Mold Solutions by Cowleys Before & After Photos

Homeowners in Perth Amboy were in the process of selling their house. During the home inspection, the inspector found mold on the roof sheathing. Cowleys was contacted to take care of the problem so the pending sale could proceed without delay. 

Mold growth in a home is a symptom of an underlying water or moisture problem. Mold can rear its head anywhere and everywhere. Like all living organisms, mold needs air, some organic material as a food source, the right temperature, and water or moisture in order to grow.  Because mold results from some water intrusion problem or moisture from high indoor humidity, mold often grows and thrives in crawl spaces, basements, kitchens, washer/dryer areas, and bathrooms. However, as with this Perth Amboy home, mold can also rear its ugly head in the attic even though there are no pipes there to leak or burst. Water or moisture problems in the attic are usually due to undetected roof leaks or from exhaust fans improperly vented into the attic instead of outside, causing condensation on the rafters and sheathing. Unfortunately, this is a common construction shortcut that winds up causing problems down the road.

As shown in the picture, this mold growth happened to be white. Mold need not be black mold to be a dangerous health hazard. There are various types of mold that can come in a variety of colors. But no matter how the mold appears, there is no such thing as a harmless mold and it has to be removed. Also, even though the mold is not in living spaces, it still must be treated. Mold spores easily travel on air currents throughout a structure, so this attic mold would inevitably spread throughout the home as the spores reattach elsewhere, causing further damage and potential health risks by affecting the indoor air quality. Mold can cause a variety of respiratory and other health problems when growing in an enclosed area.

Cowleys experienced Mold Solutions team came out to resolve the mold problem. In less than a day, we applied a powerful anti-microbial (MM1) to kill the mold followed by MMR, a stain remover. Finally, we applied a patented, proprietary sealant (MM2) containing micro-particles of silver that kills the mold at the cellular level, and reactivates with moisture, to prevent any regrowth of mold. As shown in there “after” picture, we successfully resolved the problem — and did so within the day. The sheathing was as good as new without a trace that there had been a mold issue just the day before. There was no removal of building materials, no need for home renovation, and no need for the family to relocate. The sale could proceed with no delay in the closing date, and one more successful mold treatment project completed by Cowleys. 

Both the buyers and sellers were pleased with the Mold Solutions By Cowleys team for taking care of the problem so quickly and with such outstanding results. This project was one of our many successful mold treatment projects — we killed and removed the future threat of mold by using a patented application. Our process saves building materials that have no loss of structural integrity, and, by doing so, we avoid the expense and inconvenience of major renovations. Traditional mold remediators don’t kill the mold. They simply remove it by tearing-out often perfectly good building materials. 

Recently, homeowners from West Orange, NJ, found themselves with a serious mold problem in their basement. Any time there is mold, there is some underlying water intrusion event that’s responsible for the problem. Here, the culprit was a slow pipe leak coming from the first-floor bathroom. Water had dripped onto the basement ceiling, and as often happens with slow pipe leaks hidden in wall voids, the leak went unnoticed for quite a while. The homeowners realized that they had a problem when part of the basement ceiling became so water-saturated that it collapsed from its own weight. Once the water problem came to light, the homeowners observed that portions of the basement sheetrock near the ceiling had developed mold growth. Mold will often form as the byproduct of some underlying water or high indoor humidity/moisture issue. 

The homeowners immediately had the pipe leak fixed, but they were left with a mold problem that needed to be treated. They contacted Mold Solutions by Cowleys and we were sent out to treat the mold.  We treated the mold-affected areas of the basement with two separate treatments. We first applied an EPA-registered antimicrobial called MAPS 1, which attacks mold on a cellular level and kills it instantly. We then scrubbed away the mold and applied MAPS 2, which is our patented sealant that encapsulates the surface mold is growing on and renders the mold non-allergenic and harmless. MAPS 2 is also moisture-sensitive and reactivates whenever it gets wet to prevent the return of mold.

