Mold Solutions by Cowleys Before & After Photos

Recently, we went on a service call for a homeowner in Freehold, NJ who contacted Cowleys to resolve a mold issue that had developed in his bathroom. The most common cause of mold growth is humidity. Humidity problems occur when warm, moisture-laden air interacts with a cool ceiling, causing condensation and subsequent mold growth.

After suiting up with our personal protective equipment (mold is a serious bio-hazard in enclosed spaces), we began our inspection of the bathroom. Almost immediately, we discovered an area of the ceiling that had evident mold growth. Whenever mold is discovered, to resolve the problem long-term, it is essential to identify the underlying cause of the mold growth and have those issues remedied so that mold doesn’t return. Here, after a thorough inspection, we determined that the mold growth was due to poor ventilation. Mold growth on a bathroom ceiling is almost always caused by inadequate ventilation. 

Mold is a living, breathing fungus that multiplies and will continue to spread as long as the conditions in the home remain conducive to mold growth. In cases where there is structural damage from the moisture, materials would need to be removed. However, in this case, there was no structural damage so, with our treatment process, we are able to kill mold in its place. 

With our mold treatment process, we first applied MAPS 1, an EPA-registered anti-microbial application. MAPS 1 (Mold Abatement Polymer Solution 1) is specifically designed to kill active mold growth. Next, we applied MAPS 2, a patented polymer sealant that encapsulates the existing dead mold and helps prevent future mold from growing if conducive conditions return. Once MAPS 1 & 2 have been applied, the mold is killed and is no longer a threat. Also, MAPS 2 will reactivate with moisture to fight future mold growth.

Although we treated the mold in the bathroom, there was still the issue of the underlying condition that triggered the growth in the first place: poor ventilation. The homeowner decided to deal with this issue and hired a contractor to install vents in his bathroom. Another mold remediation treatment performed by Cowleys!

A homeowner in Freehold, NJ called our office concerned that he might have mold in his basement. We arrived, equipped our personal protective equipment (mold is a biohazard in enclosed spaces), and began our inspection. Within minutes, we found mold growth along the joists throughout the basement. Since the homeowner never had a leak in his home, he was confused as to why the mold had developed.

After measuring the basement with our hygrometer, we determined that the reason for the mold growth was due to high humidity levels in the basement. Mold can grow in any place with sufficient sources of moisture, organic feeding material, and oxygen. A high level of humidity creates the perfect conditions for both mold and mildew to spread in your basement. The main problem causing humidity in the basement is improper airflow.

First, we applied MAPS 1, which is an antimicrobial solution that targets mold at its cellular level and kills it instantly. After applying MAPS 1, we scrubbed away the mold and then applied our patented sealant called MAPS 2. MAPS 2 encapsulates the mold, rendering it non-allergenic & harmless, and is moisture sensitive and will reactivate when it gets wet to prevent future mold growth. In order to address the high humidity levels in the basement, we installed a Sedona Sandi-Dry XP dehumidifier. A Sedona Sandi-Dry XP is a powerful, energy-efficient dehumidifier that outperforms standard household dehumidifiers by as much as 10 times while using the same amount of energy to run. Now the homeowner can rest assured knowing that his home is mold-free and the chronic humidity in his basement has been resolved. 

A homeowner in Freehold, NJ called our office after noticing mold growth by his baseboard heat in his basement. Apparently, while the homeowner was at work, a water pipe burst and started leaking all over. Luckily the homeowner's daughter came by and stopped the leak before any additional damage occurred. The homeowner rushed home and fixed the broken pipe, but unfortunately, mold had developed.

We equipped our personal protective equipment and began inspecting the basement. During our inspection, we realized that the drywall had mold growth all over it and it was still soaking wet. In order to properly treat the mold growth, we had to remove the drywall. We informed the homeowner and he agreed that the wall needed to be removed.

After removing the drywall, we applied an EPA registered antimicrobial solution called Mold Abatement Polymer Solutions, or MAPS 1 for short. MAPS 1 targets mold at its DNA level and kills it instantly. Afterward, we applied MAPS 2, a patented polymer sealant that encapsulates the existing dead mold and prevents future mold from growing. Once MAPS 1 & 2 have been applied, mold is no longer a threat. 

