Mold Solutions by Cowleys Before & After Photos

Unfortunately, mold growth in non-living areas of the home is often not discovered until the pre-sale home inspection. For potential sellers, this unwelcome discovery can become a big headache that can potentially delay the sale until the mold problem is resolved. With this home in West Long Branch, NJ, mold was found in the basement utility room during the inspection. There was no plumbing leak or other water intrusion. Rather, mold had formed because of chronically high indoor humidity levels. High moisture levels in the air, which happens all too often in crawl spaces, basements, and attics, is more than enough to trigger dangerous mold growth!

This homeowner contacted Mold Solutions by Cowleys. Our team was able to treat the mold in less than a day. We treated the mold-affected areas of the basement 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 expecting mold at the cellular level rendering it harmless and nonallergic, but also has moisture sensitivity. This sealant will reactivate to kill any future mold growth. We also wiped down any visible staining caused by the mold. Mold stains, residue of mold growth, are not themselves dangerous, but are unsightly and aesthetically unappealing.  

To control the humidity and prevent further mild growth, it is important to fix the underlying problem, which in this case, was high humidity levels. The seller chose to install a dehumidifier on his own as an accommodation to the purchaser. However, for homeowners looking for a powerful, long-term appliance, Cowleys carries SaniDry dehumidifiers. These rugged dehumidifiers are specially designed to work in basements and crawl spaces. They are maintenance-free — there is no water pan to empty and a built-in hygrometer constantly measures the room’s humidity, turning the machine on and off as needed. 

These homeowners in Rumson, NJ, while readying their home for sale, found surface mold growing in their basement, so they called us to come out and remove the mold.  We first treated the mold with our EPA-registered anti-microbial solution called Mold Abatement Polymer Solutions ( or MAPS 1 for short). This product attacks mold at its DNA and kills it instantly. Next, we applied our patented polymer sealant called MAPS 2. This sealant encapsulates the surface mold is growing on and renders it useless and non-allergenic. MAPS 2 is also moisture-sensitive and reactivates whenever it gets wet to prevent the return of mold.

Although mold can form anywhere in a home, crawl spaces are especially notorious for mold growth.  Mold in crawl spaces are not just caused by flooding, leaky pipes, or some other type of water intrusion event. Often, mold forms because of chronically high indoor humidity levels,  especially during our humid Jersey Shore summers. This homeowner in Long Branch, NJ contacted Mold Solutions by Cowleys because the rafters in his crawl space were covered with mold.

We treated the mold-infested areas with two products, an EPA-registered antimicrobial (MAPS 1) followed by a patented sealant (MAPS 2). This sealant kills mold at the cellular level. Once applied, the mold on any treated areas is rendered completely harmless and non-allergenic. This sealant has a unique property: It offers protection against further mold growth by reactivating based on moisture conditions, killing any new mold growth before it has a chance to take hold!

There photos show the “before and after” of our mold treatment process. As with most of our mold treatment jobs, there was no need to remove any building materials since the rafters themselves were still in great condition. We were able to apply our mold-killing treatment in less than a day. The homeowner was quite pleased with our service, especially because, by using this process instead of traditional mold remediation, he was able to avoid a massive tear-out/renovation project.

A homeowner in Long Branch, NJ was having allergy-type respiratory issues. If you are having chronic symptoms of watery eyes, sneezing, stuffy nose, itchy nose and throat and you can’t attribute it to seasonal allergies or anything else, it may well be a sign that there is a mold problem in your home. Fortunately, she was sick and tired of being sick, and she and her husband decided to make a diligent effort to figure out the cause of these symptoms.

During a thorough inspection of the basement, the husband found mold growing on the basement joists. The washer and dryer were installed in the basement, and every time she went down to do laundry, she was exposed to the mold and all of the airborne mold spores. Different people have different sensitivities to mold, just like pollen, and she had an allergic reaction to the mold.  So they contacted our office and we were sent out to treat.

We 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.

The homeowner realized that the long-term solution to basement mold was reducing the basement’s humidity levels. Shortly, we will be installing a SaniDry Sedona commercial-grade dehumidifier that is specifically designed to work in challenging environments like basements and crawl spaces. These machines can operate in temperatures as low as 40 degrees, turn on and off automatically using a built-in hygrometer, and empty directly into the drainage system. In short, they work 24/7 and are worry-free. Once this dehumidifier is installed, these homeowners will not have to worry about basement mold, and, with the dramatically improved indoor air quality, this homeowner will no longer get sick from going into the basement to do the laundry!

I took this photo of a tenant laundry room in an apartment building. There was no dehumidification system in this room. The room had sustained high humidity and moisture because of the constant use of the washers and dryers. As often happens in enclosed areas with chronically high indoor humidity, mold took hold and started to grow on the walls. This mold was not only unsightly, but was also a potential health hazard for the building’s tenants.

The property manager recognized that this mold problem needed to be taken care of, and contacted Cowleys for a mold treatment.  A crew from the Mold Solutions division arrived to treat the area. We treated the entire with an EPA-registered antimicrobial (MAPS 1) followed by a patented sealant (MAPS 2). This sealant instantly kills any mold on contact and is also moisture-sensitive. If necessary, this product will reactivate to kill any future mold growth in the treated area. We also scrubbed the walls to remove any visible staining. The staining left by mold is not allergenic, but it is unsightly. In areas of buildings used by its occupants, we remove as much of the staining as possible. However, sometimes there are remnants of deep stains will not go away no matter how much scrubbing is done. These limited deep stain areas must be painted over.

For long-term prevention, our maintenance team is installing a commercial-grade Sani-Dry dehumidifier. These dehumidifiers are specifically built to keep indoor humidity at levels where mold cannot grow. Also, the laundry room will have clean, dry air instead of the thick, wet, smelly air associated with high humidity. These dehumidifiers are maintenance-free with no water pan to empty. They also have a built-in auto-humidistat that senses the moisture level in the space, automatically turning the unit on and off depending on room conditions.