A question about mold: I have an old house with storm widows.

[hedgehog]

A black dry mold forms on the window frame in winter due to condensation. I have the same problem on teh walls and ceiling of a small bathroom. This is more of a black stain than anything else. (There is an exhaust fan in the bathroom but I still get mold.) This is an aethetic problem rather than a health problem; it just looks nasty. Are there any paints or finishes that will prevent the mold without killing me?

[Wash. state Desk Jet]

1. simple green

Can be bought at the supermarket. Use it straight the black mold will wipe away. It,s safe bio degradable . Doubble pain windows will cure the problem.You might want to consider that.

There are additives for paint that resist mold and caulk that resists mold ,however nothing repells moisture so the ugly stuff keeps comming back. In the old days everyone used clorox. Buy some Simple Green ,spray it on straight ,let it set for a minute or two ,spray again than wipe it away. It,s a good safe product.

You can buy kitchen and bath paint that says (repells moisture stains,)however the real cure is insulating,windows are always at the top of the list.

[yy4me]

2. We had the same problem until this paint was suggested and

since using it, we never had mold in the bathroom again. Used it for the white ceiling, I don't know if it comes in colors. Bought at Ace Hardware. After using "Bin Primer, sealer", we used Zinsser "Perma White" mold and mildew proof interior paint on the ceiling. Same company, great product. Good luck

[Kolesar]

3. Most paints have mold inhibitors, but latex paints are inherently better than alkyd-oil paint

...because fungus likes to consume oil. The paint store can sell you additional fungus inhibitors in a little mustard packet bag.

If you have a moulderey house, this could lead to a long-term health problem. Do you get damp patches on your basement floor or walls? Do your pipes always have condensation?

Be well, my friend: http://ehw.org/Healthy_House/HH_home.htm

[Tom Greene]

4. Dangers of Mold

If you have mold in your home it is a serious matter that needs to be dealt with. The longer you wait, the more it will spread. If it gets into your hvac system, it could end up all over the house. All molds can make you very sick, http://www.black-mold-guide.com/diseases-caused-by-toxic-mold.html and it can be very difficult to remove. When mold was found in my attic we had to move out of the house for a week while a remediation company did the cleanup. The mold was making my daughter sick, and we were concerned that if any additional mold spores were in the air during the cleanup, it could have made her even worse.

Do yourself a big favor and find a couple of local remediation companies and have them come to your home to give a free evaluation. You probably will be surprised at what they have to say.

[Mnemosyne]

5. Welcome to DU, Tom! You are so correct.

I was stuck in a mold infested 1970 mobile home for a year and a half, sick the entire time and developed an infection that nearly killed me and hasn't disappeared completely after being out of it since June.

Health care, other than the ER, would help, but alas cannot afford it.

Glad your daughter is ok.

:hi:

[Warpy]

6. First, use a scrub brush and detergent to scrub surface mold off

and then treat with a 10% Clorox solution to kill anything left. At that point, you can prime and paint with a paint with a mildewcide. You have to add it from a packet in some brands. I think other brands include it in their premium lines.

Do wear a mask and gloves when you scrub and spray the stains. Inhaling either mold or Clorox is bad juju.

[Hassin Bin Sober]

7. Just a side note. Consider installing a timer on your bathroom exhaust fan.

People tend not to leave them on long enough. You should let it run at least 45 minutes. I set mine for an hour in our small bathroom.

Another advantage is the fan doesn't get accidentally left on for a week while you are on vacation. I've read stores of people accidentally leaving them on to come home and find the units melted. It's a fire hazard. New codes require a timer for this reason.

[LiberalEsto]

8. Increase ventilation in your house

We had a bad condensation and mold problem with a big kitchen bay window with 12 individual single panes. We couldn't afford to install a new bay window, but last fall I scraped and sanded and painted the exterior wood with Peel-Stop primer, then paint, then a good caulking job.

Last summer we also had a new roof put on, and had the contractor install a shingle-covered ridge vent along the top, as well as soffitt vents on all the soffitts. The contractor also recommended leaving in the existing gable vents, saying "You can hardly have too much ventilation."

Amazingly, last winter was the first time there was hardly any condensation on the bay window. I think it was the increased ventilation in the house, combined with a good paint & caulk job.

As a stopgap measure until we could afford the roof, we kept 3 containers of Damp-Rid on the bay window sill every winter, and refilled them as needed. Didn't need Damp-Rid last winter.

You might want to try Damp-Rid as a temporary solution, placed between your regular and storm window panes.