http://www.rightwayrestoration.com
You finally get home to relax, kick off the shoes and lay down flat on the couch. Then you open your eyes and see the weird circular patch on the ceiling. Funny – you don’t remember spilling coffee on the ceiling before. And then you remember the law of gravity and know that those stains on the ceiling can’t be from a spilled drink. Just what are those ceiling stains and what caused them?
Where Is The Stain?
If the ceiling stain is around a trapdoor or air vent, then it’s more than likely that they have been caused by some kind of moisture. Once the moisture takes hold, bacteria sets in and
spreads out into menacing shapes and stains. If the stains are really dark and look more like streaks than drink-spills, then the problem could be dirt. When was the last time you cleaned the air filter or had the furnace serviced?
Also, is the dark stain on the ceiling right above where you often burn candles and nowhere else on the ceiling? It’s very possible that the stain isn’t dangerous mold but is a permanent discoloration caused by burning candles at that spot. Sooty dark stains can often show up on the ceilings of rooms with fireplaces. They can usually be cleaned off with plain soap and water.
And, are there any smokers in the home? Usually, people who smoke have a few preferred places to sit and smoke, if they smoke inside the home. They can often leave some ceiling stains that generally fade around the stain’s edge. These can vary in color from a light tan to black coffee. These also can be cleaned with soap and water.
What About Mold?
The big fear whenever a ceiling stain creeps up is that the stain is caused by mold, which can potentially weaken the ceiling structure. The moisture gets in usually through either a roof leak or a problem in the ceiling where condensation is not drying out as it should. Although there are a lot of products sold that can fix the stain, they won’t get rid of the mold.
So, how can you tell if there is a roof leak or condensation problem in the roof causing the stains? Usually, roof leak stains will be located in the edges of fixtures like lights or fans or even the edges of ceiling panels or tiles. Condensation stains usually come in groups, so that your ceiling suddenly turns into an Appaloosa horse.
The big problem now is to find the leak, fix the problem and then work on cleaning the ceiling stains.
Restoring Lives and Peace of Mind.
Hi Pam,
Thanks for that, Alright I want to buy a house, but it has mold from a busted pipe that is shared by two bathrooms and two closets. I know how dangerous mold is and in all my searching i have found some pretty scary stories about how you can’t “kill” black mold and how it causes brain damage. However we are very DIY people and we know we can re build it, and redo the piping ourselves. the area effected is in total 30 ft of wall, in different rooms and closets. It is mostly the bottom half of the wall that is effected, not the top.
My questions:
1. Can we just remove the drywall, and leave the studs even if they have mold? I was thinking use bleach and a dehumidifier.
2. How dangerous is this stuff if you do treat it with bleach and scrub it off? I live in Florida and I KNOW almost every home has mold, but if i get most of it out is there still an abnormally high risk?
3. How much would it cost, JUST for removal? i don’t want them to fix the pipes or re drywall, just get rid of the mold we’ll do the rest.
another tips for black mold removal or advice from people who have experience.
Thanks!
Thanks
No comment sig
Thanks for your questions. To be honest, mold removal is best left to certified professionals but I understand that in this economy many people prefer to do things themselves.
When it comes to mold the best solution is to remove it completely. Bleach is basically a temporary band aid to the problem. And many times mold that has been “cleaned” with bleach will eventually come back stronger and more abundant than before. When it comes to pourous materials that are affected by mold it is best to just remove it. Those removing the mold should be wearing proper personal protection, i.e. mask, suit, etc. The area where the drywall is being removed needs to have containment set up in order to avoid distributing mold spores throughout the entire home. When mold affected materials are being removed mold spores become air bourne and travel to other areas and can infect areas that were not originally affected. An air scrubber need to be used during the entire process as well. The air scrubber will remove spores already in the air as well as trap the spores becoming air bourne during the removal process. The removed drywall needs to be bagged and sealed before being removed from the affected area. As far as the studs behind the drywall, often these can be sanded and HEPA vac’ed. And just to be on the safe side it’s best to encapsulate the studs with a white pigmented shellac. You can also run a dehumidifier with the air scrubber during this process as well.
After the removal, it’s good to leave the containment in place and run the air scrubber for about three days in order to clean the air really well.
Getting “most” of it out will not solve the problem. Unless it is completely removed it will continue to be a problem.
The cost varies from job to job depending on the variables involved. Removing drywall is not expensive and the cost of the equipment is very reasonable. But the cost now is very much worth it when you compare it to the problems and issues you could face down the road.
Thanks for your questions and I hope this is helpful for you.
I like this weblog very much so much excellent info .