Mold (or mildew) on subfloors and I'm having panic attack

[Melaine]

Talk me down please.....we have just pulled up our linoleum to lay down the vinyl plank and have found some areas of black mold/mildew. I'm in mid-range panic mode because of all of our health issues that we're already dealing with. DH is convinced that we can just spray the mold with a treatment we have, dry it, and then put down the new stuff. IS THIS OK?

Masks, opening all the windows, gloves, can we do this ourselves? We can't replace the floors, we really need to power through this project. The spray does say it's effective for subfloors.

[twowhat?]

This is not surprising if the linoleum you pulled up was a bathroom or kitchen floor. Spray it well with bleach and/or the treatment that you have, allow it to dry thoroughly, and proceed with your project.

Mold is everywhere. When we replaced our shower, the mold from water intrusion through broken tiles/grout had penetrated all the way through the drywall in our bedroom and was on the wall studs and everything. I sprayed the whole thing with bleach, let dry, we proceeded with shower remodel, and it has not been a problem.

Mold is everywhere - seeing it is totally normal. You cannot get rid of mold spores - it's a normal part of the environment (just like bacteria). If it's causing health issues, that's where it becomes a concern. And mold does like homes, especially dark cool spaces.

We actually JUST installed a whole-home purifier (literally yesterday). We live in a climate where it gets very hot in summer and can be very cold in the winter. That wreaks havoc with forced air HVAC systems because we also get temperature swings as large as 40 degrees in less than 24 hours during season changes. There are times when we have the AC on, and then literally have to switch to heat in the same day! And with it being so hot in the summer, we keep the house cool which means the attic is hot, and that's where all the ductwork is. Ducts with cool air in a hot attic, even insulated, can run into condensation/moisture issues. Condensation and moisture is lovely for mold. There's no way to solve the root cause (extreme temps, temperature swings, etc) so we bit the bullet on whole-house air purification. It's UV light-based and installed inside the HVAC at the evaporator coils and also in the plenum of the HVAC. Ours has been running for about 12 hours now, and kind of amazingly, I woke up this morning with a clear nose (I normally wake with a stuffy nose). DH said the same thing! So we have high hopes for this. Our kids and I are asthma sufferers too, and I'm curious if this will cut down on our rescue inhaler use. If it keeps us healthier, then it will totally be worth the thousands of dollars we will have spent on installing the system + duct cleaning for a 4000sf house.

[KpbS]

I would say it depends on how much of the total area is moldy OR the condition of the subfloor--is it rotten? If it is extensive mold or rotten it needs to be replaced, not just sprayed.

Know anyone who could give you an idea of what you are dealing with? I would ask around for friends' opinions and go from there. You don't want to pay for something you don't need, but you don't want to just cover up a problem needing treatment either, kwim?

[twowhat?]

I would say it depends on how much of the total area is moldy OR the condition of the subfloor--is it rotten? If it is extensive mold or rotten it needs to be replaced, not just sprayed.

Know anyone who could give you an idea of what you are dealing with? I would ask around for friends' opinions and go from there. You don't want to pay for something you don't need, but you don't want to just cover up a problem needing treatment either, kwim?

This is a good point - if it's rotting, you will definitely have to replace. If it's just mold, I'd be totally ok with treating it properly and moving forward.

[mmsmom]

We have had professional mold remediation done and they wear full protective suits, respirators and gloves. I would follow the directions of what ever product you have as far as how to protect yourself. We were not allowed to be in the house while it was being treated. Plan on drying taking twice as long as it says...it will depend on temp and humidity level. Consider renting some industrial fans.

You also want to make sure to take care of the cause of the mold or it will just return.

[Melaine]

Thanks guys. This was super stressful. The subfloor was all sound and the source of mold was dealt with ages ago. We treated it with A mold spray and scrub, let it dry and retreated with bleach. We wore gloves and masks and were careful about keeping it contained but that was really the best we could do. It was really just my health anxiety that was putting me over the edge plus this completely delayed our project which stresses me out since it’s the holidays. We have 1/2 the kitchen floor done and just hoping to get our appliances back in in time for Thanksgiving! (I don’t have to host but have to do some baking).

[dogmom]

I'm glad your panic attack subsided! There are so many horror stories out there about mold, but like PP mold is everywhere. There are some types that are particularly problematic to lungs, but most aren't. There are more of an issue for allergies, which can still be bad. I found this EPA guide helpful when I was dealing with a small mold area in my house from drips from the BR above.

https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2016-10/documents/moldguide12.pdf