Questions from our Readers:

Q. Hi Susan:
I hope you can help me, I am from South Africa and have a problem with my house. We bought a house 6 years ago on a small holding. The house was very wet inside but we thought that if we change all the water pipes that is will solve the problem. After that we painted the house. It was about 2 months it start all over again all the inside walls We can’t afford to build a new house, the insurance does not want to help us. There is water under the house, what must I do. Thank you.

A. Unfortunately this is a very common problem.  Have you heard of a French drain?  Directions for installing one are located on this blog.  They can be very helpful in redirecting water.

Additionally, if the walls are soaked the damage has already be done.  You would need to get rid of the source of the water first (such as the French drain) and then remediate the walls, carpet, floorboards, etc.  It can be done yourself to save money and I can get you in touch with our Indoor Air Quality Director to provide you with directions if you want.  Please email me and let me know.

Best of luck.

Q. Hi Susan -- is there anything you'd recommend for someone who's been dealing with toxic mold exposure?? I’ve been very sick for this entire year, it started with some major water leaks in my office.  At the same time I moved into a new house that unfortunately has some water leaks as well, and we're trying to resolve this problem since I think it's the reason that I'm not recovering.

I've had major hair loss, extreme fatigue, disorientation, dizziness, neurological issues, etc. I've tried everything to get better, and spent thousands on doctors and different remedies, is there anything that you can suggest that helped you? I'm not sure what else to do, and we've been diffusing essential oils (which are anti-fungal) to try and keep some of the mold at bay while we work on fixing this.  Please let me know, I need any kind of suggestions!

A. This is a very common problem.  I hope you are not living in the house during the remediation process.  I also hope you are using proper containment.  Unfortunately there is not much you can do about your work.  After the house is thoroughly remediated I recommend you follow the Mold Help Diet as recommended by Dr. Vincent Marinkovich.  You can order the book at http://www.mold-help.org/content/view/839/.  Along with the diet you might want to find a compounding pharmacy that is part of an organization called PCCA and ask for a physician who prescribes Nizoral nasal spray.  It is a proprietary solution only available through the PCCA.

If you would like more information on this please email me and let me know.

Q. I have had a very strong odor; I thought it was a stinky cigar or an old smoky smell in my apartment. After seeing a specialist I was able to smell the strong mildew smell in my place, closets and bedding. Can you direct me to someone that can help me? My apartment removed mold from next door and I still have the mildew smell and no leaks in my apartment. But reports of other leaks in the building due to broken pipes and cracked bricks.

A. I am sorry you are experiencing this problem. Since you did not indicate where you live I cannot direct you whom I may know in your area.  This problem sounds a bit hopeless unfortunately.  If the mold is visible you can order a home test kit but the only one we recommend is through Mould-Works Labs as they do viable testing which is very accurate because they can determine both the genre and species.  The lab can be contacted by calling 231-735-2937.

I cannot dispense legal advice as I am not qualified but many people in your situation photograph their contaminated belongings such as sofas, beds, leather, papers and artwork, any medical reports that may demonstrate mold poisoning (if possible) along with the report on the health effects of the mold from Mould-Works Labs.  They take all the evidence to small claims court to get out of their lease and try to have the landlord pay for your moving expenses and reimbursement for your items.

If you need any more information, please email me.  Best of luck.