This homeowner in Freehold, NJ had a massive water leak in his crawl space. After he hired someone to fix that leak, he had to leave for a short period of time for a business trip. When he returned, he was stunned to find a massive amount of mold growth throughout his crawl space! He immediately called our office and we were sent out to remediate!

When we inspected the area, there wasn't a single rafter that didn't have mold on it! It was quite severe and because the air from the crawl space often escapes into the upper living spaces of the home, mold in your crawl space can contribute to health problems like respiratory illnesses and worsen allergy and asthma symptoms! Fortunately, we have the perfect treatment that will kill mold and prevent its return! 

First, we removed and disposed of all the contaminated items in the crawl space and then applied our EPA-registered antimicrobial solution called Mold Abatement Polymer Solution, or MAPS 1 for short. MAPS 1 targets mold on a cellular level and immediately kills it. After applying MAPS 1, we then used our mold stain remover, scrubbed away all the excess mold staining throughout the rafters, and applied MAPS 2. MAPS 2 works by encapsulating the surface that mold is growing on and renders it non-allergenic and harmless. MAPS 2 is also moisture-sensitive and will reactivate whenever it gets wet to prevent future mold growth. Now the homeowner will no longer have to worry about dangerous mold growth in his crawl space!

Homeowners in Perth Amboy were in the process of selling their house. During the home inspection, the inspector found mold on the roof sheathing. Cowleys was contacted to take care of the problem so the pending sale could proceed without delay. 

Mold growth in a home is a symptom of an underlying water or moisture problem. Mold can rear its head anywhere and everywhere. Like all living organisms, mold needs air, some organic material as a food source, the right temperature, and water or moisture in order to grow.  Because mold results from some water intrusion problem or moisture from high indoor humidity, mold often grows and thrives in crawl spaces, basements, kitchens, washer/dryer areas, and bathrooms. However, as with this Perth Amboy home, mold can also rear its ugly head in the attic even though there are no pipes there to leak or burst. Water or moisture problems in the attic are usually due to undetected roof leaks or from exhaust fans improperly vented into the attic instead of outside, causing condensation on the rafters and sheathing. Unfortunately, this is a common construction shortcut that winds up causing problems down the road.

As shown in the picture, this mold growth happened to be white. Mold need not be black mold to be a dangerous health hazard. There are various types of mold that can come in a variety of colors. But no matter how the mold appears, there is no such thing as a harmless mold and it has to be removed. Also, even though the mold is not in living spaces, it still must be treated. Mold spores easily travel on air currents throughout a structure, so this attic mold would inevitably spread throughout the home as the spores reattach elsewhere, causing further damage and potential health risks by affecting the indoor air quality. Mold can cause a variety of respiratory and other health problems when growing in an enclosed area.

Cowleys experienced Mold Solutions team came out to resolve the mold problem. In less than a day, we applied a powerful anti-microbial (MM1) to kill the mold followed by MMR, a stain remover. Finally, we applied a patented, proprietary sealant (MM2) containing micro-particles of silver that kills the mold at the cellular level, and reactivates with moisture, to prevent any regrowth of mold. As shown in there “after” picture, we successfully resolved the problem — and did so within the day. The sheathing was as good as new without a trace that there had been a mold issue just the day before. There was no removal of building materials, no need for home renovation, and no need for the family to relocate. The sale could proceed with no delay in the closing date, and one more successful mold treatment project completed by Cowleys. 

Both the buyers and sellers were pleased with the Mold Solutions By Cowleys team for taking care of the problem so quickly and with such outstanding results. This project was one of our many successful mold treatment projects — we killed and removed the future threat of mold by using a patented application. Our process saves building materials that have no loss of structural integrity, and, by doing so, we avoid the expense and inconvenience of major renovations. Traditional mold remediators don’t kill the mold. They simply remove it by tearing-out often perfectly good building materials.