Job Stories

This homeowner decided to it was time to clean out some of the items he had stored in is crawl space. As he was reorganizing some of the containers, he noticed a lot of mold growth along the joists. He immediately went upstairs and called Mold Solutions for help.  As soon as we inspected the crawl space we immediately identified the cause of the mold growth, high humidity levels! High humidity in the air can supply enough moisture for mold to grow. Humidity levels should be kept ideally between 30 percent and 50 percent. After our inspection, we applied an EPA registered antimicrobial solution called MAPS 1. MAPS 1 attacks mold at its DNA and kills it instantly. Next, we applied our mold stain remover, scrubbed away all the mold stains, and applied MAPS 2. This is a patented sealant that encapsulates the surface mold is growing on and renders it harmless and non-allergic. MAPS 2 is also moisture sensitive and will reactivate whenever it gets wet to prevent any future mold growth. Lastly, to handle the high humidity issue, we installed a Sani-Dry Sedona commercial grade dehumidifier. These dehumidifiers cost less to run than other dehumidifiers, cover over 3000 square feet, are energy efficient, and will properly control the humidity levels in the crawl space.

These homeowners in Lincroft, NJ needed to have their crawl space insulation removed because of mold formation. Crawl spaces commonly develop mold because they are damp, dark, humid, and surrounded by damp soil — a perfect environment for mold to thrive. Permanent resolution of mold problems in crawl spaces requires encapsulation and dehumidification. Both of these improvements are performed by Cowleys residential contractor division. We spend a lot of our days in crawl spaces! These homeowners decided to put their home up for sale and there would be pre-sale inspection deficiencies without any crawl space insulation. It’s unfortunate that they waited until the sale of their home to do this. The lack of insulation no doubt increased their utility bills and made their ground flood cold and uncomfortable. Nevertheless, the home was getting proper insulation now. For this job, our two-man crew installed R-19 ComfortTherm insulation, a formaldehyde-free poly-encapsulated fiberglass insulation with a vapor-retarder facing. It’s a great thermal and acoustical insulation and our go-to product for basements and crawl spaces.

During a pending sale of a home in Middletown, NJ, mold was discovered on the fire-blocking wall of a utility room. There was no obvious source of the water intrusion event triggering the mold growth. In addition, the humidity level in the room, at least during our inspection, was not high enough to trigger mold growth. We suspected that the likely source for the mold was moisture in the poured concrete walls.  To proceed with the sale, the homeowner needed a written warranty from us that the mold was successfully treated.. A crew from the Cowleys Mold Solutions division was sent to resolve the mold problem. We applied an EPA-registered antimicrobial (MAPS 1) to the utility room walls. After, we wiped down all of the mold and mold stains on the surfaces. Finally, we applied our patented sealant (MAPS 2) that seals in the mold and prevents any new mold growth from forming. Because of our treatment process works immediately we were able to treat the mold in the utility room in less than a day, and there was no delay in the sale of the home. Good news for the seller, buyer, and realtors in the transaction!

This homeowner in Middletown, NJ had a severe situation happen in his home. One of the toilets in his bathrooms had flooded and caused severe water damage to the area. Although he cleaned it up and fixed the broken toilet, he had no idea that water had seeped below to the spare bedroom closet in the basement, which caused black mold to grow! Since he was a Home Protection Plan customer for our Pest Control Division, he gave our Mold Division a call and we were sent out.  Once we inspected the area, we determined that the black mold growth was so bad that a large portion of the sheetrock, insulation, and wooden beams needed to be removed. The owner agreed and we removed & disposed of every single mold contaminated item. Once we finished, we treated the area with our EPA registered antimicrobial called MAPS 1. This solution attacks mold at its DNA and immediately kills it. Afterward, we applied our mold stain remover and scrubbed away all the mold stains. Lastly, we applied MAPS 2, which is our patented sealant that encapsulates the surface mold is growing on and renders it harmless and non-allergic. MAPS 2 is also moisture sensitive and will reactivate whenever it gets wet to prevent any future mold growth.

