Job Stories

Homeowners from Highlands, NJ, found themselves with a mold problem in their crawl space. This is an all-too-common occurence for Jersey Shore homeowners. We can have exceptionally high humidity levels build up in our basements and crawl spaces, especially during the summer months. A major misconception about mold is that you only have to worry about it following some major water intrusion event like flooding. Far from it, Moisture from chronically high indoor humidity levels is more than enough to trigger dangerous mold growth. Mold formation caused by high moisture and humidity levels accounts for most of the mold problems that we treat.  For these homeowners, a crew from Mold Solutions By Cowleys treated the mold in less than a day. For this job, we needed to remove the existing insulation and the vapor barrier. Both were covered with mold and unsalvageable. Next, we treated the mold-affected areas with two applications. First, we applied an EPA-registered antimicrobial (MAPS 1) followed by a patented sealant available to licensed distributors (MAPS 2). This unique product not only kills the existing mold, but it also has moisture sensitivity. and will reactivate to kill future mold growth in the treated areas.  For long-term mold prevention, it is critical to deal with the underlying problem: Humidity. As long as this crawl space had sustained high humidity levels, it would be at risk for a returning mold problem. We installed a new vapor barrier, blocked the vents, and installed a SaniDry Sedona dehumidifier with a condensate pump. These rugged dehumidifiers are designed to work in basements and crawl spaces. These machines are maintenance-free with no water pan to empty, and using a built-in hygrometer that constantly measures the room’s humidity, the machine turns on and off automatically as needed without human intervention.  With our mold treatment applications along with the dehumidifier installation and other improvements and upgrades, these homeowners now have peace of mind that their crawl space is mold-free, and even more important, will stay that way. 

This customer in Deal, NJ, recently had a massive flood in his bathroom and hallway. As a result, mold grew all over the walls and shower. The damage and mold growth was so severe that we have no choice but to tear out and dispose of all the contaminated materials. With the owners' permission, we removed all the contaminated sheetrock, insulation, and tile and then properly disposed of them. Once we finished, we treated every square inch of the affected areas with a solution called Mold Abatement Polymer Solutions, or MAPS 1 for short. MAPS 1 is our EPA registered antimicrobial that attacks mold at its DNA and kills it immediately. Afterward, we applied our mold stain remover and scrubbed away any and all mold stains. Lastly, we applied our moisture sensitive, patented sealant called MAPS 2. MAPS 2 will encapsulate the surfaces that the mold is growing on and render it non-allergenic, inert, and harmless. As an added bonus, whenever it gets wet, MAPS 2 reactivates to prevent any future mold growth.

A homeowner in Long Branch, NJ, had a roof leak that had gone undetected for quite awhile. Once discovered, they had the roof leak repaired by a qualified roofer. However, as often happens with roof leaks, the intruding water caused mold growth. Here, mold had started to grow in a closet. The homeowners contacted Mold Solutions by Cowleys to resolve the mold problem. A two-member crew arrived to treat the mold-affected areas. We treated the area with an EPA-registered antimicrobial (MAPS 1) followed by a patented sealant (MAPS 2). This sealant not only kills the current mold growth but is moisture-sensitive and will reactivate to kill any future mold growth in the areas where it is applied.  Finally, we wiped down any visible staining. Mold stains are a by-product of the mold enzymes consuming organic materials. While some mold stains can be removed, others are too deep in the building materials to be superficially scrubbed away. In those cases, the homeowner must either replace the materials or paint over the stains.  With this mold job, as with most of our projects, there was no loss of structural integrity to the building materials. In these situations, we treat the mold directly and leave the building materials alone. We finished this project in less than a day. The homeowner was quite pleased with our mold treatment process. We made his home mold-free without the time, expense, and disruption of a tear-out/renovation project. 

After 20 years of living in his home, this customer in Long Branch, NJ, decided it was time to sell it. The only thing stopping him was the massive amount of mold growth throughout the attic. So he called Mold Solutions for help and we were sent out. Attics provide an ideal environment for mold since they contain plenty of food sources such as wood and insulation. First, we treated the entire attic with our EPA registered antimicrobial called MAPS 1, which stands for Mold Abatement Polymer Solutions. MAPS 1 attacks mold on a cellular level and kills it immediately. Afterward, we used our mold stain remover and scrubbed away all the excess mold staining throughout the attic. Lastly, we treated every square inch of the attic with our patented sealant called MAPS 2. This application encapsulates the surface mold is growing on and renders it harmless, inert, and non-allergenic. MAPS 2 is also moisture-sensitive and will reactivate whenever it gets wet to prevent future mold growth!