Q. Please read carefully as I am including lots of details that I can't find in other questions pertaining to mold. Our basement is completely finished. Our dishwasher leaked about 6 weeks ago under our hardwood laminate flooring in the kitchen. We cleaned it up, let the flooring dry in our garage for 4 weeks, and laid the flooring back down. Cleaned up water in unfinished part of basement below dishwasher. No more problems as dishwasher is disconnected. 3 weeks ago, we noticed visible green mold on certain parts of the ceiling in finished part of basement. The mold is not everywhere but seems to have be a pick and choose pattern where we see it. For example, not on painted walls, but on painted ceiling, but not all of it. Not at all on any part of the room the leak occur in, with exception of exposed studs. Our insurance will cover $10,000, which is great but it will cost $11,198 in cost to JUST clean up and remediation. This does NOT include any coverage to replace the carpet, drywall, etc. or items such as family pictures. I had another estimate out today and will hear the quote tomorrow but, we are at the point where we want to know, if we can clean it ourselves? My husband is a contractor and we have the respirators. How doable is this? Has anyone had a personnaly experience with cleaning mold in a finished basement? How do we clean the carpet, which we are being quoted $2500.00 just to remove and dispose of. Do we have to rent a special dumpster for the drywall etc, or will the county dump take it? Fosters 40/80 is mentioned several times as a solvent used on studs, etc. Can we get this or do you need a license for it? I would appreciate answers from others who have dealt with this type of situation personally.

A. As long as you are careful and thorough you can clean up the Mold yourself. Answering how takes longer than your very long question -- so I've given you a few links to review below on how to clean up. As to removal of materials; you do not need a special dumpster, however, you might be better off with two different dumpsters depending on your local landfill charges. Call us at 1-888-423-8867 and we can talk over you project with you. You might be better off with a C&D dumpster for the construction type debris like the Sheetrock and a 2nd dumpster for MSW (trash/garbage). These items could be charged different tipping fees (landfill disposal charges). I have had to clean up mold several times myself and I will caution that if you do not get it all then you wind up starting all over again. Also, keep the area very dry by running a dehumidifier. If you can hook up the dehumidifier so that directly drains (say into a utility tub or through a drainage line) then you never have to worry about emptying it. good luck and be super safe with the bleaching and other chemicals...

Q. About a month ago we found some mold under the kitchen sink and reported it immediately via phone and a letter to our mgmt company. About a week later some guys came and cut holes in the wall just to confirm that there was mold growing everywhere. Since then, one of the occupants has had to move out because they were very sensitive to the mold. It was causing allergic reactions such as shortness of breath, nosebleeds,... The rest of us don't seem to be affected, or at least as severely. The leak that caused the mold has since been repaired but the actual removal hasn't taken place yet. It seems like this place would be deemed "unlivable" or "inhabitable" while the mold is still present yet the mgmt company refuses to let us out of the lease or temporarily relocate us. They refer to this situation as just an inconvenience and are taking their sweet time to get it repaired. My question is what legal rights or options do we have as far as speeding up the process or breaking the lease?

A. You can break your lease by going to the nearest courthouse and filling out the demand letter that notifies your landlord that, if repairs are not made, you are moving. The judge frees you from your lease. The judge has the ability to fine the landlord for not fixing the problem. We live our entire lives surrounded by mold spores and live mold. That doesn't make it ok. But our bodies are amazingly resistant to things like mold.

Q. My husband and I are renting a house. 3 months ago, a water leak caused mold which was removed and cleaned. In the removal of mold- our laundry room, sink, dish washer and part of our kitchen floor was removed. Our fridge was relocated to our dining room. Basically, the only thing in the kitchen we can use is the stove but we have nowhere to wash our dishes or get water. We also have no access to washer/dryer hook ups. ' No reconstruction on our house has been started. No effort made to get the insurance company in gear about the fix. Our landlord is refusing to reduce our rent for the time being and/or compensate us for the past 2 months that half our house is under construction. Do we have any legal options? I know most of the rental agreement is laid out in the lease, but other than that, any advice??

A. Yes, if it is not in livable conditions you can call your state and they will give you a number you call that number and they will go after the land lord. the land lord can lose his house and it could be handed over to you for a very cheap price. or he will kick it into gear and get it fixed fast.

Q. What is a reasonable housecleaning rate to charge my customers? I do Garage Organizing Yard Services and Indoor Room Painting. I have been asked to clean a vacant rental which intails appliance cleaning mold removal in bathroom kitchen counter tops and cabinets. Any suggestions please submit. Thank you. I been asked to do this job on Saturday

A. I usually charge $15.00/hour. For a vacant rental, after I look and see how dirty it is, I usually multiply the number of hours I think it will take by $15 and give them a flat rate. However, with the mold removal, that is tricky and will require extra work. It also depends on how dirty it is and how much you are doing. Charge what YOU feel is a fair price for all your labor. Vacant rentals are the most labor intensive. Good luck!

