Is toxic black mold lurking in your home renovation project?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Ivan Seeking
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The discussion highlights the dangers of neglecting safety precautions during home renovations, particularly when dealing with potential toxic black mold. The original poster experienced health issues after working without a filter mask, leading to nausea and sinus problems. They discovered mold in the bathroom, prompting concerns about its toxicity and the need for professional testing and remediation. Participants emphasized the importance of using proper safety equipment, such as industrial-grade respirators and protective clothing, to prevent exposure to mold spores. They discussed the challenges of removing contaminated materials and the necessity of sealing affected areas to prevent future growth. The conversation also touched on the historical context of mold management, referencing biblical texts that outline health guidelines related to mildew. Overall, the thread serves as a cautionary tale about the risks of DIY home improvement without adequate safety measures.
  • #31
Moonbear said:
Oh, the other sneaky thing is when they actually sell the bulk items at a higher unit cost than the individual or smaller items. People just assume buying in bulk is cheaper, but it isn't always.

Yep! I often do the shopping, and like you, a visit to the grocery store is an exercise in arithmetic. And I find the same thing. They play every sort of game imaginable, all designed to trick you into spending more for less, but by law they have to post the unit price [per oz. or whatever] and you can always tell the best deals; as long as items like bleach still list the concentrations! I looked again and there is nothing on this Safeway brand bottle. Hmmm, I might just do a little checking on this. I really don't think that's legal.
 
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  • #32
Moonbear said:
Yeah, I noticed that recently. I was looking for just cheap bleach to whiten the driveway and sidewalks (it also worked a heck of a lot better than all those expensive herbicides for killing off the weeds growing in the driveway cracks) and was comparing concentrations on the different generic bleaches and realized they are calling "ultra" bleach the 5% stuff now,

It turns out that I was using Clorox in the bathroom. I had grabbed the bottle from the laundry room, but the bottle in the bathroom was purchased quite some time ago for the well stock. It's a 6% mixture.
 
  • #33
Boy, I found this mixture at a site for remodeling; lost the link but it appeared to be a respectable site.

2/3 cup of trisodium phosphate
1/3 cup of detergent
1 quart of house holds bleach
Enough water to make a gallon
Caution: Wear rubber gloves

One other interesting note about the biblical reference. Just by chance I checked another version, and apparently the "spreading mildew" [TBM] was considered to be a form of "house leprosy".