Mold in bath ceiling

ladybug · Sun Aug 07, 2011 10:14 pm

I have mold in master bath ceiling, spreading to master bedroom and down the wall. Had this problem in 05-06, insurance company found hail damage and replaced roof. Since then I've had several episodes with this being the worst by far. Besides the adjuster and roofer he brought, I've had 3 other roofers look at my roof, none of them can find anything wrong with the roof. The last time I had it cleaned and repainted, the painter said he thinks I have a leak somewhere, when it rains it gets the insulation wet and starts the cycle again.

The insurance company will not pay for anything as they say it is not caused by "damage", I've even been in touch with the CEO of the company. I need help ASAP.

My home is a a Fleetwood, 1994, vaulted ceilings throughout, I live in rural West TN, USA.

Any suggestions?

JD · Sun Aug 07, 2011 10:57 pm

It sounds to me that either the ridge cap shingles are leaking and the roofers just have not spotted it and/or there is a condensation problem. I am assuming it is a shingle roof from your post. Both of these issues are pretty common with vaulted ceiling homes. What can happen is that the new roof is installed better with better materials, such as Grace Ice % Water Shield over the entire roof deck or multiple layers of roof felt at the ridge area. This could have done a much better job of sealing in moisture vapor which in turn could cause the mold issue. Vaulted ceilings without eave and ridge vents often have this problem. It is possible that some of the insulation had worked it's way away from the ridge marriage beam area. It may have been a small moisture issue that a lesser roof allowed to vent out. What ever the problem is, the lack of ventilation on these roofs exasperates all the moisture problem.

JMO w/o seeing it

Greg · Mon Aug 08, 2011 4:40 pm

You may end up dropping the ceiling and chasing the leak from the inside if it is indeed a leak, As JD said there is a possibility of a condensation problem. Mobiles are notorious for lack of ventilation problems both above the ceiling & under the floor.

Greg

bobfather99 · Mon Aug 08, 2011 6:23 pm

How is the bathroom fan vented?? Your fan could be blowing warm, moist air up above your bathroom which is causing your mold.

ladybug · Tue Aug 09, 2011 10:47 pm

Thanks to all who have helped, my roofer agreed with all the possibilites you all have said. He's coming later this week, take some shingles off and the plywood and see what it looks like under there and we will go from there. He also is suggesting a roof vent (can't remember what it is called exactly) that goes along the top of the roof ridge, entire length of the home. Next question....how do I get rid of the mold once they find it above the ceiling? Have been using bleach on the ceiling to remove it on this side, but since it has started going down the wall, not sure what to do. Many thanks for any suggestions.

bobfather99 · Wed Aug 10, 2011 12:10 pm

With mold on it, cut it out and replace it. You can bleach it, but the mold will just come back since the materials used are porous. Wear a mask when working around anything moldy, you don't want health trouble!!

DaveyB · Thu Aug 11, 2011 1:45 am

I would agree with bobfather99 in cutting the molded sections out and replacing them. Even if you dry out the areas and remove the visible signs, as the mold dries it will release spores into the air making for a nasty heath hazard.

DaveyB

ladybug · Thu Aug 11, 2011 12:27 pm

bobfather & DaveyB....you guys really know how to make my day!!!! Too lazy to read back to see what I've posted, but my insurance is NOT going to pay for any of this!!!! I'm trying to live on my disability (I already have health issues) and it took a big chunck of my savings to live on during the 2+ years I fought to get my disaility..... so you can imagine my mental state right now....and living in a rural area makes me wonder about the knowledge/abilities of people claiming to be "specialist" in mold removal....you'all have a good day.

Oh by the way...I almost forgot the important thing...yesterday as I laying in my bed (where I spend about 50% of my life) watching the mold growing on my bedroom ceiling, trying to figure out how this all started....it suddenly dawned on me....when my Mother bought this house (new) she had a carport and storage room added on the end of the house, I went out and looked and sure enough.all, I mean every inch of the vented sofit is covered up, so there has been no air circulation on this end of this house all this time. I bet when I had the first mold problem and the roof replaced, no one did anything about the existing mold except put Kilz on it and paint over it, so I've been growing mold since '05 or '06......Rest assured I will keep you posted.....this is just my usual luck.

DaveyB · Fri Aug 12, 2011 2:05 am

Hi Ladybug,

I did read your post, but it won't be as costly as you think. You don't need to replace the entire wall/ceiling, just the affected parts. So for example it the mold comes about 2 feet down the wall, you would simply remove the 2 feet of affected wall, wide enough to uncover parts of the supporting wood behind it, then replace just that section. While the hole is uncovered, it will also let you get some ventilation in there to bleach and dry out the entire area and prevent the problem from coming back.

