10 replies to this topic

[pinchecabrona]

I have already given a deposit on a luxury beach house and am about to move in. I just noticed a mold problem. Owners said they would take care of it but I want a third party to fix and or inspect. Hard to find in TJ.
PLEASE, can anyone help? I need this right away.

[C-Lo]

I have already given a deposit on a luxury beach house and am about to move in. I just noticed a mold problem. Owners said they would take care of it but I want a third party to fix and or inspect. Hard to find in TJ.
PLEASE, can anyone help? I need this right away.

Well I can't help with the mold problem, but I can relate. We just moved, but in our last apartment we had mold on every outside facing wall and in the closets. IT WAS HORRIBLE. The owner said she had never had that problem and that it must be from a lot of cooking. huh? I think it was the unusual rainy season this year and walls that were not properly sealed. We had a guy come look at it and he agreed that the walls had not been sealed inside or out, but we moved before he ever did the job. He was a friend of the owner so I don't have a reference for you. I hope you get it taken care of. It spread to clothes, shoes, or anything that was near the wall. I had a table ruined and a few other misc items, so I feel your pain!

[bajashrink]

I once had that problem on a two-story residence I owned and just two of these wind turbines installed on the roof got rid of the mold problem:

[HARRY]

Mold hates two things: light (especially sunlight) and air circulation. Where is the mold located? If it is on damp drywall, you may need to replace the drywall. At a minimum, dry out the area with hot air and then repaint with an anti-mold type of paint. Good luck.

[HK70]

I noticied in my apartment this past few months mold. Due to my hot showers and it being fricking cold in Nov. & Dec. I did not have the windows open. I will need to do a spring clean soon once work settles down. Mold was even on my baseball hats not sure how to clean them

[Mary Ellen]

I noticied in my apartment this past few months mold. Due to my hot showers and it being fricking cold in Nov. & Dec. I did not have the windows open. I will need to do a spring clean soon once work settles down. Mold was even on my baseball hats not sure how to clean them

Suggestion from someone who has lived in both Florida and Texas, i.e., mold capitals, CHLORINE BLEACH will kill surface mold however if it's in the drywall, etc. it is going to be very difficult to remove. Drywall needs to be replaced. When I shower I always turn on the electric heater and close the door as it evaporates moisture.
If the mold is in the walls and ceilings it could become a health hazard so make sure it is surface only otherwise you might be spending time and $$ at the doctors with sudden health problems.
And that anti-mold paint is useless if the mold is already below the surface; everything needs to be replaced.
Mold below the surface is not from one rainy season; it accumulates over a period of extended time and perhaps there is (or was) a major leak in the house that was not repaired.

[HK70]

Thanks Mary. In my case it is only surface mold.

[andy]

Some other tips:

* Keep windows open in areas where you are creating a lot of humidity.
* Keep a window open near the shower for at least a few hours after you shower.
* Keep the bathroom door closed to the rest of the house to try to keep the humidity from entering other living areas.
* Buy some dehumidifying pellets and put them in closets and areas near high humidity. I have seen a couple of different types. There have bags of pellets that you hang in the closets. The bag gathers water, you discard it when the bag is full of water. I have also seen plastic containers that you fill with pellets. The pellets draw the water and dissolve. When the container is full you dump it out and fill again with pellets.

As you likely know, the concrete block construction in Mexico is very different than the wood/steel frame construction in the United States. Houses in Mexico trap humidity inside much easier. Plus the lack of central air/heat in most Mexican homes (at least in Tijuana) does not keep air moving. You need to vent the home with the windows open or trap the humidity somehow (pellets described above or a dehumidifyer). The issue with a dehumidifyer is that the cost of the electricity to operate it is going to cost you.

[HK70]

Thanks Andy good info.

[Tjc-tahc]

It can cause health problems

It is impossible to get rid of all mold and mold spores indoors; some mold spores will be found floating through the air and in house dust. The mold spores will not grow if moisture is not present.
Indoor mold growth can and should be prevented or controlled by controlling moisture indoors.
If there is mold growth in your home, you must clean up the mold and fix the water problem.
If you clean up the mold, but don't fix the water problem, then, most likely, the mold problem will come back.

It has been our experience that hardly anyone seals the walls or paint in Mexico.

It is a water problem of some kind.

Good Luck.

We found one casa very nice 6000 sq. feet 900 dll, couldn't fix the wall leaks short of tearing out the plumbing.
Often what happens is they lay the PVC right in the concrete pore, will almost always leak, just takes a few year to happen.
Usually the Donald Trumps of baja have sold the casa before they have to fix there shoddy construction


Never did get the mold to stop.


Link to USA info
http://www.epa.gov/i...moldbasics.html

Good Luck
TJC

[richsinc]

Poor (very poor, no...) window insulation can be a problem too. I did not notice that my windows leaked for a year or more and water was collecting on the window sill and then down the wall behind the sofa/couch. The wall was blackish/green in spots.... great!

Insulation is almost non-existant in TJ.

You got windows that rattled in the wind? You will have problems.