hklovely Posted December 26, 2020 Share Posted December 26, 2020 Hi, I'm Heather in New Hampshire. I found these forums to see if there was a way to ID the house my mother and I made from a kit in the late 1970s. I recently been wondering what happened to the house, thinking it had gone to live with my younger cousins. Today, my mom told me the house was still in their basement and she's bringing it to me next week. Their basement has had water issues in the past and I'm concerned that the dollhouse will not have fared well and is almost certainly musty and stinky. I'm hoping mold is not an issue, but I'm not sure yet. Does anyone have tips on how to deodorize the house so I can have it inside? For other vintage items of wood or paper I would use kitty litter in a sealed container, but I'm not sure that's feasible for an item this large. Thanks for any advice you have! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
havanaholly Posted December 26, 2020 Share Posted December 26, 2020 (edited) Welcome to the little family, Heather. Kitty litter scattered thoughout and changed every couple of days, or activated charcoal (available at pet stores in the aquarium supplies) which can be left up to a week should help with the stinkies. If there's mold, wear a mask and give it a bleach scrub to kill the mold (wear rubber gloves, your skin on your hands will thank you). Once the house is dry and no longer smells or shows signs of new mold growth, some members recommend giving it a coat of Kilz primer. Edited December 27, 2020 by havanaholly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KathieB Posted December 26, 2020 Share Posted December 26, 2020 This Old House has a page on removing black mold from wood. See it here. In short, they do not recommend using bleach on mold. It will not kill all the spores as the chlorine will not penetrate the wood, and the mold will return; only the water from the bleach will soak in. They recommend first vacuuming to remove loose spores, then scrubbing with a mix of dishwashing liquid soap and water, all with proper precautions to prevent inhalation of loose spores. If that doesn't work, try a mixture with vinegar. If that does not work, try a mix of borax. See details in article. Last resort, if still some discoloration from mold, use 100-grit sandpaper to remove it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hklovely Posted December 27, 2020 Author Share Posted December 27, 2020 Thank you both! I'm looking forward to getting the house and seeing what condition it is in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KathieB Posted December 27, 2020 Share Posted December 27, 2020 Do let us know what you are facing. My guess is that with the dampness, warping and/or delamination may be issues. Or maybe it will just need a good dusting and scrub down. Fingers crossed for a happy outcome. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hklovely Posted December 31, 2020 Author Share Posted December 31, 2020 I will, thank you! I should have it tomorrow and will have to post some pictures to see if anyone recognizes it. It's similar to the Greenleaf Laurel, but the front of the house orientation is different. Here's hoping it's not terrible! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
havanaholly Posted December 31, 2020 Share Posted December 31, 2020 Heather, when you have made five posts you can make an album of "before" and "after" photos in the Gallery. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hklovely Posted January 1, 2021 Author Share Posted January 1, 2021 On 12/26/2020 at 7:12 AM, KathieB said: This Old House has a page on removing black mold from wood. See it here. In short, they do not recommend using bleach on mold. It will not kill all the spores as the chlorine will not penetrate the wood, and the mold will return; only the water from the bleach will soak in. They recommend first vacuuming to remove loose spores, then scrubbing with a mix of dishwashing liquid soap and water, all with proper precautions to prevent inhalation of loose spores. If that doesn't work, try a mixture with vinegar. If that does not work, try a mix of borax. See details in article. Last resort, if still some discoloration from mold, use 100-grit sandpaper to remove it. So, the house is here. More structural damage than I thought, but nothing that isn't fixable, and no mold! What I do have is mouse droppings and staining. There's no discernible smell, but obviously needs to be thoroughly cleaned. Would bleach be appropriate here or should I look for an enzyme cleaner before starting to sand things down? Also, I'd like to find out more about the house and I don't want to keep posting here in the intro thread. Where is the correct place to start a thread? My First House or Questions About a Particular House? I think I'm one post away from being able to post pictures. Thanks all for welcoming me to this forum! This project is probably going to take forever, but I'm excited to get started. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
havanaholly Posted January 1, 2021 Share Posted January 1, 2021 (edited) Heather, there are no deadlines (unless you build to sell) nor particular rules, so long as it works for you. Rodent excreta is not only nasty but also dangerous, so wear mask and gloves and if it were me I'd definitely remove the droppings and give it a wipe down with bleach (and rinse afterwards) and let it thoroughly dry. If (as I'm sure there is, with staining) any residual smell a sprinkling of activated charcoal (found at pet superstores with aquarium supplies) ought to remove it within several days/ a week, and then you'll be good to go. Since this is your first house and you want to know what it is, I think that's the place to start. Edited January 1, 2021 by havanaholly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hklovely Posted January 1, 2021 Author Share Posted January 1, 2021 Thank you, Holly. This definitely won't be for sale, it's purely a sentimental project. I was just thinking more along the lines of holy cow, this is going to take forever! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.