Re: black mould

[Guest guest]

Nikki,

I would yes, of course, try to get them to fix it, but the big problem

is that since it clearly is

making you sick, they have to fix it properly and landlords often will

NOT WANT TO DO THAT because it involves *containing the mold* and

*removing and replacing mold damaged building materials* as well as

FIRST

*eliminating the cause of the mold* i.e. whatever is bringing it there.

Looking at your photos, I got a strong feeling of deja vu because they

look very much like what I was dealing with for years up to a few

months ago.

And I was just getting sicker and sicker..

I can tell what might be happening in the bathroom.. There is supposed

to be a vapor barrier behind the bathroom tile, but instead, the tile

may just be stuck right on top of sheetrock, which is in all

probability against the building codes..

Behind that tile, there is probably a LOT of mold. Yes, it would be

great if you could get a sample to test it.. (by having a

'disinterested third party' - someone responsible, if possible, do

this, fill out a chain of custody form and send it into a good lab if

you ever intend to use the evidence in court)

If you have test results saying that it is toxic, then your landlord

will either do the right thing and clean it up properly, even if it

costs a fair amount of money..

or they will say that you need to move because it will be dangerous..

and then start trying to get you out by any way they can..

If your building has vents and the vents are moldy, then there is a

good chance that other people in your building are getting sick too..

I would do as much testing as you can afford.. with third parties (the

most 'responsible' person you know, who can collect the sample -

basically act as a witness that it was there.. ) and then if it comes

back toxic.. (it sounds like it probably is..) get ready for a

battle..

Find out what laws might protect you up there.. I would not be

surprised if Canada had some real laws protecting tenants.. perhaps

they are more progressive than the laws here, which are skewed very

heavily in favor of property owners and giving them 'the benefit of

the doubt' even if when people are getting ill..

Important warning.. They need to clean it up and do this PROPERLY.. do

a search for " mold remediation in schools and cmmercial buildings " a

pamphlet by the US EPA..

otherwise, when they crack into that wall, your home and everything

you own could end up being so contaminated it will be have to be very

carefully cleaned.. and everything porous (like books, upholstered

furniture, clothes..rugs, all paper items) washed in ammonia or bleach

or thrown out..

If you have test results that say 'toxic mold' they won't be able to

poo-poo your concerns as easily.. Not to say they won't try.. but it

strengthens you.

Those vents sound like bad news.. can you block them up? YOU HAVE TO

GET AND KEEP HUMIDITY DOWN..

Use ammonia or oxygen bleach to clean that stuff off your walls.. and

keep at it of it comes back.. If the problems continue, i would start

looking for another place, and no, you have no guarantee except your

own nose that your next place wont be cursed.. even expensive places

sometimes are..

You'll have better luck the sunnier and higher the place is.. avoid

moisture.. slopes of hills valleys.. etc. Attics also often have mold

because of moisture condensing on the outer walls.. (one of your

pictures shows mold near the roofline.. this is typical.. Often, the

attic above a space that looks like that will be MUCH worse.. Protect

yourself.. get out of there if you can.. Kids, especially can be

permanently brain-injured by some mold toxins.. If I was a parent, I

would FLY away from a situation like that.. But document your

situation, in case the health issues don't go away.. (not unusual..

seriously..)

On 8/22/06, chiristine <nikkichick1976@...> wrote:

> ok do i have to move? should i be pushing my landlord to clean it

> up? or should i bring in the city to make the landlord do something

> about it? i'm on a fixed bugget i can afford to fix all the problems

> with the black mould, and sice we live in a 3 stoy home, and rent the

> top 2 floors, its not our reponsibility to clean up the mlould from

> the basement or the main floor, so even if i do clean up our problem

> the mould in the rest of the house will just let off spores and come

> up through the vents to our place again, really what should i do, my

> final course of action is going to be moving.

> http://groups.google.ca/group/nikkichick1976

> i have a group where i have pictures aside from the pictures i put in

> this group plz view and tell me your ideas, thank you.

>

>

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