The owners of a beach house in Brick, NJ found themselves with an unpleasant surprise when they returned to get the home ready for summer: there was mold growing behind a cabinet and drywall. They contacted Cowleys Mold Solutions and a two-man crew was dispatched to treat the mold.  The homeowner wanted us to removing the cabinet, which was no problem. However, he was hoping to avoid a tear-out and replacement of the drywall panels that had developed mold. Since there was no structural damage to the drywall, we could potentially leave it in depending on whether there was some behind the drywall responsible for the mold growth, and whether we needed to access the area in order to fix the problem. Mold is a sign that a home has some type of water intrusion or chronic moisture from high humidity. While it is important to treat the mold, it is just as important to address the underlying problem that’s causing mold growth in the first place. Otherwise, the mold will return. To check behind the drywall, we cut out four small “peepholes” at the tops and bottoms of each moldy area of the drywall so we could visually access the wall void and determine the water source triggering the mold growth. As it turned out, a condensation drain for AC was dumping water into a bay directly above the mold-affected infected area. We repositioned the condensation line so it would drain water away from the home. We treated the mold problem with our mold treatment process that that involves two separate applications. First, we applied an EPA-registered antimicrobial (MAPS 1) to the affected areas. Next, we applied our patented sealant (MAPS 2), for which Cowleys is a licensed distributor. This sealant kills molds on contact at the cellular level rendering it inert and harmless. Mold is dangerous because its airborne spores can cause various respiratory problems, and some strains of mold contain actual toxins. This sealant is also moisture-sensitive. If the conditions that trigger mold growth return, this sealant has the ability to reactivate and kill any new mold growth in the treated areas. The owners were pleased that we could complete this job in less than a day, that the drywall could be saved thereby avoiding a tear-out/renovation project. And, most important for them, there would be no delays in using the beach house over the summer.

Recently, a two-man crew from Mold Solutions By Cowleys was sent to an office/warehouse in an Industrial Park in Eatontown, NJ to resolve a mold problem. Mold had formed because of water seepage through an exterior wall. Mold is a byproduct of some water intrusion event. If you have mold, there is underlying water problem that’s caused it. Although we tend to associate mold with a major water intrusion event like flooding, mold can also form with a water problem that’s not at noticeable or dramatic. Sometimes, the water problem is internal such as a leaky pipe or chronically high indoor humidity, especially in basements and crawl spaces. Other times, like here, the mold problem is caused by an external event where water enters the building through the roof, foundation, or external walls. Here, the water seepage went unnoticed for some period of time. Once it was found, the building owner immediately has the leak fixed. However, it does not take long for mold to take hold, and here, mold had started to grow on the outside bottom of drywall (sheetrock). As long as there is water or moisture, mold will start growing on any organic material, even on materials that are no longer living. Many processed building materials, including drywall, contain organic material, even though they don’t look like anything that resembles anything that was once alive and found in nature. Although drywall is primarily made of inorganic gypsum plaster. It is pressed between two thick sheets of paper, which is “organic” food for mold. When drywall become water-saturated, it acts like a sponge. Mold formation on drywall can form and spread quickly.   With our mold treatment process, we treat the mold directly, right where it sits. If the building material has not lost its structural integrity, we don’t need to remove it. Since, water had leaked into the building from the exterior wall, it was important to determine if there was any mold growth in the wall void. Mold is not always visible and in plain sight. To ensure that there was no mold growth in the wall void, we cut out a small section of the drywall panel so that we could inspect behind it. No mold had formed in the void. This was good news for the building owner. Since we were only dealing with surface mold, we could treat the mold without removing building materials. Our mold treatment process often allows building owners to avoid costly tear-outs and renovation. Also, removing mold-tainted materials is not foolproof. Significant precautions must be taken so that mold spores don’t fly off and reattach elsewhere. We started by treated the mold with an EPA-registered anti-microbial (MAPS 1). Next, we applied our patented sealant (MAPS 2) which kills mold on contact. This sealant has the unique ability to reactivate with water or moisture and kill future mold growth in any of the treated areas. Finally, we scrubbed off the mold stains. Mold stains are residue of the mold enzymes dissolving the material. These stains themselves are not harmful or allergenic like the mold itself. However, they are aesthetically unappealing. As long as the stains are not too deeply embedded in the materials, we can remove or at least substantially reduce their appearance. Bottom line: Our crew finished up in less than a day, and after we were done, we left the building mold-free and safe for its employees and customers.

As this homeowner in Barnegat Light, NJ, was moving things around in his garage, he spotted something interesting behind the workbench - mold! A short while ago, he did have a water intrusion issue in the garage that was repaired, but not quick enough to stop the mold growth. After searching for a reputable mold removal company, he found Mold Solutions, gave us a call, and we were sent out. Once we arrived and inspected the area, we discovered that the mold growth was so severe that we would had no choice but to remove all the contaminated sheetrock and the insulation. We brought this to the owners attention and he agreed, so we went right to work! After removing all the contaminated materials, we treated the area with our EPA registered antimicrobial called MAPS 1. This solution targets mold at its DNA and immediately kills it. Afterward, we applied our mold stain remover, scrubbed away all the mold stains, and applied MAPS 2. MAPS 2 is our patented sealant that encapsulates the surface mold is growing on and renders it harmless and non-allergic and will reactivate whenever it gets wet to prevent any future mold growth. Now that the mold is gone, the homeowner will hire a contractor to replace the sheetrock and the insulation.

