In November back we had lost power for 5 days and it was very cold. Adding to it my little son played in the soaking tub and got a lot of water outisde the tub on the carpet. 2 weeks after I found a mushroom in my carpeted bathroom; I cleaned it off and forgot about it. Last week in the same bathroom I had aleak problem on my roof and got it fixed. COuld this mold have gotton further under the carpet? Please help.

I forgot to mention that this roof leak was directly into the soakin tub; so it drained out from t here without touching the floor.

I have another leak in my roof and the landing area half way down the stairs and a closet right below that on the first floor was all wet last morning. We had a roofer fix it; He said the shingle by the valley was broken. I have two concerns.
1. This morning the carpet is still a little wet in some areas and very wet in some parts. Should we remove the carpet to dry it. The wet areas are probably about 3-4 sq feet. very small patches.
2.The roof repair guy said that by the valley on the roof caulking was not done; What does this mean? Will this cause further problems. The house is only about 5 years old.

A simple answer is yes the growth is in the carpet and most likely below. You need to remove the carpet and make sure the underlying floor is dry. If you had a leak in the roof, most likely you also have a some issue in the enclosed spaces of the wall and attic area above. The amount of mold that may be present is dependent upon the time the water was present. If it was only for a very short while, (under 24 hours) and it was dried up fast. No issue. But if the water remained there for several days or was not dried up, The likelyhood of mold growth is very high.
I suggest that you go the web site and obtain the services of one of these people listed. http://www.iaqcouncil.org/ The people listed in this site have some of the best qualifiations for mold testing and advice in the country. Mushroom growth is a sign that you had a very wet carpet for a very long period of time. They do not grow to quick unless the moisture levels are fairly high.

Another source would be www.iaqa.org or you can go to my websight www.restinpeacebugs.com and access it there from the mold page. Good Luck.

I am a contractor, and my guess would be that if mushrooms are growing, it is not from the carpet but rotten wood beneath the carpet. You should most definitely remove the carpet, and dry it from beneath. I do a ton of insurance repair work, mostly water and fire damage. Any time the moisture guys come in and find moisture in the walls or floor, it ALL comes up. The padding needs to be separated from the carpet and all dried COMPLETELY. Heavy duty fans, the knid you rent from toll supply or Home depot are the best way to do it. And yes if your valley was not properly done, you have not seen all of the damage yet.

This can become a very serious health problem for you and your family, if this problem is not resolved. Some people are very allergic to mold. Your homeowners insurance may cover the clean up and repairs. Also, if you ever try to sell your home it could be a problem. Some mortgage companies require a mold test on properties now. You said the house is only 5 years old. When the home was built your builder may have issued you a warranty. This may fall under the builder. If this is wall to wall carpet in the bathroom you may want to consider tile or another flooring option when the repairs are being done.

you should seroiusly consider a hard surface floor for any areas that water could be "splashed" on. This would eliminate the mushroom factor, but your subfloor is going to need to be replaced as soon as possible. I would also suggest getting the carpet and pad out of there immediately.

All the mushroom issues aside, WHAT ABOUT THE ROOF?? For a 5 year old assembly to be leaking at all, let alone in that many places, is nuts. Even a "builder grade" assembly should give you 15-20 years with no issues. You REALLY need to get a competent roofer / contractor in to look at the roof. Your entire house could be structurally compromised in more ways than you can imagine by a bad roof. I routinely do six-figure structural repairs due to nothing more than leaks, which lead to rot, which leads to carpenter ants or termites, which leads to beam / wall / framing failuers, etc., etc., etc.

Also, anyone who would tell you that the integrity of your roof is dependant upon caulking has NO business being on a roof. All valleys should have Ice & Water shield membrane from ridge to eave and it should be along your eaves as well. "Caulk" should have nothing to do with the equation. Go to GAF Weather Watch for more info on one version of this product. This site also has great consumer recommendations and links to find certified installers, etc.

I agree with earlier post that there is a high likelihood of hidden damage elsewhere, that bathroom floors should always be hard surfaced, and that you should spend the few extra bucks to get in a qualified IAQ (Indooor Air Quality) company to do an evaluation. There is a chance that your homeowners policy may cover this if they feel that the structure may be compromised.

Bottom line though, it is pointless to fix anything on the interior until you have the roof redone... NOT repaired ... redone. Any system that young, that is leaking that badly, just needs to be fully replaced. Bandaids will only lead to bigger damage and headaches long term.