Ewww!

There was mold growing in the basement stairwell at Ben's house. I donned a mask and had at it with a putty knife. I'm allergic to mold and didn't want to breath in that nasty stuff. When I was finished I had scraped off all of the old paint and mold and washed the wall with TSP which is a phosphate cleaner. Then I pounded in old nails and carpet staples left in the floor when the "trash-out" guy gutted the house before Ben got it. I swept and finished washing and rinsing the walls in the stairwell. I also took down the light fixture globe and washed it. It is from the 50's or 60's. Very cute and retro. Tomorrow I will do some priming/painting there. Dennis worked on patching and smoothing plaster, swept the basement, and various other bits and bobs. Things are coming along nicely at Ben's and we'll all be glad when it's done!

Interesting fact: When airborne mold spores are present in large numbers, they can cause skin irritation, allergic reactions, asthma episodes, infections and other respiratory problems for people.

Oh, bloody great! ~S