The Cowleys Mold Solutions crew was dispatched to a home in Manasquan to treat the crawl space for mold. Upon arrival, we found extensive mold growth throughout the entire crawl space area that was caused by high humidity levels.  Mold, a fast-growing fungus, is the inevitable result of water or moisture problems inside a structure. There is a popular misconception that you need a major water issue like flooding or a broken pipe to trigger mold growth. In fact, as this homeowner found out the hard way, sustained high indoor humidity levels is more than enough to trigger mold growth. While mold growth can happen anywhere in a home, dark, damp basements and crawl spaces are often prime breeding grounds for mold. Crawl spaces are notorious trouble spots in a home. One of the primary reasons is that the vast majority of crawlspaces are still vented despite the overwhelming proven benefits of crawl space encapsulation. Venting not only allows thick, humid outside air to enter the crawl space area, but also provides easy access for insects and other pests. Crawl space problems are often compounded because this ignored area of the home is often “out of sight and out of mind.” Because homeowners or a repair person rarely ventures into a crawl space unless some work needs to be mold, moisture, and water problems can be festering for months or even years before they are identified and corrective action taken. This mold problem was discovered because the home was recently listed for sale and the homeowner wanted to be sure that everything was okay down below. It was not, and Cowleys was brought in to treat the problem. It was time to get to work! We treated the crawlspace by first applying our EPA-registered anti-microbial (MAPS 1) using electrostatic fogging to kill the surface mold as well as any airborne mold spores found in the crawlspace. After waiting for this treatment to dry and give the application time to kill the mold, we applied our patented polymer sealant (MAPS 2), also using electrostatic fogging. This sealant, which destroys mold at the cellular level, is moisture-sensitive, so it will reactivate if exposed to moisture or water and prevent the return of any new mold growth in the treated area. Finally, we scrubbed off all of the visible mold growth. Because of the chronic humidity issues in the crawl space, we recommended to the homeowner that a commercial-grade dehumidifier be installed to keep down crawlspace humidity levels to prevent further mold growth. To stop re-occurring mold issues, it is critical to correct the underlying conditions that caused the mold growth. However, since the home is for sale, the owner did not want to make this long-term investment. In these situations, all we can hope for is that any buyers will hire a good home inspector that will identify the dampness and humidity issues in the crawl space. Also, the seller is obligated to disclose mold issues to any buyer. The Mold Solutions team was hired to get rid of the mold and restore the home’s indoor air quality. We did a great job of doing just that — and we did so in less than a day without tearing out any building materials.    

New homeowners in Manasquan discovered mold in their basement shortly after buying the home. There are numerous strains of mold and mold comes in a variety of colors, shapes, and textures. Not all mold is toxic black mold, and all mold can be potentially dangerous depending on the respiratory sensitivities of those residing in the home. This white mold found in the basement had a chalky texture, and looked crystalized.    A two-person Mold Solutions crew was sent in to quickly treat the mold problem. There were no structurally damaged building materials so we were able to directly treat the mold without removing any materials. This is commonly the case unless there is major water damage. Our mold treatment program includes two separate applications in areas of mold growth. We first apply an EPA-registered antimicrobial (MAPS 1) to the affected areas, and then cover the affected areas with our patented sealant (MAPS 2), for which Cowleys. This sealant immediately kills molds on contact, an also moisture-sensitive. If the conditions that trigger mold growth return, this sealant will reactivate and kill any new mold growth. Finally, we wiped down any visible staining. In less than a day, the basement was mold-free. New homeowners can find unexpected surprises after the closing and taking occupancy. If mold is not discovered during the inspection, it’s not the end of the world. The usual scenario is that we can treat the mold quickly and avoid expensive tear-out/renovation projects.

Recently, I was sent to a residence in Manasquan, NJ to treat a mold problem resulting from a small leak in their bedroom window. Any water intrusion, moisture, or humidity problem can trigger dangerous mold growth inside a home. Here, the leak damaged the drywall, causing mold growth on the wood framing.  The homeowner already had the water-damaged drywall removed prior to my arrival. There was no loss of structural integrity to the wood framing, and i was able to directly treat the mold with no further tear-out of building materials. I first rating the framing with an EPA-registered antimicrobial (MAPS 1) and thoroughly scrubbed the wood to remove all visible mold growth. Mold spreads through microscopic airborne mold spores that travel on air currents and reattach elsewhere on other surfaces. During the mold treatment, I remove the mold to prevent any further re-colonization. After waiting for the anti-microbial to dry, I treated the area with our second application, a patented sealant that actually encapsulates the mold, destroying it at the cellular level and rendering it inert and harmless Whatever remaining mold that I would not scrub off or be neutralized by the anti-microbial would definitely be destroyed with this sealant  Our two-application process ensures that all of the mold is eliminated. Also, this sealant has a unique quality. It is moisture sensitive and will reactive if there are damp conditions that are ripe for mold growth. Should new mold attempt to grow in the treated areas, it too will be automatically killed.   With the bedroom mold treated, the homeowner could now safely replace the drywall without worrying whether there was still active mold in the home. In less than a day, I successfully treated the mold with minimal inconvenience to the homeowner. This job was typical of our mold treatment services  — a quick, effective, and permanent solution for resolving a residential mold problem.