I live in an apartment and I noticed what I believe to be mold growing on my bathroom ceiling. I have a daughter with asthma and I now know it's the cause of her constant coughing since we moved here. The maintenance guys came in said they fixed the leak from upstairs, treated the wall/ceiling, painted over with Kilz, and stated nothing further was needed.
Am I wrong in feeling like this didn't solve the issue? I went myself and bought a moisture tester at Lowes to monitor the leak from an overflowing toilet from upstairs. This was two weeks prior to seeing the mold, because they shrugged it off as no big deal. I'm seeing mixed answers here on what to clean with and I was told the black mold is the worst and can cause a lot of respiratory issues. The way I see it it's in the drywall and if it's black it's been there awhile we've lived here for just at a month. To me they are not solving the issue only painting over it just to cover it. Help this single mom of 3 to know what's best for her 3 kids, one with asthma that can't stop coughing.
Best Answer
It depends.
It depends on the type of mold. It depends on the severity of the infestation. It depends on how many treatments they applied.
Bleach is not sufficient or approved for mold remediation. You may need to use something like MoldStat and even then you may need to take additional steps. If the infestation was bad enough you probably could replace the affected drywall section (and, while doing so, treat the lumber behind it).
It sounds like you live in a communal building like a condo or apartment. If a leak from your neighbor caused a mold problem in your unit then your association likely has a legal obligation to hire licensed mold remediation specialists. I would raise it concern immediately with your management company. Suggest that if action is not taken that you will contact the ombudsman.
You are not responsible for damages caused by your neighbor's leaks. Your neighbor has insurance and/or the association has insurance. If you are concerned, have a professional mold agency deal with the problem.