[citrussis]

We just discovered mold in our home. Can anyone recommend someone to remedy this and who to avoid and why? Thanks.

[villagetinker]

Do you have the settings correct on your AC control? There is a setting for De-humidify, make sure this is enabled and set correctly. Where is the mold? Have you checked for a leak (roof or plumbing?). You may want to have a home inspection agency (Frank Deangelo is great) check this this out, he has suitable equipment for testing for moisture.
Where is the mold?

[DangeloInspections]

You have not given much information to go on, such as where the mold was found, how extensive it is, was it caused by moisture intrusion, a leak of some kind, etc? Is it in the A/C ductwork, etc?

I have had folks look in their attic and think they are seeing mold on the roof sheathing, when it was only the factory paint from when the roof sheathing was made.

If you are sure you have a mold issue, I usually recommend a good friend of mine who is both a home inspector but more importantly a Florida licensed Mold Assessor. He can take samples, have them tested, recommend the best course of action to take, etc.

His name is John Acaron. He lives close to The Villages. His number is 850-814-3889. I hope this helps!

Frank D.

[EdFNJ]

If you find it is mold your homeowners insurance should cover it. Most overages include mold removal.

[BobnBev]

We used Rodney from Serv-Pro. Did a great job removing our mold.

[collie1228]

Late last summer I noticed some black streaks near the kitchen A/C vent, and when I investigated, I found mold in the duct. Rather than trust someone I don't know to test it, I bought a test kit on Amazon Prime, and following the easy directions, took samples from the ducts in the kitchen, bedroom, bathroom and living room and sent them to to the lab. About ten days later I got a complete analysis of the mold by email, and was pleased to learn the mold, while not dangerous in any way, should be removed by a professional as it could cause allergies or breathing problems. I contacted Advanced Restorations (I don't remember how I selected them), and a tech came out a few days later. I showed him the test results (eliminating the chance I could be ripped off by a "black mold" scam), and he made an appointment to clean everything up. First he attached a machine to the air supply vent (where the filter is), turned on the house blower, and an anti-mold mist was circulated throughout the house (we had to leave the house for the afternoon). Next, he removed every vent and cleaned every duct as far as he could reach, making sure he got every mold spore. He showed me that everything was clean with a bright light, then he hand painted each duct with anti-mold paint before replacing the vents. He cleaned out the air handler too using an anti-mold solution. Sometime in the next couple months they will come back to inspect our system, and if they find any mold, they will fix the problem at no additional cost. I was highly pleased with the service. I have checked the duct in the kitchen and there is no mold there now after nearly a year. The cost was around $1,200.00 and I was pleased with the service. It seems like a lot of money, but it's not something I could have done, and the peace of mind is priceless.

[graciegirl]

To newbies. Never leave your home for any length of time without putting your AC on at least 83. We have high humidity here, year 'round and you are courting trouble if you don't address it by running AC to dehumidify.


How To Prevent Mold in Florida Homes

[Aloha1]

Originally Posted by graciegirl

To newbies. Never leave your home for any length of time without putting your AC on at least 83. We have high humidity here, year 'round and you are courting trouble if you don't address it by running AC to dehumidify.


How To Prevent Mold in Florida Homes

[rjm1cc]

Originally Posted by graciegirl

To newbies. Never leave your home for any length of time without putting your AC on at least 83. We have high humidity here, year 'round and you are courting trouble if you don't address it by running AC to dehumidify.


How To Prevent Mold in Florida Homes

I agree with you. But I had a heater repaired last winter and the person recommended to run the A/C at 70 over night (for a vacant house) and then in the 80's during the day. The lower the A/C setting the more moisture you will get out of the system. Any opinions?

I think the reasoning is you get the humidity down at night and dry out the ducks during the day.

[PaulDenise]

I like 80 degrees day and night while we are gone. After several months, there are no issues or smells. This only costs about $50 per month in electricity.

Part of running the A/C is that not only does it de-humidify the home but the air movement keeps out-of-the-way places like closets from developing mold.

I have a wifi based weather system with one temperature sensor in the kitchen. While we are gone, at 80 degrees, it shows temperature drops from the A/C turning on about every 4-6 hours during the day (with 0-1 during the night). This strikes me as a good number of 'air exchanges' while we are gone. Plus the humidity is good.

In non-summer months, keeping your A/C at 85 or 90 may result in the A/C not turning on for an entire day. That would be bad.

[EdFNJ]

Originally Posted by collie1228

The cost was around $1,200.00 and I was pleased with the service. It seems like a lot of money, but it's not something I could have done, and the peace of mind is priceless.

Your homeowners insurance should cover that. Unless you have a huge deductible you should contact them.

[rjm1cc]

Originally Posted by PaulDenise

In non-summer months, keeping your A/C at 85 or 90 may result in the A/C not turning on for an entire day. That would be bad.

Good point. I don't think the time of year really enters these discussions.

In addition you should not have the fan set to run continually. When it is off any moisture in the duck work will hopefully dry.