pedanticKarl
Member
Marina tweeted:
Sat Oct 03 - 1:16:06 pm
"Just found out I have black mold in my apartment...not good!!!!!!!!!!!"
Sat Oct 03 - 1:19:48 pm
Watch this movie and let me know what u think.
blackmoldexposuremovie.com
Some references for Black Mold
Frequently Asked Questions about Black Mold
Ten Questions on Mold and Homes
What is your opinion on the subject?
pedanticKarl
Member
My opinion on the subject of Black Mold is not to over-react and to take the necessary precautions and to take a careful pro-active approach. Scare tactics and hyper dramatizations are interesting to watch and get one's blood boiling, but may hurt in the long run.
Here are some tweets that would reflect my thoughts.
Pack_Cat:
@hotforwords get a 2nd opinion... I know a few people who run restoration businesses... usually a scam. #mold
Delraybian:
@hotforwords Mold has been around a long time - our grandparents would have scrubbed with bleach, aired out the place and called it a day.
Here are my thoughts. As I mentioned in regards to pneumonia and the flu in general, it is imperative that our lungs be protected as much as possible when there is danger of particulate matter in the air that can harm us. In the cities and elsewhere, we are bombarded with toxic air all of the time. There are lots of articles on respiratory problems in the news all of the time.
Black mold and other household issues such as Radon have been seized by some media and scammers to spread the fear into people. For example, the Ed McMahon case that started in the early 2000s was all over the news and 60 Minutes. If I remember the story correctly, the problem wasn't the original mold. The problem was that once the mold was discovered, the people that were supposed to clean it up failed to do a thorough job which aggravated the situation and then leading to several law suits.
I'm not trying to minimize the mold issue, but caution against overreacting.
For example, let's say one wanted to move to another place because there is mold in the current place. What guarantee is there that the new place isn't infected with Black Mold and what guarantee is there that it has been eradicated and how does one know that there isn't Toxic Mold hidden in the new place? How does one know if a scammer may have covered up the mold in the new place? Read the links above, especially the FAQ on Black Mold.
I recommend getting several opinions on the removal of the mold, but most importantly to find out if the mold in the current residence is systemic or a one time occurrence as a result of a water leak. Systemic issues would be related to the use of poor ventilation, other water leaks, building materials susceptible to mold and so forth. Asking for the maintenance history of the apartment complex is a clue to issues as would be talking to neighbors and the city's building inspectors.
Circulation, dehumidifiers, air purifiers and Tilex (bleach) type products for cleaning are key.
I recommend checking out various air purifiers. The most expensive is not necessarily the best deal. I have an ordinary ionizer type unit that I've had for many years and it works great.
leoNard
Member
Need to move out! I have black mold in my apartment!...with so much light and with your climate....is someone peeing in the wrong place/? 
mois.ture-proof.....whole earth molded by water 
pedanticKarl
Member
Marina talks about Black Mold in this video.
Since the mold is in the air conditioning ducts as Marina pointed out,
then the reason for moving is so much more urgent than had it been a simple
small area of a wall.
I have black mold in my apartment!
Since Marina pointed out that the air conditioning duct is now part of the equation, then that prompted me to recall many news items about Legionnaires' disease. Not to say that the recent pneumonia that Marina had was related to Legionnaires' disease, but her pneumonia as Marina pointed out in the video may have been related to this Black Mold. Recommend checking with doctor to see what degree of connection there is to Black Mold.
Legionnaires' disease
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/legionnaires-disease/DS00853
In any case, I highly recommend an air purifier in the new location as it is an added precaution and helps with breathing healthier air.
HotForWords
Key Master
I got a professor from UCLA to do the analysis.. I know about the scams.
Greatest Potential
Member
I just called these guys:
Rijk
Member
Air-co was the problem, pointed a finger at it on the sept 29 guess you missed it.
air-ducts at fault? I doubt it. material probably metal should be easy to clean.
No its more likely to be the heat exchange unit. Thats where the moister will appear.
The drainage of the air-co is insufficient / clogged. When they repair that and clean the unit you'll be fine. Don't know what to do with the rest of the house, but the source is gone than so...
Regarding the purifiers nice idea. But having one of those strips that show you how humid the air is, is better. Fight the cause, not the symptoms. Place it at the point where it blows air in to the room. If it shows a higher humidity than the rest of the air, you got the same problem.
Rijk
Member
ps I forgot, don't switch that air-condition unit on, no mater how hot it is!
muggins
Member
Marina is on the right path. Identify the problem.
Find the source. Then deal with the landlord after
consulting a recommended lawyer. Tenants have rights
in California, but see a lawyer first. Always better
to deal with landlords knowing what your rights are.
Often, a letter from a lawyer gets things done.
Moving may well be the cheaper and happier option.
