Paint

By James Allen

Hey Jim! • Picking a contractor • The contract proposal --- • Jim's Q&A's • Ask a question

Debbie of Sussex NJ: I rent a house and my bathroom is overcome with mold. I told the landlady and he was supposed to fix it over 2 yrs. ago. It has rotted the floor and walls. It is beyond anymore cleaning so I cover it up with paint all the time. This is a health problem. What should I do?

Covering mold, rot and other deterioration caused by moisture, with paint, is probably only exacerbating the problem. Until you resolve the issue with your landlady, try spritzing a bleach solution over the bad areas. This is only to try control the mold. Mix 4 parts water to 1 part household bleach, or use an off-the-shelf product like Clorox Clean-Up. Be very sure not to add any other household chemicals because of the danger of an adverse chemical reaction. Adding ammonia, for instance, will create chlorine gas. Bad news.

You should call your state and local governments, ASAP, contacting the departments relevant to your complaints. Health department, tenant-landlord relations, and building department (in the case of possible structural failure due to moisture induced dry rot) come to mind. Call them all. Get the ball rolling right away, for your own health and safety. IMHO, do not withhold rent payments without legal guidance. There might even be a local legal aid office to help on that. But, first address the health and safety issues. In most states, if not all, tenants, as well as landlords, have specific and general rights provided through law.

If you had good relations in the past with your landlady, and that has changed, it could be that she has developed recent health or mental issues of her own that are involuntarily incapacitating her good intentions. You could ask her. Care and concern exhibited by empathetic contact may allow her to focus more clearly on *your* concerns. Might be worth a try (if you haven�t already!).

As to renovating the bathroom, it�s up to the house owner to decide how far they want to go, legal requirements aside. Then it�s up to you to decide if you want to continue renting the space, or to move elsewhere.

Dolores of Copperas Cove TX:
What is the best name in outdoor paint?

There are many fine brands of exterior paint. Much has to do with the application you're contemplating, as well as with the preparation. I don�t have much personal experience with exterior paint, as opposed to interior paint. Outside, I�ve used Duron and Glidden. I liked the Glidden one-coat, and it looked fine after eight years when I sold the house. I�ve heard good reports on Benjamin Moore, also. I use Duron on the trim of my current home because that was the original. Seems fine.

You might check with several local contractors to see what they prefer. The region in which you live may have a bearing on the answer. Remember, preparation and humidity have great impact on the quality of the finished project.

Elizabeth of East Freedom, Pa:
Could you please tell me what is the best paint to use on your house outdoors.

I'm not a painter. Ask one. Actually, ask three or four. Also, ask about how environmentally green the suggested product is. Don't be bashful about asking one contractor to comment about another contractor's recommendation. Collect information, then use that info and the web to discover feedback.

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