Guest guest Posted January 12, 2006 Report Share Posted January 12, 2006 Forgot to mention that when we moved in, the closet in our boys' room (the one with the ac/heater in it) had a horrible smell. Not sure how to describe it other than it smelled like something crawled in there and died. Is that mold smell? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 12, 2006 Report Share Posted January 12, 2006 Oh my god yes! this sounds like classic sick building syndrome- please get out as fast as is humanly possible- thank goodness you have found out now -somepeople suffer litterally over a decade without knowing what is making them sick- I suffered for 14 years- if that much water and mold is visible- just think what is behind the walls- leave immediatly before your health is compromised - > > Last summer we moved into the apartment we're in. It seems like > we've been sick ever since and we are rarely sick. We started out > with: > > 1- Nasal congestion > 2- Thick phlegm > 3- Coughing > 4-Headaches > > My husband, myself, our 5 yr old, and our now 18 month old have all > had this. My husband finally had to go to the hospital and they told > him he had a respitory infection. Then our boys were so sick, we > finally took them to the ER. The oldest had a respitory infection. > The middle one was said to have a sinus infection. > > I'm the only one who hasn't seen a doctor. I was pregnant up until > the end of November....my ob/gyn said it was just a cold and that I > didn't need to be seen and even if I was seen, I couldn't take any > medication other than tylenol. > > I had our baby Nov. 21st (he is 7 wks). He seemed to have " caught " > whatever we had shortly after being brought home. We had to take him > to the ER last night because his breathing is so labored and he is > hardly eating (can't breath with the bottle in his mouth). > > The past week, I've been getting extremely dizzy. The other night I > actually fell over because of it...luckily I was not carrying the > baby. > > Tonight, our oldest boy was brushing his teeth and his nose started > bleeding for no reason whatsoever. > > Does this sound like we could have a mold problem in the apartment > (is this the type of mold that causes health problems?)? > > 1- The windows always have water running down them and it collects > in the window sill. Regular household mold is always growing in the > sills. I clean it with Clorox spray and it's back w/in 2-3 days. > It's not just a spot or two, it covers the entire sill and up the > sides. Could the water be leaking into the walls also? > > 2- We have mold growing in some of the cabinets below the sink. > > 3- The wall behind the toilet is puckering out from water damage and > it looks like the bathroom walls have been re-done like there was > water damage. > > 4- The central air unit is in the boys room...right after we moved > in, the relief drain backed up and leaked all over the floor. It > soaked the floor in the closet and about 5 feet into the room > itself. Our landlord came and fixed the leak and said to leave the > closet doors open so the floor would dry. There was so much water > that when you stepped on the carpet, water would actually squirt up > in the air. He didn't do anything to try to get rid of some of the > water. Well, ever since then, white mold has been growing on the > surface of the carpet. I've tried to get rid of it and I think I > finally did, but what is underneath the carpet that we can't see? > > Do you think this is why we are all sick? > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 12, 2006 Report Share Posted January 12, 2006 Whether or not it is mold is irrelevant. Here is what some of my clients have done, with varying degrees of success. I'm not a lawyer but if you are in a situation that you consider a danger to you and your family you need to act. If the landlord doesn't respond to your pleas by acting fast by moving you to another apartment you might want to declare yourself " constructively evicted. " Then move out, demanding another apartment or release from your contract. Legal eviction is a legal process that evicts you for failure to meet your contract with the owner. Constructive eviction is when construction issues like no roof, the doors don't shut, holes in the walls, dead animal odor, unsanitary conditions make the apartment uninhabitable, thus the owner breaking the contract. As long as you are in the apartment it is considered habitable. Leaving means you are making the claim it isn't habitable. Like most things, it doesn't always work and it depends on state and local laws and tenant's rights. I am not a lawyer and you should get a legal opinion to support your position before you act. Carl Grimes Healthy Habitats LLC ----- > Last summer we moved into the apartment we're in. It seems like > we've been sick ever since and we are rarely sick. We started out > with: > > 1- Nasal congestion > 2- Thick phlegm > 3- Coughing > 4-Headaches > > My husband, myself, our 5 yr old, and