Real estate is cheap in California.
wyo550
Member
I just checked with LA County and Beverly Hills health and so forth and posted the numbers at http://twitpic.com/kevtg
Capman911
Member
It sounds to me as if Marina has two problems. One in the bathroom and closet area and the other in the ac system. How are the two connected? One way could have started in the ac unit when Marina's ac went out allowing warm moisture to build up in the ac ducts or on the evaporator coil causing mold to grow inside of the unit and duct work. Since she lives in an apartment then she has a split unit. The compressor's condenser sits on the ground outside and the blower unit is inside of the apartment. Very easy system to clean the A coil evaporator and decontaminate the duct work as it seems to be only in her apartment since we don't know if it is in any other apartment. Then decontaminate the rest of the apartment. The other possibility could have been when the water leaked in the bathroom and then into the closet area allowing mold to grow inside of the closet and inside of the wall cavity as it is dark and remained dank for some time. The return air duct then picked up the mold spores and contaminated the ac unit blowing the mold spores through out the apartment and recycling it back through the ac over and over again. One place to start would be replace the ac filter which should be inside of the apartment. You may be able to see the evaporator coil or fan blades "ie" squirrel cage fan" when you take out the filter and see if there is any mold in the enclosure. Another way to check for mold would be to look on the kitchen cabinet doors from the side with a flash light and see if there is a shiny green or brownish colored film covering them. It will show up better on a darker surface than on white. So check different areas of the apartment even inside of the upper cabinets as mold settles every where. If you want to feel safer wear a Hepa mask while your in the apartment. One other area to check would be the vacuum cleaner bag. As you vacuum you bring up the mold in the vacuum and it blows it back out into the room unless it is equipted with a Hepa filter. This not only pertains to Marina's problem but to anyone that has found mold in their residence. Then call in a Licensed reputable contractor to do the clean up.
buzzword
Member
give the mold its own youtube channel.
Capman911
Member
Black Mold's You Tube Channel.
errin
Member
My opinion is that Marina is handling the black mold situation just right. She found it, had it analyzed, and is now looking for a new apartment free of black mold.
Marina's got a good thing going in her professional life... her book just came out, she's gotten a lot of TV exposure recently, and HotForWords is as popular as ever on YouTube. She has to stay busy and active, and shouldn't risk staying in a place that can cause her illness and interrupt her flow.
And for all we know, this black mold thing can be a blessing in disguise. Maybe she'll go find an apartment she'll like even more. Maybe she'll even luck out and find a house that is on the market at a very affordable price. I'm a firm believer that things happen for a reason, so if it's time for Marina to move on from that apartment, then it is time for Marina to move on from that apartment. I wish her the best of luck in her apartment search, and know it will all work out for the best.
Peace, Errin : )
muggins
Member
Apartment vacancies at highest percentage since 1986.
jt1stcav
Member
I'm sure the topic's been brought up before and I've just missed it. But it seems if the AC unit and the water leak behind the wall are the culprits for Marina's latest illness (and the fact she likes her current apartment), can't the landlord be held accountable for the repair of the AC unit and having the leak fixed and the wall torn down and replaced? Any and all repairs to the AC/water leak/wall replacement should be taken care of immediately and without question, so Marina can continue on with her life without interruptions from this black mold that's developed.
I assume Marina would like to remain where she lives, unless she wants to move out. But we all know moving is such a time-consuming chore that takes weeks to prepare and undergo, and if her schedule is tight at the moment, this could become a major headache! If it were me, I'd opt to stay and have the problem rectified; once a health inspection is conducted and the repairs are satisfactory, then Marina can continue on with her life and her work...but that's just me.
muggins
Member
What the tenant needs to do is have the problem documented on paper.
Then see a lawyer because, normally, the landlord will resist forking out the
money to repair the air conditioning unit. There are definite landlord tenant laws in California and the landlord is more familiar with those laws than a tenant would be. It's part of their "tool box". So, the tenant is at a disadvantage. They don't know what to do when the landlord says, "No". That first meeting between the tenant and the landlord is best scripted by the lawyer. For those tenants who don't want to spend money on a lawyer, there is probably a book on California landlord tenant law in the bookstore or library. I say see the lawyer, pronto. It may well be cheaper than forking out 1st and last months rent plus a deposit and other stuff to get a new apartment.
Hs4Mm
Member
Interesting review that covers the Sharper Image Ionic Breeze and its descendents, the latest descendant being the Therapure 201M Air Purifier by Envion. I had no idea a business could be so bad!
lordzden
Member
Black molds are not so harmful but it still harms. There are a lot of symptoms of having contact with molds. It is important to have knowledge in killing and preventing molds. Be ware of the great danger molds can cause you.
bigredgumball
Member
My buddy in University had this house, we'd go over and hang out. We all noticed wed get headaches and asked him if he had a gas leak or something. There was one room he never opened and aways harped about the cheap rent. As time went on tho he began to look like crap. We thought he was on crack or something so we decided to do an "intervention"... we didnt find any drugs but man we opened that door to what looked like a mold wild kingdom. The town condemed it and tore it down. Hes doing much better now.
Mike
Member
We have a little. A leaking pipe. We're collecting the water to keep it away from the wood, and the mold is drying out nicely. Eventually, I will cut out the studs, get the pipes fixed, etc. But I've known people who have had to rip out walls and the like because of long term leaks. I found I could actually smell the mold. I didn't know what it was, but know that the odor is gone, I know what it's like.
I would never stay in a rental with mold. No reason for that.
Mike
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