Okay we live in a 86 trailer. We live in a park and bought this thing for $1. It needed to be fixed and we did what we could so we could live in it plus I was pregnant and had another child. Well our kids room the Sheetrock is exposed b/c their window was leaking and they also helped pull it off. Well there is mold in there and is a strip of mold at the bottom of the wall in our living room. Today I was taking care of somethings in our bedroom and there is mold at the bottom of our room also so white fuzzy stuff. I don't know what to do. We live in NY and I have called the health department and they told us we could clean it ourselves. I don't want to. Our 5yr old has asthma and now as some allergy we can't figure out to what which I am sure all of this isn't helping. I feel stuck. We don't have the money to move but I can't deal with this and having health issues in the family. Does anyone know of anything that we can do?
WE CAN'T REPLACE IT IT IS ALL OF THE OUTSIDE WALLS. WE HAVE NO IDEA HOW LONG WHAT EVER IS LEAKING. WE WOULD HAVE TO REPLACE THE WHOLE WALLS. SINCE IT IS AT THE VERY BOTTOM OF THE OUTSIDE WALLS OF OUR TRAILER. WE HAVE NO IDEA WHERE IT COULD BE CAUSING IT. YES IT IS BLACK AND ONE PART IS WHITE AND FUZZY.
Bleach kills mold, and not all molds are lethal/toxic, as VickI, below said. So see what you can do with a strong bleach/water - maybe 1/2-1/2 solution.,
Unfortunately if you don't have the money to hire someone you are going to have to clean it yourselves (unless you have friends or family willing to help). It should be pretty easy to clean up with bleach and water (1 cup bleach to 1 gallon of water). There are also products made specifically to deal with mold. Also unfortunately if you don't find the source of the moisture the mold is going to keep coming back. You could try replacing the damaged area of drywall/sheet rock and then painting or sealing it with a moisture barrier (but that won't work if the water is coming in from leaky windows). In my state there are programs that help low-income families (I am not sure what is considered low income) make home improvements. I am guessing that NY has a similar program. In fact I just googled for you. Check out the Cayuga County Homsite Development Corporation. Hopefully they can help you or point you in the right direction. Good luck.
http://www.homsite.org/homsite/index.html
I'd clean it up yourselves...not sure why you wouldn't "want" to do that? I'm sure you could call a restoration company to do it but you better have the money ready for that.
Put some masks on, bleach the heck out of what you see, run some fans, dry it all out. Surely you KNOW someone that knows a little about construction that can slap some new drywall on for ya. There are lots of handmen out there that would do it for a reasonable price, just get the materials.
not all molds are lethal, but they can cause other health problems mostly in the respiratory system. at menards, ace, home depot or what ever is out by you in NY, you ca buy a mold testing kit for pretty cheap. you just put out a petrey dish and it tells you what you're dealing with.
good luck!
Why don't you call your local Habitat for Humanity office and see if they have a list of people who may be able to help you.
I would also call your local child services department and see what resources they may have/ direction they may be able to lead you in re: resources due to the fact that your child has health issues related to the mold.
Not that this is helpful immediately to you, but we lived in a very small house growing up for 11 years that had serious mold issues. My mom constantly tried to clean it. What should have been done was full replacement of wall and floors... We all have health problems directly stemming from exposure to mold. I have asthma, that house was torture for me, constant asthma attacks- my mom now has extremely toxic blood:( Is the mold black? Ours was. That is the worst kind.
My advice is to do everything you can to save up for either a new place or new walls/floors if you can't get rid of it (it isn't easy to get rid of). It isn't good for you at all... Good Luck
Clean it yourself. I know people who have and who have been successful. It is possible. I'd look on-line or make some phone calls to find out what you need to do. You may very well find that the asthma and allergies are all actually mold!
I don't see that you have any other choice but to clean it. Look at it this way, you got the trailor for $1 and this is the real cost of it. If you can do this yourself I imagine the cost will still be MUCH less than if you had it done, bought a different used trailor and especially a new one. Do you have friends who can help with the clean up or help with watching your child and a place to stay while you do this? It does sound like a big job and I wouldn't wish it on anyone, but like one that has to be done for your health. Also, keep an eye on craigslist and freecycle. You may find materials you need to re build it after cleanup.