our now 18 month old have all > had this. My husband finally had to go to the hospital and they told > him he had a respitory infection. Then our boys were so sick, we > finally took them to the ER. The oldest had a respitory infection. The > middle one was said to have a sinus infection. > > I'm the only one who hasn't seen a doctor. I was pregnant up until the > end of November....my ob/gyn said it was just a cold and that I didn't > need to be seen and even if I was seen, I couldn't take any medication > other than tylenol. > > I had our baby Nov. 21st (he is 7 wks). He seemed to have " caught " > whatever we had shortly after being brought home. We had to take him > to the ER last night because his breathing is so labored and he is > hardly eating (can't breath with the bottle in his mouth). > > The past week, I've been getting extremely dizzy. The other night I > actually fell over because of it...luckily I was not carrying the > baby. > > Tonight, our oldest boy was brushing his teeth and his nose started > bleeding for no reason whatsoever. > > Does this sound like we could have a mold problem in the apartment (is > this the type of mold that causes health problems?)? > > 1- The windows always have water running down them and it collects in > the window sill. Regular household mold is always growing in the > sills. I clean it with Clorox spray and it's back w/in 2-3 days. It's > not just a spot or two, it covers the entire sill and up the sides. > Could the water be leaking into the walls also? > > 2- We have mold growing in some of the cabinets below the sink. > > 3- The wall behind the toilet is puckering out from water damage and > it looks like the bathroom walls have been re-done like there was > water damage. > > 4- The central air unit is in the boys room...right after we moved in, > the relief drain backed up and leaked all over the floor. It soaked > the floor in the closet and about 5 feet into the room itself. Our > landlord came and fixed the leak and said to leave the closet doors > open so the floor would dry. There was so much water that when you > stepped on the carpet, water would actually squirt up in the air. He > didn't do anything to try to get rid of some of the water. Well, ever > since then, white mold has been growing on the surface of the carpet. > I've tried to get rid of it and I think I finally did, but what is > underneath the carpet that we can't see? > > Do you think this is why we are all sick? > > > > > > > > FAIR USE NOTICE: > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 12, 2006 Report Share Posted January 12, 2006 I would say it is mold. I got so ill-- and I could not see as much as you are seeing. When you can smell it, it is bad. I wouldn't take any chances with children. Unfortunately the landlords are usually not very kind when you report something like this problem. You could call the health department or the county to have them inspect, but if they condemn the place you don't have much time to get out. I would make plans and find someplace else to live, document everything in writing. And your belongings can have the mold spores espcially beds, couches, clothes. It is a very difficult thing to go through. And I would be careful where you move. I moved out of one mold place and into another, and then another. It is very scarey, but you have to try to be strong for your children. It was very hard on my daughter going through this nightmare. > > Forgot to mention that when we moved in, the closet in our boys' room > (the one with the ac/heater in it) had a horrible smell. Not sure how > to describe it other than it smelled like something crawled in there > and died. > > Is that mold smell? > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 12, 2006 Report Share Posted January 12, 2006 Everything you mentioned sounds like a serious mold problem. You need to get out of the apartment ASAP since you all may be in great danger. Trust me, it is very dangerous and can be life threatening! I suffered in my school, for years, with all the symptoms you mentioned and then began to have some REAL serious problems. Sue Last summer we moved into the apartment we're in. It seems like we've been sick ever since and we are rarely sick. We started out with: 1- Nasal congestion 2- Thick phlegm 3- Coughing 4-Headaches Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 13, 2006 Report Share Posted January 13, 2006 I have to agree with the other responses to your letter, this is a bio-aerosol problem, (an expansion of the term usually referred to as mold). And, as Carl suggests, the best thing to do is get out. However, rather than asking the landlord for a different apartment, I suspect it might be better to move elsewhere. In your building, the same type of maintenance was probably performed in all units, and the same management attitude about maintenance applies to all units. A major concern is the puckering wall behind the toilet. That is obviously a water problem. Perhaps it has been