Mold Solutions by Cowleys Before & After Photos

Although mold can form anywhere in a home, crawl spaces are especially notorious for mold growth.  Mold in crawl spaces are not just caused by flooding, leaky pipes, or some other type of water intrusion event. Often, mold forms because of chronically high indoor humidity levels,  especially during our humid Jersey Shore summers. This homeowner in Long Branch, NJ contacted Mold Solutions by Cowleys because the rafters in his crawl space were covered with mold.

We treated the mold-infested areas with two products, an EPA-registered antimicrobial (MAPS 1) followed by a patented sealant (MAPS 2). This sealant kills mold at the cellular level. Once applied, the mold on any treated areas is rendered completely harmless and non-allergenic. This sealant has a unique property: It offers protection against further mold growth by reactivating based on moisture conditions, killing any new mold growth before it has a chance to take hold!

There photos show the “before and after” of our mold treatment process. As with most of our mold treatment jobs, there was no need to remove any building materials since the rafters themselves were still in great condition. We were able to apply our mold-killing treatment in less than a day. The homeowner was quite pleased with our service, especially because, by using this process instead of traditional mold remediation, he was able to avoid a massive tear-out/renovation project.

A homeowner in Long Branch, NJ was having allergy-type respiratory issues. If you are having chronic symptoms of watery eyes, sneezing, stuffy nose, itchy nose and throat and you can’t attribute it to seasonal allergies or anything else, it may well be a sign that there is a mold problem in your home. Fortunately, she was sick and tired of being sick, and she and her husband decided to make a diligent effort to figure out the cause of these symptoms.

During a thorough inspection of the basement, the husband found mold growing on the basement joists. The washer and dryer were installed in the basement, and every time she went down to do laundry, she was exposed to the mold and all of the airborne mold spores. Different people have different sensitivities to mold, just like pollen, and she had an allergic reaction to the mold.  So they contacted our office and we were sent out to treat.

We treated the affected areas with our EPA registered anti-microbial 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.

The homeowner realized that the long-term solution to basement mold was reducing the basement’s humidity levels. Shortly, we will be installing a SaniDry Sedona commercial-grade dehumidifier that is specifically designed to work in challenging environments like basements and crawl spaces. These machines can operate in temperatures as low as 40 degrees, turn on and off automatically using a built-in hygrometer, and empty directly into the drainage system. In short, they work 24/7 and are worry-free. Once this dehumidifier is installed, these homeowners will not have to worry about basement mold, and, with the dramatically improved indoor air quality, this homeowner will no longer get sick from going into the basement to do the laundry!

With this particular mold assignment, these homeowners in Monmouth Beach, NJ had a tub leak on the first floor of the home. Water then dripped down all the way to the basement, which caused mold on the joists in the basement. The homeowners had fixed the plumbing leak and contacted Mold Solutions by Cowleys to remove the mold. 

We treated the mold affected areas with our EPA-registered anti-microbial called MAPS 1. This product attacks mold at its DNA and kills it instantly. Afterward, we applied MAPS 2, which is a patented sealant that encapsulates the surface mold is growing on and renders it useless and non-allergenic. MAPS 2 is also moisture-sensitive and reactivates whenever it gets wet to prevent the return of mold.

Unfortunately, due to the fact that mold has been present in the basement for quite some time, the joists were stained. Fortunately, these stains are purely aesthetic and pose no health risk. Once MAPS 1 & 2 have been applied, the mold is no longer a threat.