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Read
Mold Legal Guide as an
in depth introduction to both sides
of the key mold legal issues and of the
essential claims and defenses
in mold lawsuits.
To find a
Certified Mold Inspector
in your area, please visit:
Mold
Inspector.
To find a
Certified Mold Remediator
or
Certified Mold Contractor
in your area, please visit:
Mold
Remediator.
For information on being trained and certified as a mold professional, please
visit: Mold
School.
More Real Person Mold Questions &
Answers
Q.
We live in military housing which was constructed approximately 40 years ago. Our home
smelt moldy the paint was bubbling, we were told to put clear tape over the it until
environmental health could come out, when they came and pulled the tape up the molded dry
wall came out too, I have a son who has sever allergy problems since we moved into that
home, I took the molded drywall to my son's doctor, he wrote a letter to housing
recommending that we be moved, we were told if they tried to fix the wall with our
belongings in the home mold spurs would imbedded in our belongings when the wall was tore
out.
In this new home our son's allergies
only worsened, he now has cysts and polyps in his sinus cavities and may require surgery,
now the housing office want us to move into lodging for 3days- 4weeks so they can fix it.
The roof has leaked and went through double insulation and the dry wall, I had mold growing
in the bathroom ceiling and molded to the towels in the bathroom closed, this closet has
been boarded up. Water has leaked from the roof as I said into the drywall, our light
fixture has water stains in it and we have had a problem with bulbs blowing in that fixture,
we no longer use it in fear our home will catch a fire.
We were told (at the first home) the
mold spurs would go airborne once the started ripping out the drywall and get into our
belongings so we had to move, now the same problem exists and housing wants us out so they
can fix it. We have questions &
are concerned the mold spurs we were before warned about are now being ignored. We
have 4 children living in the home ages 16,15,11&2 the 11 yr old has the sever allergies.
If we let them do this with our
belongings in the home, will the mild go airborne and get into our belongings? The attic has
nearly double the insulation which I believe was put up there to catch the water so the roof
did not have to be repaired, the water had made it's way into the home from the roof,
through all the extra insulation into the dry wall causing mold, cracks and stains.
What do you think? We can no longer trust Army to do what is best for our families
health. [Oct. 14, 2001]
A. You
must not permit the mold removal to happen while your personal property is inside the work
area. Mold removal temporarily puts even more dangerous mold spores into your indoor air.
Your personal property needs to be removed, moved to a mold-free clean area where it needs
to be disinfected using the specific advice contained in my book
Do It
Best Yourself Mold Prevention,
Inspection, Remediation, Prevention, & Testing Guide, available
at Mold Mart. Only
after the personal property has been disinfected and tested clean of
mold, could you then move the items into a mold-free housing unit.
Cross-contamination between real estate and personal property and one
property to another is a big, big problem that must be effectively
handled by families suffering from mold contamination. It is a true
dishonor and affront to our armed forces that they and their families
have to sometimes live in substandard, unhealthy housing units. I would
suggest you bring this extremely important health problem to the
attention of your base commander. If he or she doesn't solve the
problem, bring the problem simultaneously to the attention of your local
U.S. Congress and one of your U.S. Senators by mailing them a very
detailed account of your mold contamination problem. You can also bring
the problem to the attention of local news media.
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.
WE AND SEVERAL OTHER OWNERS HAVE BOUGHT NEW TOWNHOUSE A COUPLE MONTHS AGO. SINCE THIS TIME
WE HAVE HAD STANDING WATER FROM MARCH TILL MAY, WE TRIED TO GET THE BUILDER TO RESPOND. I
DID RESPOND TO ONE OWNER BECAUSE THERE SON HAD ASTHMA. SO IN RETURN HE DID PUT A SUMP PUMP
IN ALL UNITS. SOME OF THE WORK WAS NOT CORRECTLY DONE AND STILL LEFT STANDING WATER.
SPRAYED CHLORINE TO SAVE COST. SINCE AFTER SPRAYING THE CHLORINE THE MOLD HAS COME BACK.
THE BUILDER DID GET AN OPINION AND HAVEN'T NOTIFIED THE OWNERS ON THE LEVELS OF MOLD. BUT
ONE OF THE OWNERS DID GET SOME INFO MOST UNITS HAD PENICILLIUM BUT OF LEVELS 0F 3,000 CFU
(COLONY FORMING UNITS) TO 300,000.
OUR UNIT HAS THE HIGHEST. WE
PRESSURED THE BUILDER AND AT TIME HE MADE THREATS .IN THE PAST WEEK AFTER THE NEWS EXPOSER
HE HAS BEEN VERY COOPERATIVE. HE IS NOT FIXING THE PROBLEM BUT PUTTING A BAND AID ON
EVERYTHING. HE IS IN THE PROGRESS OF FIXING BUT HASN'T GOTTEN RID OF THE MOISTURE FIRST.
SO THIS WILL BE A PROBLEM IN THE FUTURE.
WERE HOPING HE WILL BUY OUR PLACE
BACK. [Aug. 15, 2001]
A.
You need to hire an attorney [on a contingency basis in which the attorney gets paid by a
percentage of what he or she is able to collect on your behalf from the landlord] to
pursue your legal rights against this bad landlord. Learn all
about mold lawsuits in the indepth book
Mold Legal Guide.
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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