fixed, but the puckered wall almost certainly has mold growing behind it. If there is an apartment above, perhaps the leak was from the toilet there. If so, all sorts of bacteria may be present. Another concern I have is your statement about the air conditioner. By relief drain, I assume you mean the condensate drain from the air conditioner. I suspect the landlord " fixed " this problem by simply reaming out the drain blockage. The most common cause of drain blockages is mold growth in the drain pan and drain line. The more humid your summer environment, the quicker it will plug up again next summer unless preventive maintenance occurs, which has probably never happened. You didn't say what part of the country you live in, or what type of HVAC you have. Re-iterating info I wrote to another group member recently, HVAC can be enough of a problem all by itself, even if everything else is fixed. Any mold in the HVAC is constantly being blown into the air you breath. Condensation on your windows suggests single pane windows, thus an older building with older HVAC. A gas or oil fired furnace can have the air conditioning coils above or below the furnace heat exchanger. If above, the heat from the furnace will kill any mold growing in the drain pan. In contrast, a heat pump never gets hot enough to kill that mold. Also, if the AC coil is in the air stream before the firebox, it also never gets hot enough to kill mold. So, you can have mold blowing around all winter. There are other complicating factors. Many furnaces have humidifiers. These can become mold gardens. Turn off the water supply if you have a humidifier. The last complicating factor is the construction of the plenum and ductwork. Any systems can get dirty, but those with unlined fiberglass ductboard or fibrous insulation in the air channel are particularly bad for growing a multitude of microorganisms, not just mold. All apartments in your building probably have the same type furnace which caused a major part of your problem, again suggesting a move elsewhere might be better. Gil Date: Thu, 12 Jan 2006 02:42:09 -0000 From: " mommyof3inva " <mommyof3inva@...> Subject: Could it be mold? Last summer we moved into the apartment we're in. It seems like we've been sick ever since and we are rarely sick. We started out with: 1- Nasal congestion 2- Thick phlegm 3- Coughing 4-Headaches My husband, myself, our 5 yr old, and our now 18 month old have all had this. My husband finally had to go to the hospital and they told him he had a respitory infection. Then our boys were so sick, we finally took them to the ER. The oldest had a respitory infection. The middle one was said to have a sinus infection. I'm the only one who hasn't seen a doctor. I was pregnant up until the end of November....my ob/gyn said it was just a cold and that I didn't need to be seen and even if I was seen, I couldn't take any medication other than tylenol. I had our baby Nov. 21st (he is 7 wks). He seemed to have " caught " whatever we had shortly after being brought home. We had to take him to the ER last night because his breathing is so labored and he is hardly eating (can't breath with the bottle in his mouth). The past week, I've been getting extremely dizzy. The other night I actually fell over because of it...luckily I was not carrying the baby. Tonight, our oldest boy was brushing his teeth and his nose started bleeding for no reason whatsoever. Does this sound like we could have a mold problem in the apartment (is this the type of mold that causes health problems?)? 1- The windows always have water running down them and it collects in the window sill. Regular household mold is always growing in the sills. I clean it with Clorox spray and it's back w/in 2-3 days. It's not just a spot or two, it covers the entire sill and up the sides. Could the water be leaking into the walls also? 2- We have mold growing in some of the cabinets below the sink. 3- The wall behind the toilet is puckering out from water damage and it looks like the bathroom walls have been re-done like there was water damage. 4- The central air unit is in the boys room...right after we moved in, the relief drain backed up and leaked all over the floor. It soaked the floor in the closet and about 5 feet into the room itself. Our landlord came and fixed the leak and said to leave the closet doors open so the floor would dry. There was so much water that when you stepped on the carpet, water would actually squirt up in the air. He didn't do anything to try to get rid of some of the water. Well, ever since then, white mold has been growing on the surface of the carpet. I've tried to get rid of it and I think I finally did, but what is underneath the carpet that we can't see? Do you think this is why we are all sick? 