mandyg1rl

This is my first post and I'm not much of a DIYer but thought I could get some good advice. We have discovered a plumbing leak from the kitchen sink on 2nd floor leaking down to the 2nd floor basement/bathroom area that has caused a mold problem. We had someone come out and give us an estimate. They estimated the area to be around 100 sq. ft. They say $5600 just to get the mold out and do the testing. That doesn't include the resoration, which would be another $3k (but we can probably do that work ourselves). I am still in sticker shock. I've read that it is not safe to remove mold yourself but WOW, $5600!
If anyone has any experience with this or any advice, I'd welcome it.

bethany14

Hi mandyg1rl, and welcome to the forum!
You should definately be careful removing the mold, and hiring someone else to do it safely is an option to consider. Shop around a little more though, I'd be in sticker shock too. Have you solved the leak yet? Can you dry the area thoroughly? Is the mold between the walls, or surface? I'm no pro, just a DIY'er figuring it all out as I go. I may not be able to help you, but if I can, I'd be happy to

mandyg1rl

We had someone else come out yesterday, I'm hoping to get the quote soon. We shut off the water where it was leaking. Unfortunately the plumber told us he couldn't touch it until we got rid of the mold. (So it's been paper plates and plastic utensils lately-and a lot of TV dinners!) Unfortunately most of the mold is between the walls and behind the sink cabinets. We've dried any water that was there, so now it's just waiting to get it out of there. I'm crossing my fingers that this next quote will be a little less painful. Thanks for your reply. =)

CraigFL

I know there's a lot of controversy going on these days about mold and mold problems. It seems like the next big business opportunity for people to go into now that asbestos has quieted down. (OK... off my soapbox...) In any case, it's expensive to have anyone do anything these days especially if a perceived risk is involved. I've been a homeowner for 35+ years now and have cleaned lots of mold up with Clorox bleach and /or other cleaning supplies where it's in the open. Where it's behind walls, I've allowed it to dry thouroghly and sealed it in with a paint like KILZ. While some may say it's not perfect, it's certainly livable and not as hard on the wallet.

K2eoj

I'm with Craig. If you can't remove some mold yourself you can't do anything yourself. I've done a ton of it myself and I definitly have a negetive reaction to mold. Respirator and a spray bottle with some bleach to kill as much as possibe before I get in with scrapers etc. I'm certain some of these guys are selling a bunch of hewy. Most people arn't even affected but you want to keep it that way. Respirator and saftey first.

If it is inside wall I prefer to cut the drywall out in the affected areas and treat with bleach, wire brush, more bleach and then re drywall . I personally would not believe anyone that told me they could treat the inside of a wall, and how would you ever know if they were effective. They would be in line with the guys in my area who spray trees for insects that don't exist in this climate and other similar nonsense. Lots of bs out there. Hang on to your wallet.

inspectorD

Before you remove any mold, have it tested to see what it is.
There are some out there that will outlast any bleach you spray it down with, this has to do with the parts per million in bleach VS the mold you have. So don't just think you can clean it up yourself and it goes away.
Testing this will let you know if you can DIY .
The problem of spreading it around while you clean it up is also a factor, some mold only goes dormant and waits years for another moisture source.
I agree that some out there feed at the trough on the mold issues and are scaring people into things they could take care of with a little knowledge, however there are some things you don't mess with until you know for sure what you are dealing with.

Testing is not more than a few hundred dollars....anywhere.
And the testing company can give you information on how to deal with it...sort of like payin for some schoolin, and piece of mind.
How much is your families health worth?

__________________
Just My
Made in the

kgdonna

I do this for a living so let me give you some advice. First make sure that you section off the rest of the house while your working in the kitchen area, you don't want cross contamination. Second there's a rule of thumb, if it's poros it's removed, bagged and replaced. So the sheetrock, gone, the insullation, gone. Now, once you cut our the mold areas (go about 2 feet beyond the last mold area) just clean off the hard wood with regular soap and water! After you cleaned the hard surfaces with soap and water you might want to go to a chemical supply store and get a product that kills mold and leaves a residue that will work for months later, most chemical stores have several. After you do all that THEN have it tested, but make sure you hepa vaccume all surfaces because mold particals will fly everywhere and hepa vaccuming will remove it. BTW, always wear a mask, and not a dust mask but at least a 95 grade mask. Mold remediators are know for taking a 2K job and making it 25K without effort. Just remember, if it's porus, contain, remove and replace.

Gregory Restoration

This thread is pretty old. I'm curious about the outcome of your mold story?

Was the water damage and mold repaired and removed?

Bill Gregory.
Orange County Water Damage | Mold Removal Orange County | 949-366-1930

derekm

I'm a bit curious about it too as I expect to be facing the same problem soon.

derekm

This may be a stupid question but I can't find the answer.

I found some mold as I began tearing apart the bathroom. It was between the paneling and the sheetrock next to the tub. The wood behind the sheetrock looked clean, hard and dry.

After taking out drywall, is there a set period of time to wait before you can start working again? I've got the window, newly recovered, open with a box fan blowing outside.