Q. An friend from G. Rapids, Michigan is into foreclosures this days. He got me a house there, a real bargain price. Must fly over tomorrow to see it and sign the papers, then back to work on Monday. He said it's all fine, good condition compared to other places like this he sold - except that heating was off during winter and it developed some nasty black mold and I have to start thinking what can I do about it in less than 2 days. I heard black mold is toxic - he sent me pics of it - can see basement mold, kitchen and even attic mold. I cannot possible hope of doing anything drastic in such a short time, like pumping the crawlspace mold out, but could I at least spend a few dollar and starve it DIY with some off-the-shelf before I return there next month and spend a few days bringing the place to life? Anyone facing something similar recently?

A. You got some very sound answers there, but not sure you know what to do next. My advice, based on the experience I got with black mold removal when my grandma died and I had to sell the house - forget about DIY as the first option before you get an expert on-site to have a look and eventually give you a quote. I used http://www.michiganmoldspecialist.com last year, as they were close and I got a mold removal assessment and quote for free on the same day, once one of their specialists drove over and checked the house. Make sure the agent gets to see everything, including crawlspaces mold - if you want to renegotiate the insurance, you need that. My 2c - you stand no chance of dealing with this on your own if you are not qualified, and you risk making things worse or even harm yourself. Get it at least properly assessed and do that BEFORE you buy the property - right now you risk losing little, and foreclosure mold is still expensive mold, whatever bargain your friend is driving. Just keep a cool head and think this through, right?

Q. I had a little surprise when I came home from work Friday night and found water coming from under my kitchen cabinets after it had rained really hard. Turns out water has been leaking around my improperly sealed plumbing vent on the roof, and water has been accumulating behind my cabinets. = BLACK MOLD! It was less than 10 sq/ft. The hubby and I wore proper respiration, eye and hand protection to remove it. We also had the rest of the house sealed off and the windows open during removal. Now I have an irritated throat and my nose is stuffy. I have 2 HEPA air purifiers and a dehumidifier going full blast. Basically, I'm just wondering if I go see my doctor tomorrow, can he do anything for me other than to tell me to take a benadryl? I'm afraid of this sickness getting worse if I don't treat it. I can't miss work due to layoffs.

A. A stuffy nose is caused by bacteria build (from the mold) up in your sinus creating mucus and blocking your air passages. the best way is to rinse out your nose with a betti neti pot. its a very simple process with NO side effects besides breathing clearly haha. dont use plastic ones though because the chemicals in the plastic eventually break down and cause more problems. go with ceramic made netis. i have a betti pot and it works wonders. feel better!

Q. We were all living in a house with black mold riddled throughout the kitchen cupboards and bathroom to the state where we couldn't actually use the kitchen or bathroom for the last 3 months of our tenancy. My partner had several asthma attacks (he has never had one in his life) and we would both got terrible uncontrollable trembles throughout the night. The trembles have stopped since we moved out, and he can breath easier but for me, I had a miscarriage while we were living there and have also been coughing up chunks of blood for the past 5 months. Now, I know that there is no proof that the miscarriage was caused by the black mold but what about the chunks of blood! We had ongoing issues with the Real Estate as they were not prepared to remove the mold, so basically we had no choice but to continue living there. We were unable to use the kitchen or bathroom for 3 months and the place completely stank! Finaly we took it upon ourselves to hire a private contracter to remove the cupbourds in the kitchen, but it still didn't work. Anyways, I was becoming that sick that we had no choice but to end the lease early, as we were scared that our 2 young children would get sick. We were absolutely homeless for 2 months because of these lowsy bastards! we have found a rental again, we are now settled in a clean environment. As you can understand I am absolutely discusted with this Real Estate, for not fixing the mold problem and it has been 5 months and I am still coughing up chunks of blood!!! I want to take them to court, but I am not sure that there is any proof that the symptoms can be proven to be caused by black mold exposure. Does anyone have any suggestions? Advocasy & rights aren't prepared to help because the realestate said they would counter claim for the removal of the cupbourds. I have photoes of everything, it was discusting.

A. Perhaps you could get a doctor's evaluation to establish that the mold was a cause of the problem. Black mold can kill. This sounds like a lawsuit is in order.

