Q. I'm scared to death of mold. My parents house had it (they were moved into a motel in March and the house still isn't finished, my father died in May and spent the last months of his life in a motel), another friend of mine in town (he and his wife and 6 children were moved out of their home for 9 months) and my best friend's mother died from it. I'm about to purchase a house. It was built in 1954 and has a limestone exterior. When it was inspected, it was not inspected for mold. I was told that older homes have cured wood and that they are likely not to have mold unless they've had water leaks. I've been told that newer homes were the "problem" homes. Please tell me if this school of thought is generally true, and what steps I can take to protect myself. Would cleaning the vents be helpful or a waste of money? [Oct. 11, 2001]
          A. Read new home mold. Generally, newer homes are often at greater risk of mold contamination than are older homes because of the following factors: 
          (1) moldy building materials are received from the builder’s supplier;
          (2) the builder and its supervisors and employees fail to do quality control to inspect for, and, thus, prevent moldy building materials from being used in the home’s construction;
          (3) the builder stores the inventory of building materials on the outside ground with no plastic sheeting to protect the building materials from rain [which thus supplies the necessary water to enable mold to grow in and on the materials];
          (4) the construction crew fails to cover the entire home under construct- ion with plastic sheeting at the end of each construction day to protect the building materials from rain [which thus supplies the necessary water to enable mold to grow in and on the materials]. The roof and side walls need to be protected against rain until the entire roof, siding, windows, and doors are totally installed to seal out rain; 
          (5) the builder fails to inspect and test the home for mold growth while it is being constructed and at the home’s completion; and
         (6) use of modern building materials like chip wafer boards, drywall (plasterboard), & plywood--- all of which molds love to eat.
          Cleaning air ducts does not solve mold infestation problems because duct cleaning doesn't solve the mold contamination problem that may have put mold into the ducts. Duct cleaning and replacement (including replacement of air handling equipment) may be necessary after the complete removal of mold contamination from a home or building. 
          What is needed is a complete mold testing of the home in question, including testing for hidden mold above ceilings, inside walls, below floors, and inside heating and air conditioning ducts and air handling equipment [plus heating and cooling units themselves].

          Q. On or about June 9, 2000, our condominium was partially destroyed by fire. Most of the damage was do to water and smoke. The unit is a two story condo and had recently been completely renovated including top of the line Berber carpet. There were approximately 25,000 gallons of water poured through the unit. The unit was condemned due to structural damage. The unit basked in 100 degree heat for a week before we were allowed back in to salvage. At this time mould and mildew had overtaken the unit also the sewer backed up into the first floor in the bathroom, kitchen, hallway, and laundry room. This all remained this way until the 23,of August,2000 or approx. 90 days. The second floor was still soaked from the water, (made squishing sounds when you walked on it) When the rebuilt they did not replace the sub-flooring or the floor joists on the second floor. Of course they are now buckling and stretching . Now the real problem. Both my son and wife and myself seem to be sick all of the time since we moved back in to the unit in Dec., 2000. My son and wife have been the most affected because they are home most of the time, however I experience the same sinus discomfort when I am at home. We have found large areas of mould in the guest bath. Clusters of black mold all behind the shower walls. It was first noticed when the black mold began growing out from behind the shower walls within a month after we moved back in. We are very concerned about our 4 1/2 year old son. He has the sinus congestion, shiners under the eyes, fever that comes and goes, seems to have to vomit three or four times a month. and now all three of us have been experiencing blood in the sinuses. We are very concerned we all have trouble sleeping , heavy congestion in the chest and constant coughing through the night are most of the problems. Any information you could provide us with would be greatly appreciated .  [Aug. 16, 2001]
          A.  Move immediately out of the house into temporary living quarters elsewhere! Do extensive testing of the mold by lift tapes and do it yourself mold test kits available at a large hardware, home improvement, or safety store. You need to know whether your home has highly dangerous molds such as Stachybotrys, Penicillium, and Aspergillus.  You will need to inspect for, test, remove mold completely, and then re-test for a mold-free condition before you move back in. If you are unable to move elsewhere on a temporary basis, then immediately purchase a top-rated Electronic Air Cleaner from the manufacturer Friedrich that will remove mold spores, germs, viruses, and bacteria in the indoor air of your home 24 hours per day to give you time to do your testing and mold removal.

         Q. Oct.'99 we noticed water on bathroom floor and decided that it may be from the grandkids staying with us. We let this problem go because of all the holidays coming up. It got worse., Jan.11, 2000 we notified Ins. Co. to come investigate our water problem as the water leak is now showing on the carpet along the base-board in living room and two bedrooms (a 1 story home-slab). He came pulled the carpet in bedroom and said it was very moldy. Not knowing anything about mold we waited patiently to see what they, Ins. Co. would do to help us. In the meantime our dog died of lung and breast cancer, grandson bleeding of the nose daily and nightly. daughter and son-in-law with stomach problems and respiratory. My husband and I having skin rashes, respiratory problems, forgetfulness, sores on face and arms, scalp rashes and sores, kidney and bladder infections that won't go away and husband with a blood disease called hemochromatosis. After almost 5 months going through plumbers, engineers etc. and constantly informing [company name], sub-contractors for Ins Co. that something in the house was making us real sick they finally did an A.Q.T. [Air Quality Test] and found that our home had been invaded by all kinds of toxic molds, and advised us to leave. It has been hell. I only hope insurance co. take this problem more seriously than they do. Peoples lives depend on them. [July 25, 2001]
          A. If you have any problems collecting for mold damage from your insurance company, you need to hire a public insurance adjuster who works solely on your behalf against the insurance company and on a commission basis [you pay only out of money actually collected form the insurance company]. Or, alternatively, hire an attorney who specializes in collecting from insurance companies. Learn about mold lawsuits in the indepth book Mold Legal Guide.

           Q. We purchased home 3/2001 in Peru, Indiana.  Saturday, after being out of town for two days, returned home to find entire basement, eastside ground level 1/2 mile from river, consumed in black mold.  Single, widow with two teenagers, no money and need help.  Have notified real estate agent, previous owners and my insurance to no avail.  No assistance forthcoming in helping me resolve this so I don't lose my home or jeopardize my children's health. Any information so appreciated, particularly about financial assistance and resolution.  [July 25, 2001]
          A. To learn do it yourself mold testing techniques, please visit: Mold Testing. For do it yourself mold removal techniques, please visit: Mold Removal.
 
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