What We Found

Yesterday we thought we were finishing up with our indoor projects. We had painted, moved furniture, and the girls even gave us a hand pulling up their old carpet. They were so excited. I was utterly grossed out at the condition of the carpet from the top...and once we had pulled it up, I was mortified that we were living on such a bed of dust and old stains from who knows when. I'm inclined to say that the carpet was original to the house??? It wouldn't have surprised me. But, we got it out and cleaned up, and fresh new carpet in the rooms upstairs before we started downstairs to the boys room to get it ready to put in the carpet. Darren was working on that one when I went downstairs to see how it was going. He was standing in the middle of the room..."you have to see this...it's not good."

No...not good at all. In case you can't really tell from the pictures, that is black mold lining the closet floor and covering the carpet. Nate and Darren put on masks to get the carpet and padding out of there as quickly as possible. And I thought I was grossed out at the condition of the upstairs carpet!?!?! It just makes me wonder if that is why the boys have been so sick this year with coughs, bronchitis, breathing issues...all year long, really. We had found black mold on the walls behind the vanity and sink cabinet in the bathroom, but we didn't even consider that the flood had created such water issues in their bedroom. I'm wondering now what we might find under the carpet in the office. I guess we'll find out Monday when we get back to it. We're going to have to Clorox the floor and walls and then paint the surfaces with Kilz before we can start with the carpet.

As disgusted as I am with the whole situation, I am so incredibly grateful that we decided to replace the flooring. I really think that the boys health will improve, and I will feel so much more comfortable bringing a brand new baby into a house without these serious health hazards. As Sam said, "I guess the floods were really a blessing."

He's right. {Although I would say that it may have been the floods that started this mess}