If the patchwork is done carefully, the new section will mate with the old one leaving an almost unnoticeable seam which a lick of paint or some wallpaper will quickly cover up. Working this way, a single sheet of sheet rock or board may be enough to replace 4 or more affected areas.

I also note your mention of a health condition, which is one more reason why you want that mold gone completely. My concern about the mold comes from seeing people with respiratory distress caused by exactly the same thing - here in AZ, we have a particularly virulent greenish-black mold (Stachybotrys chartarum) which can cause major health problems.

Like yourself, I am a user on this site, and by no means a specialist in this field. My post was simply a response to your request for suggestions on how to deal with the problem, although I took the long term approach, rather than the "kilz and paint" approach which doesn't cure the problem, it simply hides it (for now).

I hope you find an amenable solution

DaveyB

ladybug · Fri Aug 12, 2011 12:04 pm

Thanks DaveyB. I am feeling greatly relieved this morning . Servall came out this morning with all his meters etc. He assured me the problem is not my roof. He seems to think it is a matter of mositure collecting in this area of the house + I have no vent fan in the bathroom+because I have to stay in bed so much I keep my room nearly dark as night. All the meters showed humidity, moisture levels were fine. He also agreed that I should do the ridge cap vent as everything starts right up at the top of the ceiling. Simply because of my past allergy problems to molds he did think doing a test as to what kind of mold would be wise (it will take a couple of weeks). Until we get the results back (he treated it this morning) he urged me to get the vent fan and to continue to leave my ceiling fan run 24/7 as I do anyway. There's no sign of mold in my pantry which has vault ceiling and gets soooo hot that glass jars sweat. He told me to get a package of MicroBan (I think that's what he called it) and add it to my paint when I do repaint and said using Kilz before painting certainly wouldn't hurt either. So that's my plan of action for right now.

I just wish I could sell this place, too much house for one (sick) person, want to build a little 900 sq. ft' cabin on the other end of my property, but as all know this is NOT a good time to sell!

On an entirely "off Topic".....I love your Gov. Jan Brewer and Sheriff Joe Arpaia....have said I'd like to live in AZ for those two reasons! Our country would be lots better off if we had more people/leaders like them. Hope This doesn't offend anyone, but as you've probably noticed, I say what's on my mind! Someone once said "You never have to wonder what Eileen is thinking, hang around a minute and she will tell you."

Hope all of you have a great week-end and thanks for all the help and suggestions!

Greg · Fri Aug 12, 2011 5:39 pm

Ladybug, I don't want to downplay the potential seriousness of the mold, but if you watch "Holmes on homes" Mike Holmes maintains (and I have to agree to a point) that the chemicals people use to kill the mold is more dangerous than the mold. The best thing to do is find the source of the problem, mold is a result of the problem. Kill it at the source.

Greg

ladybug · Sat Aug 13, 2011 5:22 pm

Oh, I love "Holmes" and rarely miss it. The guy thinks the moisture collects in there as I have no vent fan of any kind, and because of my health problems I keep my bedroom dark as night. Thankfully, I always have my ceiling fan on 24/7, As I mentioned in an earlier writing I looked and found when the carport was added on to the house, it covered all the sofit along the north side, so there isn't any ventilation at all getting to this area. I'm going to have a good strong ceiling vent fan installed as well as the ridge cap vent. He sprayed some chemical on it yesterday and told me when I get my paint to buy some Micro-Ban to it before painting. So we will have to wait and see, hopefully this is will take care of it. I'm just wondering what happens when we have a hard rain, as it seems to get worse then, but can't remember for certain.

If anyone knows of someone that wants a nice (but moldy) home in rural West Tn, along with 15 acres I have one to sell! Low taxes, good small school system, exactly half way between Memphis and Nashville on I-40!

ladybug · Tue Aug 16, 2011 1:41 pm

As I sit here typing, they are in the process of taking the ceiling out of my bathroom and anxious to see what they find!

bobfather99 · Tue Aug 16, 2011 10:19 pm

That is the best plan. Take it down and have a good look behind it. That way you can fix it right and be mold free.

ladybug · Fri Aug 19, 2011 12:47 pm

He took a section out (and of course all that blown in insulation fell out) but he felt all around and could feel spaces that were damp. He said one could not believe how hot it was above the ceiling and so everyone agress, it is so hard above it and I keep my house so cold, it is sweating above the ceiling which started the mold. The mold started and is most contained in the master bedroom and bath which happen to be the first feed of the AC and the two coldest rooms in my place. Due to health problems I keep my house colder than most and spend a great deal of my time in bed. Final solution....put the ridge cap vent across the house, then treat the mold and repaint. We DID decide to put the piece of sheet rock back up temporarily for a while and wait until we have another BIG rain just to make sure this is the problem. I just wish I could sell this whole place, my dream is a 900 sq. ft. cabin, brand new, built correctly and will last me the rest of my life with very low up-keep!