, and it took 90 days to get a roof. In this case, bleach has NOT worked. Try to find out if it is toxic or not, would be my suggestion. Good luck with this! ldc


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## Michele of MI (Jul 8, 2009)

Borax is better than bleach for cleaning up mold, because it helps prevent regrowth. Still, you are better safe than sorry, get it tested if you can. No sense getting sick if you can avoid it.


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## manygoatsnmore (Feb 12, 2005)

Good advice given above, which I'll add a few more things to in a second. What kind of mobile home is it - single wide, double wide? Metal sides and roof or composite roof with siding? How old? 

First: use a good respirator at all times when you are cleaning the mold, ripping out damaged materials, etc. Very important, as your health is much more important than cleaning up this house!!!!!

First, remove the carpets and linoleum, along with any damaged sub-flooring and wallboard, and use bleach, TSP, or borax on all surfaces with mold. Then, after you've cleaned the mold, *SEAL* the walls, ceilings and subflooring with Kilz or another similar product. Make sure you caulk every seam on the outside of the house to make sure water isn't getting in through fine cracks between the boards or metal, or around the doors and windows. Then paint the exterior, using at least 2 good coats - that's your home's raincoat, so to speak. Seal the roof, if it is one of the older metal types, and make sure there are no leaks in whatever kind of roofing you have. Of course, fix any leaks in the plumbing and hot water tank.  You will likely also need to pull the insulation out from underneath the house and replace it. Once it gets wet, it not only can grow mold, but it is near impossible to get it entirely dry again. Oh, and clean the ductwork, too, or the furnace will blow mold spores all over your nice clean house the first time it's turned on.

Good luck - it will be some work to get there, but you can make it a safe, mold-free home in the end.


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