Mold Solutions by Cowleys Before & After Photos

Recently, a Cowleys Mold Solutions crew was sent to a home in East Brunswick, NJ, to remove mold that had formed in the basement. The homeowners discovered a small leak in their basement and had the problem fixed. However, after the leak was repaired, they were still left with dangerous mold growth. Once mold grows in an area of the home, airborne mold spores released by the mold will travel and air currents throughout the home. Not only does the mold spread, but the home’s occupants breathe in this air, which can precipitate respiratory health issues. People and mold simply cannot occupy the same space!

Normally, we don’t remove sheetrock unless it is water-damaged and has lost its structural integrity. This particular customer was concerned that there may be mold growing behind the wall. We believed there was likely no issue since the sheetrock was not water-damaged, and if there were mold, it did not pose any threat since it was “locked” in a contained space. Nevertheless, for his own peace of mind, the homeowner wanted to affirmatively determine whether there was mold growth behind the wall.  Pursuant to the homeowner’s instructions, we cut out some areas of the drywall so we could visually determine whether there was a hidden mold problem. Just as we suspected, there were no mold issues behind the wall. All of the mold in the basement was visible on the basement’s external surfaces. 

With our process, there is no need for a massive tear-out and renovation project, and we can often do so in less than a day. Here, we treated the entire basement by applying MAPS 1, which an EPA-registered antimicrobial that attacks mold at its DNA and kills it immediately. 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.

Unfortunately, mold staining had occurred because the mold had been present in the area for quite some time. These stains are purely aesthetic and pose no health risk because once MAPS 1 & 2 have been applied, the mold is no longer a threat.

While this homeowner in East Brunswick, NJ, was cleaning out his attic, he noticed a section of his attic had mold growing on it. Apparently, he had a leak in his attic that went unnoticed for quite some time, which is what caused the mold to grow in the first place. He hired a roofer to repair the leak, and once the repair was finished, he called our office to remediate the mold.

First, we inspected the attic from top to bottom to make sure there weren't any other potential conducive conditions that could contribute to even more mold growth. Fortunately, there were none. Next, we treated the area with MAPS 1. MAPS stands for Mold Abatement Polymer Solutions and is an EPA registered antimicrobial solution that immediately kills mold on a cellular level. After treating the area, we scrubbed away all the staining with our mold stain remover.

Lastly, we applied MAPS 2, which is a patented sealant that encapsulates the surface mold is growing on and renders it non-allergenic and harmless.  Maps 2 is also moisture-sensitive and reactivates whenever it gets wet in order to prevent mold growth.  Now the mold is removed and the attic is protected from any future mold growth!

The Mold Solutions team was dispatched to a residence in North Plainfield, NJ to treat a serious mold problem that had developed in the basement because of a burst hot water pipe. As often happens with flooding or another extensive water intrusion like a burst water pipe, mold will start to form. Upon inspection, this North Plainfield basement had patches of mold throughout, especially on and around the water pipes and water heater. 

Mold, a type of fungus, is a living, breathing organism that requires air, some organic material to consume (pretty much any processed wood in a home), and a water or moisture source. Mold is not a random occurrence. There is always some underlying cause — some water or moisture problems inside a structure. Indoor mold not only ruins insulation and causes other property damage, but it is also a serious health problem. Mold can trigger a host of respiratory problems for the building’s occupants, especially with the very young and the elderly. Some of us have higher mold sensitivities than others, and since mold does not affect people uniformly, any amount or strain of mold must be treated. Even if the mold growth is out of sight in a basement or crawl space, mold-contaminated air will still invade the living spaces, degrading the home’s air quality.  

We first treated the entire basement by first applying our EPA-registered anti-microbial called MAPS 1. This product attacks mold at its DNA and kills it instantly. Next, we wiped away the mold and applied MAPS 2, which is our patented sealant that encapsulates the surface mold is growing on and renders mold harmless and non-allergenic. The sealant is also moisture-sensitive and reactivates to prevent the return of any new mold growth. The sealant is highly effective on both porous and non-porous surfaces, and on both organic and inorganic materials.

We successfully resolved the basement mold problem in less than a day and there was no removal of building materials, no need for home renovation, and no need for the family to relocate. This project was one of Mold Solutions by Cowleys many successful mold treatment projects.  

A commercial customer in South Plainfield, NJ, had a slow pipe leak in a bathroom closet that had apparently gone unnoticed for quite some time. Finally, an employee noticed the stagnant water on the floor as well as mold growth. A plumber was called in to fix the leak prior to our arrival, but the customer was still left with dangerous mold growth that needed to be resolved. 

This business used Cowleys for its pest control needs and knew of our Mold Solutions Division. So we arrived, inspected, and began treatment. We treated all the mold 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.

Finally, there were unsightly mold stains that we were scrubbed away using our stain remover. Even though the mold is completely destroyed, we do our best to remove any visible traces that there was once a mold problem. Mold stains are a residue from the enzymes in the mold. Stains themselves, unlike mold, are not allergenic or otherwise harmful to people. Nevertheless, mold stains are unsightly and aesthetically unappealing. As long as the stains aren’t too deep in the materials on which the mold has taken hold, we can get rid of all or most of them. Sometimes, if the staining is deep, the surface has to be painted over.

The customer was quite pleased that the mold problem could be resolved so quickly and without any tear-outs or renovations.

Mold was discovered on the beams in a very wet crawl space in Englishtown, NJ. We had to do an extensive clean out and clean up of the crawl space and then installed a commercial-grade dehumidifier to protect against high humidity. 

We treated these two areas of the building using our two-component MAPS (Mold Abatement Polymer Solutions) system. We first applied our EPA-registered anti-microbial solution called MAPS 1 and, afterward, thoroughly wiped down the areas to remove any visible mold growth.

Next, we applied MAPS 2, which is a patented sealant that encapsulates the surface mold is growing on and renders it useless and non-allergenic. To control the humidity levels, we installed a SaniDry XP dehumidifier. The SaniDry XP is a powerful energy-efficient dehumidifier that outperforms standard household dehumidifiers by as much as 10 times while using the same amount of energy to run. The SaniDry XP can effectively cover indoor living spaces over 3000 square feet, making it well-suited for basements and crawl spaces over 40” high