Q. I recently purchased a town house in Florida and the building inspector never mentioned mold in his report or verbally.  I found black mold (large amounts) in three places (washer/dryer area), closet, and the bathroom.  I did contact him and his reply was the previous owner had stuff that he did not move to check.  I purchased the place in December and still haven't moved in.  I never could figure out what was making me sick until I read up about mold.  What should I do? [April 14, 2003]

          A. Your first step is to collect samples of the visible mold in each location using the Scotch lift tape sampling technique, and then send the samples to a mold laboratory for expert mold lab analysis and mold identification. using do it yourself mold test kits available from a large hardware, home improvement, or safety store to test the various rooms of the house for elevated levels of unhealthy mold spores. You should also test for the same problem inside your hvac ducts, attic, and crawl space, or basement.  Hire a professional, experienced Certified Mold Inspector. After you study the mold test results from your selected mold analysis lab, you should then get competitive mold remediation bids from at least 3 reliable mold contractors.  In any future home or real estate purchases, hire a Certified Mold Inspector for a thorough mold inspection and testing IN ADDITION to hiring a traditional home inspector [who usually lacks the special training, expertise, and equipment required for effective mold inspections and testing]. If you believe the real estate seller intentionally failed to disclose mold contamination to you, you should find a mold lawyer.