Read detailed answers to
mold victims' questions about Mold Problems
in the Home,
Condominium,
Co-op Apartment, Rental Apartment,
Office,
and Workplace
"The way to
control indoor
mold growth
is to control moisture.”---
The
U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency
[EPA]
Mold
Answers from Mold Expert Phillip Fry---
Q. On July 1st of 2004 my husband and I closed the loan on our new home. The home was built in 1982 and appeared to be in excellent
condition. We had the customary inspections done and felt we had made a good purchase. About a month ago, I noticed mold on the garage
doors. I did not think too much about it because it was the wet winter time. My husband and I come and go to work in the dark so we did not
notice what was happening to our home. We now have a very large mold problem on the outside of our home. Our siding is wood and apparently
was painted 3 months before we purchased it. What can we do? It is quite frightening to see this happening to our beautiful home. [Feb. 14, 2005]
A. You need to use a power planer, grinder with wire brush attachment, and sander to remove all of the surface mold growth, all paint, and
any underlying mold growth [very likely to exist]. Then, spray with a Mold Home Remedy Recipe. Then, paint with at least two good coverage's
of a top-quality, oil-based, semi-gloss exterior paint. Learn the twenty-five steps for safe and effective mold remediation. Every few months use
high pressure sprayer to wash off any accumulated organic dirt and mold spores which have landed on the surface of your siding. As a precaution,
mold test all-around the interior of your home, including its heating and cooling system.
Dampness Problem in the Basement and the Possible Mold Growth
Q.
Having new home built and are scheduled to close July 25th.
We have noticed in the basement along one
long interior wall is concrete
but I refer to it as interior as it is not the true outside concrete wall.
It is the basement
concrete wall along the
inside back of garage.) Since
the found-
ation was poured in January, it remains damp half
way up the
wall. It is now July. We
live in Pennsylvania.
We have had a lot of
rain and noticed a couple of days ago that the dampness in this area is
even darker. We spoke with the project manager this morning who indicated
this condition has been noted and they believe that since they have not
graded a final time yet that water is getting down into this area and
causing the dampness on the wall. Their remedy first is to power wash the
basement floor and then put fans in the basement to dry everything out and
to grade the dirt. When we spoke with him on the phone this seemed
reasonable however when we looked back at the house plan this is not an
exterior concrete wall. Our thought is why would the dampness be on the
interior wall. Grading will take place outside the exterior wall. Should
we be concerned? Could fixing the problem as he has stated be sufficient,
do we need to have the house tested for mold [growth], or should we get
some type of document from the builder that says if the problem does not
clear up they will be responsible? [July 11, 2003]
A.
You must get this water problem fixed to your satisfaction
before buying the home or you are going to have sufficient water intrusion
to enable big-time mold growth in your new home. The wet wall will drive
up indoor humidity levels, thus making mold be
able to grow through out your home,
especially after continually recirculation airborne mold spores through
your heating or cooling equipment and ducts. The wet wall can
also ultimately have mold growing on it as organic dust and dirt lands on
the wet wall, providing food for airborne mold spores to grow after
landing on the wet wall. You need to have the wall and water probleminspected
by a qualified professional such as a licensed physical engineer, basement foundation
contractor, and/or home inspector. You must discover for sure what is
the cause of the water problem and what is the solution that will work. If
the problem is simply the grade that the home builder says will take care
of the problem, delay the closing until a few weeks after the grading is
done. Better yet, ask your attorney to negotiate a holding of some of the
purchase funds of the house into an escrow account to cover future water
problems. Keeping water and high humidity [exceeding 50 to 60%
indoors some or regularly] out of your home is of the utmost importance to your
family's health and financial well-being.
Q.
I own an older home that "had" a moisture problem in the crawl space that
has been rectified and now has a fulltime
dehumidification system. I have
plans to improve drainage around the perimeter as well as repair leaking
flashing around a chimney. The house will also have all of the carpet
removed and get a thorough cleaning/painting /rehab. I'm just looking to
make sure these mold levels are not dangerous, nor extreme...that this can
be overcome with cleaning/drying ...normal mold remediation measures.The
mold lab analysis of the two do it yourself mold test kits I used show the
following molds: (1) Penicillium: 125 mold spores in the indoor test, and
14 outdoors; (2) Chaetomium: 3 mold spores indoors, and 0 outdoors; and
(3) Cladosporium: 11 spores indoors, and 3 outdoors.[Dec. 8, 2004]
A.
When indoor mold counts are much higher indoors than the outdoor control
test, you know you have a serious indoor mold infestation problem. Your
test results show a big indoor problem with
Penicillium, the third
most dangerous indoor mold. You alsohave a indoor mold contamination
threat from both dangerous
Chaetomium and
Cladosporium. Crawl space mold can easily grow
into the insides of the
walls and floors above. You need to have a
Certified Mold Inspector use fiber optics inspection to visually
inspect inside floors and walls for hidden mold growth. Airborne mold
spores from the crawl space mold can travel in air currents
to mold cross
contaminate your entire house and its heating/cooling system. Use the Mold
Inspector or do it yourself
mold tests kits [like you have used so far] to
mold test the air of each room, crawl space, basement, attic, garage, and
the outward air flow form each heating/cooling duct register for the
possible presence of elevated levels of
airborne mold spores, in
comparison to an outdoor mold control test. Mold test kits are available
at a large hardware, home improvement, or safety store. You very much need to use
thoroughly the 25 steps recommended for safe and
effective
mold remediation
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