Korean Job Discussion Forums

[cbclark4]

Didn't know if this belonged here or in Job Related.

I was doing my spring cleaning and moved my furniture away from the
walls to find black mold. It wasn't there when I did my autumn cleaning.

Only one wall the full width and about 2 feet high with a patch on the
adjacent wall and another small patch in the top corner near the ceiling.
This is not surface mold it is in the concrete.

I told the landlord and he did come in to remove the wall paper down to
the concrete wall and then he treated it with bleach, a pretty stiff
concentration of bleach. He got a can of fungicide and asked me to spray
every day.

I've repaired mold problems in houses I've owned previously. That was
drywall. You rip it out and hope it not in the wood, then replace the
drywall. If it's in the wood then it gets serious.

This is concrete.

So my bedroom is uninhabitable presently though I do have a very small
extra room. I have raised the issue with my school, to let them know
that there is a situation and I am waiting for the remediation (as long as
the mold is there it ain't fixed).

I am of the opinion that I should give them every opportunity to fix the
problem, however I have had a chronic cough now going on 6 weeks.
The little packet of pills from the clinic just doesn't help.

So has anyone else had the mold?

What happened in your case?

[bassexpander]

Wow, if you're getting it now, you're in for a real treat this spring and summer during rainy season!

I had mold when I lived in Itaewon. You're lucky-- very lucky -- that the owner of your place is quite proactive about it. I had to tear all of the moldy paper off and scrub with a beach/water solution like your rentor did. I then let it dry overnight, and they put new paper on over it the next day. It was a freakin' mess, and the mold will grow fast and become a problem in other areas of the house once it grows to a certain size. Yes, it is not healthy!

After that, I purchased a dehumidifier and ran it to keep the moisture out of the room. I didn't have any more problems while I kept the air dry, but I moved about 6 months later anyway.

I'm sort of surprised it's happening to you this time of year, because the air is still somewhat dry. I've been running my humidifier because of itchy skin lately, although it's about time to stop.

I imagine you have a pretty deep infestation of the stuff which has been dormant since last year. Recent rains have brought it back. You probably have a leak or seepage in your wall somewhere, too.

Best thing you can do is get a dehumidifier. They aren't cheap. I got a used one for 60,000 won (but that was 4 years ago) from a recycle store. You can purchase them online for maybe 120,000 to 250,000, or go get them in Youngsan.

Don't get a cheap one -- they're useless. Go for something around this price range: http://www.11st.co.kr/product/SellerProductDetail.tmall?method=getSellerProductDetail&prdNo=568134


Some others:
http://www.enuri.com/view/List.jsp?menu=1&cate=051908

[cbclark4]

I may turn that room into a living room going forward.

I do think there is leak in the roof line there are some cracks from
settling in the concrete.

I'm gonna give it a week with the daily spraying, before I start complaining to my school, they are aware of it. I wrote a letter to the principle by way of my coteacher and vice principle.

I took pictures before the cleaning began.