Job Stories

We were recently sent out to a home in Freehold, NJ, to treat for severe black mold growth throughout the basement. Apparently, during a heavy rainstorm, the basement flooded and the water stayed present in the area for quite some time. That, combined with the high humidity already present in the basement, created the perfect condition for mold to grow - and boy did it grow! We found mold on the concrete walls, on the bottom of the wooden paneling, the joists, and even on several shelves! Unfortunately, the structural integrity of the sheetrock, insulation, and wooden paneling was so comprised, that it needed to be removed and disposed of, so we did just that! Once all the contaminated materials were removed and carefully disposed of, we treated the affected areas 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. Next, 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. Lastly, to control the high humidity levels in the basement, we installed a Sani-Dry Sedona commercial grade dehumidifier. These dehumidifiers cost less to run than other dehumidifiers, cover over 3000 square feet, and are energy efficient.

This owner in Freehold, NJ, had a massive flood in his laundry room due to a pipe bursting behind the washing machine. Although it was fixed, mold had developed all over the place. Due to the fact that the structural integrity of the sheetrock and wooden beams were comprised from the mold, at the owners request, a tear out was needed. Once all the contaminated materials were removed and carefully disposed of, we treated the affected areas in the laundry room, the hallway, and the bathroom 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.

Mold Solutions By Cowleys was contacted after a Perth Amboy, NJ homeowner found mold growth in the back right corner of his basement. The sooner that a mold problem is identified and treated, the better. Fortunately, here, the homeowner contacted Cowleys immediately. The mold did not have time to spread and it remained localized in one area.  We applied an antimicrobial (MAPS 1) followed by a patented safe and non-toxic sealant (MAPS 2) that kills existing mold upon contact. This sealant is unique: it is moisture-sensitive and will reactivate to kill any future mold growth in the treated areas. As part of our mold treatment process, we thoroughly scrub down all hard surfaces to remove visible mold growth. As long as the building materials have not lost their structural integrity through water damage, our applications treat and kill mold right where it sits. By treating the mold directly, homeowners can avoid extensive and expensive tear-out and renovation projects.   We strive to remove all mold and all signs of mold including unsightly mold stains and musty mold smells. Someone should be able to go into a mold-affected room after our treatment and not have the slightest indication that mold was once present. But mold treatment is more than aesthetics. Indoor mold can trigger a variety of health issues. We want to make sure that a home’s indoor air quality is safe once again for all of the home’s occupants. 

This home in Matawan, NJ, had a leak behind some sheetrock in the basement that had gone undetected. Water damage was severe. In order to determine the extent of the water damage, we cut out a portion of the sheetrock. We removed water-damaged sheetrock as well as any ruined insulation. With our mold treatment, if the building materials have not lost their structural integrity, we can treat the mold right where it sits and avoid a tear-out. However, once building materials have become water-damaged, they must be removed. A Mold Solutions team treated the mold-affected areas of the home with an EPA-registered antimicrobial (MAPS 1) to kill the surface mold, followed by a patented sealant (MAPS 2) that completely destroys existing mold. This sealant reactivates when exposed to water or moisture to prevent the return of any new mold growth in the treated areas.  The homeowner was pleased that we could deal with the mold problem so efficiently. The lesson with this particular mold job is that homeowners need to periodically inspect all areas of the home to ensure that there are no hidden water intrusion issues. Any water intrusion problem, including pipe leaks and rainwater or groundwater entering the home through the roof or foundation can trigger dangerous mold growth. Chronically high humidity and moisture conditions in basements and crawl spaces is a common cause of mold formation as well. If you have a mold problem, it is important to have the mold treated correctly. Contrary to popular belief, simply wiping bleach on porous surfaces like wood and sheetrock will not kill all of the mold.

A Cowleys Mold Solutions team was dispatched to a Cliffwood, NJ, residence to resolve a severe mold problem. We were referred by a Cliffwood Township home inspector who knew of our work and our results. These homeowners were interested in our treatment process because they were hoping to avoid an expensive renovation project. As long as the building materials are structurally sound (no severe water damage), our process avoids the time and expense of building tear-outs and renovations.  This home’s master bathroom had heavy black mold growth. Mold growth results from some underlying water or moisture problem – flooding, leaky pipes, and even just from moisture in the air! Mold will often form in living areas of the home with high humidity like bathrooms, kitchens, and washer/dryer areas, and non-living areas like crawl spaces, basements, and attics.. With this home, there was sustained moisture build-up in the bathroom over a period of months after the ceiling fan stopped working. With no working bathroom fan to vent out the steam, moisture had condensed everywhere — on all four walls, the floor, and ceiling. Once there is a water or moisture problem, all you need for mold to grow is some organic food source, even processed wood-based building material like drywall. Mold can even grow on non-porous surfaces like tile or concrete because of dust and other residues that contain organic material.  We first treated the affected areas by applying our EPA-registered anti-microbial (MAPS 1). After a waiting period, applied a commercial-grade stain remover to the mold-stained surfaces. Finally, we applied our patented polymer sealant (MAPS 2). This sealant destroys not only destroys any existing mold. It is also moisture-sensitive and reactivates to prevent the return of any new mold growth in the treated area. We treated the mold is less than a day. Because the underlying bathroom drywall was not damaged, the homeowners avoided an extensive tear-out/renovation project. When we left, there was not the slightest trace that this bathroom once had a severe mold problem. Now, with the bathroom fan repaired and the moisture problem fixed, mold would not return. 