With this basement mold successfully treated, all that was left for the homeowners was to have the removed sections of the sheetrock replaced, and their basement will be as good as new. It’s important for homeowners to periodically inspect all of the nonliving areas of the home like basements, crawl spaces, and attics to check for water stains and other signs of potential water or humidity problems that can trigger dangerous mold growth. Although sometimes it’s unavoidable, please don’t wait until part of your ceiling collapses! 

What’s the worst that can happen if your basement is not dehumidified? Well, this homeowner in Perth Amboy, NJ found out what can happen the hard way.  

Chronically high relative indoor humidity will create an environment that is ripe for dangerous mold growth. Homeowners do not need a major water intrusion event like a flood for a serious mold problem to develop. More often than not, mold will form from a slow leaky pipe or high humidity conditions in which the air is saturated with water vapor. Often, this vapor condenses into water beads on cold surfaces like air conditioning ducts. To keep mold from forming, and for your own health and comfort, relative indoor humidity should be kept below 55%.

We treated the affected areas with our EPA registered antimicrobial called MAPS 1, which attacks mold on a cellular level and kills it instantly. We then applied MAPS 2, which is our patented sealant that encapsulates the surface mold is growing on and renders the mold non-allergenic and harmless. MAPS 2 is also moisture-sensitive and reactivates whenever it gets wet to prevent the return of mold.

To control the humidity levels, we installed a commercial-grade Sani-Dry Sedona dehumidifier. Unlike generic store-bought dehumidifiers, these machines are specifically designed to work 24/7 in the challenging environments of crawl spaces and basements. These dehumidifiers are maintenance-free and require no human intervention to operate. They turn on and off automatically based on a built-in hygrometer that measures humidity levels. Also, we install them to drain the extracted water directly into a sump pump or condensation pump, so there is no water pan to worry about overflowing.  

This homeowner in Matawan, NJ, was in the process of selling his home, and during the protective buyer’s home inspection, mold was discovered in the basement bathroom next to and on the HVAC ceiling register box. The likely cause was condensation that had formed on the ductwork. The homeowner was concerned that finding mold during the inspection would delay or even completely derail any possible sale. Fortunately, the Mold Solutions by Cowleys team was called in.

When we inspected, there was no water-damaged materials and everything was structurally intact, so we could treat the mold right where it sits without the time and cost of a tear-out. To treat the mold, we applied an EPA-registered antimicrobial called MAPS 1 that kills mold on a cellular level. We then applied our moisture-sensitive, patented sealant called MAPS 2 that encapsulates the surface mold is growing on and renders the mold non-allergenic and harmless. MAPS 2 also prevents the return of mold as well as prevents future mold from growing.

Due to the fact that the mold had been present for quite some time, staining had occurred. Mold stains are simply the residue left from mold and are not in and of itself allergenic or otherwise harmful, just purely aesthetic. Once MAPS 1 & 2 have been applied, the mold is no longer a threat.

Once the mold was removed, the buyer felt comfortable to proceed, and the pending sale was not delayed. 

This “before and after” of this basement in Marlboro, NJ is another demonstration of the effectiveness of our mold treatment process. The Mold Solutions crew was sent to this home to treat a small amount of mold growth on the joists in this basement. 

Rim joists are a common area for basement mold growth in many homes. especially rim spaces that are insulated with fiberglass batts. Warm, moist air easily passes through the home into the rim space and then oneness on the joists.  Any area in the home that has chronic problems with excess water, moisture, or humidity, there is a high risk for mold growth — and dark, moist, humid basements can easily turn into a mold breeding ground. Hidden mold in non-living areas of the home will then transfer on air currents to the inhabited areas, often making the home’s occupants sick.

We treated the entire basement using an EPA-registered antimicrobial called Mold Abatement Polymer Solutions 1, or MAPS 1 for short. MAPS 1 targets mold on a cellular level and kills it instantly. We then scrubbed away the mold and applied MAPS 2, which is our patented sealant that encapsulates the surface mold is growing on and renders the mold non-allergenic and harmless. MAPS 2 is also moisture-sensitive and reactivates whenever it gets wet to prevent any future mold growth.