Q. MY HUSBAND AND I LIVE IN EL CAJON,CALIFORNIA. BECAUSE OF FINANCIAL HARDSHIP,BANKRUPTCY,FORECLOSURE , WE FOUND OURSELVES SUDDENLY SEARCHING FOR A NEW RESIDENCE - MY HUSBAND HAS A GOOD JOB AND IS A HARD WORKER .WITH EXCELLENT RENTAL HISTORY THESE FACTORS NO LONGER PREDICT RENT ABILITY.ANYWAYS WE HAVE LIVED HERE OVER A YEAR AND THE CONDITIONS IN WHICH WE LIVE HAVE CROSSED OVER THE LINE AS FAR AS OVERLOOKING ISSUES, OR DEALING WITH THE NEGLECT AND AVOIDANCE OUR LANDLORD HAS TO OFFER. ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS,PLUMBING LEAKS AND MOLD.WINDOWS THAT DO NT LOCK CORRECTLY,INSUFFICIENT AMOUNT OF TRASH CANS ROACHES THE LIST IS ENDLESS. TO MAKE MATTERS WORSE ,IT TAKES LARGE AMOUNTS OF HUMILIATION AND EFFORT TO HAVE ANY SMALL OR LARGE REPAIR DONE ..THIS IS WHERE I REALLY NEED SOME DIRECTION THE PEOPLE SHE HIRES TO DO HER BUG SPRAYING-PLUMBING WORK/MOLD REMOVAL ETC DOWN RIGHT SCARE US !!! THE PEST GUY "SHE HIRED JUST FOR US " AS SHE PUT IT CAME IN WITH A YARD WEED KILLER TYPE SPRAYER AND DUMPED AND I MEAN DUMPED HUGE AMOUNTS OF LIQUID IN OUR FOOD CABINETS IN OUR STOVE -GREAT I UNDERSTAND YOUR KILLING BUGS,AS HE FINISHES AND IS WALKING OUT THROUGH MY LIVING ROOM HE SWIPES HIS SRAY WAND BEHIND MY FLAT SCREEN TV ,ALONG WITH MY KIDS PLAYSTATION NOT AT ALL ACCEPTABLE THANK GOD I SAW THIS HAPPEN I HAVE A 10 YEAR OLD THAT HAS GAMING EQUIPMENT DIRECTLY BELOW AND FOR MONTHS EVERY TIME WE TURN OUR TV ON IT SMELLED OF BUG KILLER. MIGHT I ADD HE NOR THE OWNER HAD NO IDEA WHAT THE NAME OF THE SPRAY WAS ..THE MOST RECENT AND CURRENT ISSUE IS THE PLUMBING -AS A WHOLE EVERYONE HERE HAS LIVED WITH THE ONGOING LEAKY TOILETS,SHOWERS,CLOGGED AND OVERFLOWING SEWER STENCH AT LEAST EVERY COUPLE OF MONTHS WITH NO RELIEF IN SIGHT...GET THIS FIGURED OUT WHAT MAKES OWNER LOOK OUR WAY AND TAKE ACTION WATER BILL WENT UP 50% WATER COMMING THROUGH LIGHT FIXTURES INTO ON SITE MANAGERS APT. AFTER ALL THE MONTHS WE HAVE LIVED WITH MOLD INFESTED CABINETS FOR OUR FOOD AND DISHES AFTER BEING TOLD IT WOULD COST TO MUCH TO FIX BECAUSE THE CABINETS WOULD NT MATCH,HER WATER BILL GOES UP AND EVER SINCE WE HAVE BEEN WITHOUT WATER FROM 9.00AM TO 4.00PM OUR FLOOR HAS BEEN TORN UP OVER A WEEK AND WE HAVE HAD NO SINK AT ALL IN KITCHEN ,FOR THE SAME .....AND HEY NOT TO WORRY THE HALF BAKED REPAIR GUYS RIPPED WALL FLOOR APART AND GUESS WHO'S EXPOSED TO BLACK MOLD WITH NO WARNING ,RUNNING SHOP VACS WITH NO WATER TO HELP FILTER DUST,GUY TELLS ME OOHH ! YA GOTTA BREATH THIS STUFF FOR YEARS FOR IT TO AFFECT YOU WE DO THIS ALL THE TIME..SOMEBODY PLEASE HELP OUR APT COMMUNITY. SOME OF THESE PEOPLE ARE ON FIXED INCOME AND CANT MOVE OR CANT FIND PLACES TO BE FOR OVER A WEEK WITHOUT WATER AND THE MOLD PROBLEM,ROACHES SOMEONE HAS TO HAVE ANSWERS I am sorry for all the capitol letters and i will slow down a bit ,my blood pressure hits the ceiling knowing someone who holds so manys lifes basicall in her hands could be so in humane.oh update- workers left today saying there your all set,counters in sink installed-we will c-ya around. -who ever does the maintance around here is going to put your floor back together and by the way your wall couldnt be sanded because patch is still wet . water gets turned on from 4:30mabey 5:00pm until between 8-9 am so im jazzed -fill my sink up and yes folks whole cabinet filled with water ,stinking garbage disposale water. anyone have the number or specific name of who i am to call .any help is greatly appreciated .

A. You call the health department, but count on moving. The department will force you to move if what you are rudely screaming at us about is not exaggerated. The landlord will if it isn'tm and this is just you wanting the 500 a month place to be just like the 1000 a month one. You should inspect your next rental more carefully, make sure it is up to your standard of living.