The Mold Solutions crew treated this basement in Hazlet for mold. The basement had extensive mold due to water damage. This was a particularly intensive job because of the level of mold growth. There was a lot of tedious wiping and scrubbing, so all of us worked us a good sweat to get this mold problem under control. At Cowleys, we treat the mold right where it sits instead of removing building materials out of the home. If certain building materials have lost their structural integrity, we need to remove them from the home. But if the materials are good and simply have superficial mold growth, no tear-out is required. First, we electro-statically fogged the entire basement with an EPA-registered antimicrobial (MAPS 1) solution to kill the mold. Next, the entire team painstakingly wiped every nook and cranny of this basement. We divided up the basement into sections, and the entire crew thoroughly wiped all of the walls, wood furniture, doors and beams to ensure all of the mold was removed. It was hard work, but also very satisfying!  Once completed, we electro-statically fogged the basement again — this time with a patented sealant (MAPS 2) that will reactivate with moisture to kill any mold that attempts to grow in any treated area.  For long-term mold control, the most important preventative measure is keeping the space free of excess moisture that comes with high indoor humidity. As long as humidity levels are kept low, mold cannot grow. With this home, we finished off the job by installing a commercial-grade maintenance-free SaniDry dehumidifier. With the current mold gone and the dehumidifier in place, this homeowner now has a mold-free basement. Even more important, the homeowner and all of the residents will be able to “breathe easy,” enjoying healthy, clean indoor air.

Oftentimes, mold is discovered in the non-living areas of the home during a home inspection performed as part of a pending sale on behalf of the buyer to determine whether the home has any structural issues that require correction. Although home inspectors are not generally mold experts, most are aware that mold is a concern for buyers and they are able to identify the signs of mold growth and the water intrusion or moisture issues that may be causing the mold growth. For all the parties involved – buyer, seller, and realtor – the discovery of mold could not happen at a more inopportune time. It is to no one’s advantage to postpone or kill a potential sale because of a finding of mold.  During a home inspection of a home in Lakewood, NJ on behalf of the buyer, the inspector discovered mold growth in two different areas of the crawl space. Crawl spaces are a notorious trouble spot in a home. They are often used by insects and wildlife, and their high humidity can trigger mold growth. At this juncture, given the pending sale, the sellers were focused on having the existing mold treated and were not seeking long-term solutions to prevent future mold growth. To protect their investment, the buyer should consider dehumidification and other possible improvements to the crawl space. A two-person Mold Solutions By Cowleys crew treated the mold problem with our mold treatment program. This program involves two separate applications in areas of mold growth. 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. Finally, we wiped down any visible staining. The seller homeowners were pleased that we could complete this job in less than a day and that the sale would not be delayed because of mold. The sellers could now represent to the potential buyers that the crawl space mold problem was treated, and the crawl space is now safe and mold-free. 

As one of our Pest Control techs was inspecting this basement for a mice issue, they found an abundance of mold growth throughout the area. They informed the owner who called Mold Solutions and we were sent out. We inspected the basement and determined that the conducive condition that caused the mold growth was incredibly high humidity levels. First, we treated the entire basement with MAPS 1. This is an EPA registered antimicrobial that targets mold at its DNA and kills it immediately. Once we finished, we then applied our mold stain remover and scrubbed any and all mold stains. Next, we applied our patented sealant called MAPS 2. This application encapsulates the surface mold is growing on and renders it harmless and non-allergenic. It's also moisture sensitive and will reactivate whenever it gets wet to prevent any future mold growth. Lastly, we installed a commercial grade Sedona dehumidifier to control the high humidity levels in the basement.

There wasn't visible mold in this home in Howell, NJ basement but there was a high mold spore count versus the spore count from the outside. The bank that was selling the property wanted all the wood panels removed and the actual concrete and wall joists treated for mold to ensure that the mold wouldn't form.. those pictures just show that we're a well round mold treatment company that could tear out the materials whether it's necessary or not where in this case the customer (the bank) wanted everything removed.. In situations where concealed mold is suspected due to an indoor mold test, or there is knowledge of previous conditions which could have led to mold. Cowleys can perform demolition work to remove any structurally damaged In this bank-owned property, there was no visible mold, but testing showed a very high mold spore count. The bank asked us to remove all the wood panels so that the concrete and wall joists could be treated with the MAPS patented sealant, guaranteeing a mold-free home so the sale could go through.

A homeowner in Howell, NJ was having chronic allergy problems in her home. Often, when someone is experiencing chronic allergy symptoms and is having respiratory difficulties, it is often mold growth in the home, especially if the problems are not happening during “allergy season” when pollen counts are high. Different people have different sensitivities to mold, and occupants of a home do not uniformly react to mold growth. At a loss to determine why she was having allergy issues that would not resolve, the homeowner finally had a mold test done in the crawl space. The test indicated that mold spores were high even though visible mold growth could not be located anywhere. During our inspection, it was clear to us that the crawl space’s air quality was poor, and crawl space air circulates throughout the entire home. Even though crawl spaces are “out of sight, out of mind,” the air down below enters the home’s living spaces above.  We treated the crawl space with an EPA-registered antimicrobial (MAPS 1), followed by a patented sealant (MAPS 2) that kills mold at the cellular level. This sealant renders any mold growth inert, harmless, and non-allergenic. While in the crawl space, we realigned the vapor barrier. Vapor barriers insulate your crawl space walls and prevent moisture from affecting your home’s structure. However, to work, they must be where they are supposed to be. Vapor barriers can detach, and it is important to periodically check their condition.  When we were finished, the crawl space air was noticeably better. We are hopeful that with the basement now treated for mold growth, this homeowner’s allergy issues will be resolved.