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Guest guest Posted January 13, 2006 Report Share Posted January 13, 2006 All these are typical symptoms of initial mold illness. I am most concerned about your new baby- this kind of mold illness can become fatal for newborns due to respiratory distress. Is it possible for you to find another place to stay for a couple of weeks until your baby at least gets better? Perhaps one of the grandparents or a friend? Then you could see if they get better out of the house. Nose bleeds are a big symptom of mold exposure. I get dizziness as a symptom, along with other neurological symptoms. I can't remember what the name of the infant lung disease is, but there was a rash of these in Ohio where the babies developed bleeding lungs from the mold. Sinus infections, according to research done by Mayo Clinic, and published, is caused 98% of the time by a fungal infection. I have this. Some Drs have found staph inf. deep in the nose also (Shoemaker). Please consider finding an alternate place to stay while determining your children's health effects. We always got better on vacation, but I thought it was due to being relaxed or something. We had no obvious mold anywhere, and I was looking due to my allergies. In our case it was hidden behind the shower tile, and my boys grew up with constant allergies and other problems due to the mold. FInally we found a dr who knew what it was, so we are starting to try to get well, and it is a long road. Most drs know nothing about it, and can't tell the difference between a mold illness and a common cold or flu. The most important thing is to stop the exposure, then your bodies can have a chance to start healing. Most people start to feel better when they are out of the environment, but there are a few that need more help than that. Our bodies are truly amazing, in the ability to heal themselves given a chance. Good Luck, > > Last summer we moved into the apartment we're in. It seems like > we've been sick ever since and we are rarely sick. We started out > with: > > 1- Nasal congestion > 2- Thick phlegm > 3- Coughing > 4-Headaches > > My husband, myself, our 5 yr old, and our now 18 month old have all > had this. My husband finally had to go to the hospital and they told > him he had a respitory infection. Then our boys were so sick, we > finally took them to the ER. The oldest had a respitory infection. > The middle one was said to have a sinus infection. > > I'm the only one who hasn't seen a doctor. I was pregnant up until > the end of November....my ob/gyn said it was just a cold and that I > didn't need to be seen and even if I was seen, I couldn't take any > medication other than tylenol. > > I had our baby Nov. 21st (he is 7 wks). He seemed to have " caught " > whatever we had shortly after being brought home. We had to take him > to the ER last night because his breathing is so labored and he is > hardly eating (can't breath with the bottle in his mouth). > > The past week, I've been getting extremely dizzy. The other night I > actually fell over because of it...luckily I was not carrying the > baby. > > Tonight, our oldest boy was brushing his teeth and his nose started > bleeding for no reason whatsoever. > > Does this sound like we could have a mold problem in the apartment > (is this the type of mold that causes health problems?)? > > 1- The windows always have water running down them and it collects > in the window sill. Regular household mold is always growing in the > sills. I clean it with Clorox spray and it's back w/in 2-3 days. > It's not just a spot or two, it covers the entire sill and up the > sides. Could the water be leaking into the walls also? > > 2- We have mold growing in some of the cabinets below the sink. > > 3- The wall behind the toilet is puckering out from water damage and > it looks like the bathroom walls have been re-done like there was > water damage. > > 4- The central air unit is in the boys room...right after we moved > in, the relief drain backed up and leaked all over the floor. It > soaked the floor in the closet and about 5 feet into the room > itself. Our landlord came and fixed the leak and said to leave the > closet doors open so the floor would dry. There was so much water > that when you stepped on the carpet, water would actually squirt up > in the air. He didn't do anything to try to get rid of some of the > water. Well, ever since then, white mold has been growing on the > surface of the carpet. I've tried to get rid of it and I think I > finally did, but what is underneath the carpet that we can't see? > > Do you think this is why we are all sick? > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 13, 2006 Report Share Posted January 13, 2006 > > Forgot to mention that when we moved in, the closet in our boys' room > (the one with the ac/heater in it) had a horrible smell. Not sure how > to describe it other than it smelled like something crawled in there > and died. > > Is that mold smell? > Probably. Molds have different smells, ranging from a little musty to something definately died here. The smell is not safe to breathe either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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