Mold & Mildew Cleanup in Dunedin, FL

Is the mildew on my window sills a leak?

Sometimes. About 61 percent of Dunedin's housing was built before 1980, with the 1970s the biggest decade, so plenty of homes still have original windows and frames. Old aluminum frames sweat when cool indoor air meets humid outdoor air, and that condensation is enough to grow a gray film on the sill. If the growth wipes off, stays on the surface and only appears where water beads, it's condensation: wipe the frames during humid spells and keep the AC running. If the paint below the sill bubbles, the wood feels soft or the drywall under the window is stained, rain is getting in around the frame and the wall needs to be opened.

We flooded in Baywood Shores. Can I just clean what I see?

Usually not. Helene's surge came over the seawall in Baywood Shores, and homes throughout the neighborhood had walls cut out from the floor to about five feet. Some of those homes had also flooded during Idalia the year before. EPA says a home that couldn't be dried within 24 to 48 hours should be treated as having mold, and soaked drywall, insulation and carpet usually go. Mildew showing up months later on a repaired wall, or a musty smell at the baseboards, can mean material was closed up before it was fully dry. A remediation company can open a test section and check.

Can renters get a landlord to deal with it?

About 29 percent of Dunedin's occupied homes are rented. Report the leak or moisture to the landlord in writing, with dated photos. If nothing changes, Dunedin's Code Compliance Division enforces the city code, the Florida Building Code and the International Property Maintenance Code, and takes reports through its online Report a Violation form, which asks for your name and address.

One local note

Dunedin runs its own building department rather than using Pinellas County, so permits for drywall replacement, new windows or storm repairs after cleanup come from the city. After Helene, DOH-Pinellas warned that moisture entering buildings from leaks or flooding speeds mold growth that can keep damaging materials long after the storm.