Please Help....................................

[Indian Princess]

Friend rented a house on the canal and the whole house but especially the kitchen smells like mildew, gag,gag,heave! When you are there overnight your hair smells like it. What can this person do? When I went into the drawer for silverware Yuck, smelled like wet wood and mold. How can you get rid of this, her children will be teased when they return to school.

[JacksDad]

Yep. That is nasty. And unhealthy.

The previous owners of my last home had built an addition out of what was once an outdoor patio. Everytime it rained water would come right up through the floor.

Here's a good article for getting things back to normal.

http://www.fcs.uga.edu/pubs/current/C767.html



Good luck.

[Patsy Warnick]

Is this home in a damp climate?

Where theres mildew theres mold - which is toxic

You would need to start in one room and work your way thru the whole house.

Scrapping around all the windows, washing everything down, airing everything out. Clean under all sinks, around all showers, tubs, hot water tank , everywhere theres water access etc..Don't forget air conditioner - heater - all filters

Is there a landlord involved? I would think toxic mold/mildew would be his responsibility.

Its a job, and sounds like this is air born.

Good luck

Patsy

[Bryn Mawr]

Indian Princess;671640 wrote: Friend rented a house on the canal and the whole house but especially the kitchen smells like mildew, gag,gag,heave! When you are there overnight your hair smells like it. What can this person do? When I went into the drawer for silverware Yuck, smelled like wet wood and mold. How can you get rid of this, her children will be teased when they return to school.


Look to the ventilation - every room must have good air circulation (not only to prevent mould and mildew but to prevent carbon monoxide build up). Especially important to make sure the air bricks into the footings aren't blocked and that the underfloor space can breathe.

If all of that's OK then check that the damp proof course is above the soil line - either a membrane between two rows of bricks or a couple of rows of blue bricks. If this is covered then the damp will go straight through the walls.

Always assuming similar building styles where you are.

[Indian Princess]

Thanks guys, ALOT

[spot]

It sounds to me that there is a ready ingress of water. Given the location it could simply be that the damp proof course has failed. A property surveyor with the right ten-dollar meter will be able to map and disgnose the problem.

That's an issue for the owner though. Your friend should move out immediately. Until the damp is fixed it's a health hazard for everyone living there.