Cleaning up mold
BY SAMANTHA MAZZOTTA King Features Syndicate

Q: Our first floor recently was flooded during a period of heavy rain. We've since cleaned up, dried out all the furniture and replaced the area rugs (there are no carpets on the first floor). However, there is a mold smell throughout the house. I thought we had taken care of all the wet areas. Any ideas? -- Tamara C., DeBary, Fla.

A: Water damage can be tough to completely repair. You've dried out your floors and the furniture appears dry, but there may be some hidden areas of the house that haven't been addressed.

Double-check your furniture: Moisture could have been wicked up through the cloth all the way through the padding. If the furniture has a wood frame, the wood beneath the padding may have stayed wet despite the cloth drying out. Additional drying sessions may be needed, or you can contact a furniture restoration specialist for tips.

The walls themselves may also be culprits. Check the base of the walls as high as the water went -- if there is wallpaper covering the area, peel back a one-foot section of the paper to see the drywall beneath. Drywall (aka sheetrock) is susceptible to mold after severe flooding.

Check any area of your home that doesn't see much traffic, such as the crawlspace under the house, the garage, storage closets and so on. Look for standing water or excess moisture, and dry out those spots.

Finally, check your air conditioning and ventilation system -- the outside unit may have been flooded and not dried out completely, or mold may be present inside the vents. An HVAC contractor can help clean the system.

Visible, surface mold can be quickly removed by wiping with a rag dipped in a half-and-half solution of bleach and water (wear rubber gloves, goggles and dust mask while doing this). However, if mold has set in to drywall or wood paneling, that section of drywall or paneling must be replaced.

Meantime, place a dehumidifier on your first floor to reduce the overall humidity and retard growth of mold spores.

Weatherstripping 101

Q: This is my second year in an apartment with drafty windows. The landlord said it was OK for us to do whatever we like to stop the cold air from rushing in. I'm tired of putting up crinkly, ugly plastic sheets, though. Is there an alternative? -- Blair J., Malden, Mass.

A: You have some additional options besides plastic sheeting. Weatherstripping can stop drafts while allowing windows to be opened or closed as usual. Three types of material are available: metal, vinyl or felt. They are attached one of two ways -- with brads (very small nails) or by adhesive attached to the back of the strip. Vinyl or felt stripping is easier to work with, while metal stripping is much more durable.

Since you're in a temporary living situation, I'd recommend you stick with vinyl weatherstripping, particularly compressible foam strips. These strips come on a roll that costs less than $10, and they have an adhesive backing so that all you have to do is peel and stick. Run a strip along the bottom of the window sash -- the part that meets the frame when you close the window.

Be sure clean the adhesive area well and let dry. If the outdoor temperature is below 45 degrees Fahrenheit, you'll want to heat the sash bottom for a couple of minutes with a hair dryer to ensure the strip will stick well.

HOME TIP: Drafty windows are a major source of heat loss in homes, yet can usually be insulated in a couple hours for just a few dollars -- an investment well worth making.

Send questions or home-repair tips to homeguru2000@hotmail.com, or write This Is a Hammer, c/o King Features Weekly Service, P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475.