Moisture Leak Leads to Mold in Lakewood, NJ Apartment

The utility room of a unit in a Lakewood, NJ apartment building was located outside and unfortunately, the apartment unit above theirs, with a virtually identical layout, had a water leak in their utility room. The pipe leak in the unit above was fixed, but the damage to the unit below was not corrected in time and water had seeped down into the ceiling tile and sheetrock of the utility room. This mishap took place during the summer, and the residents of the bottom unit were unaware. To make matters worse, these utility rooms were not air-conditioned and these rooms were outside by the balcony and filled with hot, humid outdoor air. Unfortunately, the conditions were perfect for this small enclosed space to turn into a “petri dish” for mold growth.

The landlord contacted our office and we were sent out to inspect and treat. First,  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.

Although we thoroughly wiped down the mold stains, some of the stains were too deeply embedded to remove completely. Mold stains are the residue of the mold enzymes dissolving the materials (mold is nature’s decomposer). Although mold stains look horrible, they are not harmful or allergenic like the mold itself. Even though the utility room is not a “living space” of the unit, if these residents don’t want to be reminded of the mold growth when visiting the utility room, the solution is easy. With a fresh coat of paint to the utility room walls and ceiling, you would never know that there was once was a mold problem. Once MAPS 1 & 2 have been applied, the mold is no longer a threat.