Mold Solutions by Cowleys Before & After Photos

Mold growth is the result of water or moisture buildup. There are numerous ways that excess water or moisture can occur inside a home. Often, it's a leaky pipe while other times, its moisture build-up in crawl spaces, attics, and basements because of chronically high indoor humidity levels. With this homeowner in Manchester Township, NJ, the cause of the mold formation was, believe it or not, furniture placement! 

The homeowners placed furniture directly against their HVAC registers — those vent grilles in your home that cover the hole where the duct enters the room to blow out heated or cooled air. As this homeowner found out the hard way, never block these registers! Doing so not only impedes the efficiency of your HVAC system, but it can also trigger dangerous mold growth by trapping the moisture in the air that’s blowing out of the ducts.

First, 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.

Finally, as a precaution, we treated the ductwork. Since there was no underlying damage to any building materials and everything was structurally sound, there was no need for a building tear-out. With our mold treatment process, we simply kill the mold right where it sits, and we are often able to do so in less than a day.

One of the Mold Solutions By Cowleys crews was called out to treat and remove mold that had formed in the basement of a restaurant in New Brunswick, NJ. The basement had significant mold growth on the joists (the lumber supporting the basement ceiling) and the walls due to moisture and condensation from high humidity levels down below. 

We first treated the joists and walls were treated with our EPA-registered anti-microbial called MAPS 1, which attacks mold at its DNA and kills it instantly. We then wiped away all the mold and applied MAPS 2, which is a patented sealant that encapsulates the surface mold is growing on and renders it useless and non-allergenic. 

Mold formation in this New Brunswick, NJ basement could have been prevented if a dehumidifier had been installed. Dehumidification is, by far, the most important long-term preventative measure for controlling dangerous crawl space and basement moisture that will inevitably lead to mold growth. We recommended the purchase of a commercial-grade dehumidifier to maintain indoor humidity at levels that would minimize or prevent mold growth. The owner understood the importance of dehumidification to keep a basement clean and dry, and stated that he would contact us at a later date if he decided to go forward with purchasing a unit. 

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.

A two-member team of Mold Solutions By Cowleys was sent to a home in Millstone Township, NJ to treat an isolated mold problem in the home. Here, the bathroom fan had stopped working and, unfortunately, was not timely repaired. Without a working ventilation system in a small enclosed area such as in a bathroom where there are high moisture conditions from all of the steam and hot water, there is a high risk of mold growth. And that’s exactly what happened.

Mold had formed on the ceiling. The homeowners had the fan fixed, but it was too late. They found themselves with a serious mold problem. Once mold forms, it will either continue to spread or become dormant depending on temperature and moisture conditions. Mold, a living organism, is a type of fungus. It will not simply “die” and go away on its own. Rather, mold, by its very nature, produces mold spores that become airborne will attach elsewhere in the home. Also, a home’s occupants can breathe in those spores, and those with respiratory sensitivities can develop allergy-like symptoms or even develop respiratory infections. Any mold, not just so-called toxic black mold, is potentially dangerous and must be treated.

For this bathroom mold problem, we treated the mold with two applications. First, we applied an EPA-registered antimicrobial (MAPS 1) that kills the mold on contact. Second, we applied a patented sealant (MAPS 2) that is available only to licensed distributors. This sealant not only kills the mold, but it is also moisture sensitive and will reactivate to kill any future mold growth. We also wiped down any visible staining caused by the mold. Mold stains are the residue of mold growth. They are not by themselves allergenic. However, they are unsightly, aesthetically unappealing, and can give the mistaken impression that there is still a mold problem.  

The homeowner learned a valuable lesson about the importance of ventilation to keep down moisture and humidity levels in enclosed spaces. It is important to have working exhaust fans in bathrooms and attics where there can be high levels of humidity. In other areas of the home, such as basements and crawl spaces, where good ventilation isn't an option, it is important to have a commercial-grade dehumidification system to avoid mold problems and have clean, dry air circulating throughout the home.