Q. We are in contract with an older 1600 sq. ft., 2 story farmhouse that was renovated 8 months ago...completely gutted. The home was vacant all winter. 2 months after work was done, the upstairs bathroom water line broke and leaked for possibly several weeks (realtor found it). Contractors "tried" to fix the water damage, but had waited 4 months before starting...mold had started to grow on many walls, ceilings, etc. They removed walls, floor, and ceiling in some rooms completely. But like in the living room they just repaired the water damage ceiling and painted over the stains. In the stairwell, the tape was coming off walls, they retaped and painted! They replaced carpet/padding/vinyl in whole house, but they seem to have "cut corners". We are now considering hiring our own remeditator... but we need some estimates...can you give us some advice on this? [June 25, 2005]

       A. Learn the 25 steps for safe and effective mold remediation. In view of the circumstances you describe, it is very likely that there are substantial mold infestations growing INSIDE walls, floors, ceilings, attic, basement, crawl space, and inside the heating/cooling equipment and ducts. In addition, it is very unlikely that there was proper and adequate use of appropriate fungicides and mold cleaners and preventive fungicidal coatings. Expect to spend thousands of dollars just to find all of the hidden mold growth problems, let alone fix them. Even if you can find and fix all mold problems [not likely], you will still own a home with a mold history that you will probably have to disclose to prospective buyers and tenants, making the home very difficult to re-sell or to lease.

        Q.  Our villa in Florida had a leaking pipe for 1 month.  The heat and the moisture created a huge mold problem throughout the 1000 sq ft home.  So far, the carpets have been removed, and the dehumidifiers are running.  The mold is on the walls and ceiling.  The kitchen cabinets, furniture have sat in 1" of water during that time and are totaled. The grout in new ceramic tile has burned black.  The water finally gushed through our kitchen door that leads to the garage and a neighbor noticed water coming out of the garage. We are concerned about the heating & cooling system being affected and also our own health if we return to the villa.  What steps should we take?  Is there a Florida mold inspection after a mess like this.  This was not hurricane related. We live in Michigan and were told not to come to Fla. yet to view the villa. [Oct. 14, 2004]
        A. Go see your Florida home now to make sure the mold remediation work is done effectively and safely.You need to read the 20 steps required for safe, effective mold remediation.  You can use a low-cost Mold Home Remedy Recipe.   In a perfect world [no problem with money], you ought to replace the heating/cooling equipment and ducts after the rest of the home is successfully mold remediated and tests as mold-safe in clearance tests by an independent Certified Mold Inspector, or by yourself using o it yourself mold test kits from a large hardware, home improvement, or safety store to mold test your entire home for mold infestation both before and after mold remediation. Test the air of any attic/basement/crawl space, garage, each room, and the outward air flow from each heating/cooling duct register for the possible presence of elevated levels of airborne mold spores, in comparison to your outdoor mold control test. You should also collect samples of any visible mold for mold lab analysis and mold lab mold species identification by using the Scotch tape lift sampling technique. Collect a different mold sample from each different mold growth location.

          Q. I have a friend who had water damage caused by a slow leak from the water fitting in the shower/bathtub area behind a wall. The leak eventually got so bad that water was standing in the bathroom and joining room - which is the kitchen.  She called her insurance company who dispatched a contractor to stop the leak and clean up the mess.  Mold was identified as present in the walls and the insurance company stated that there was a $10K limit on liability and the estimated cost for repair to eliminate the mold was $16K.  Due to the wall location infected with mold, this will require removing the kitchen wall cabinets (top and bottom) and countertop to replace the wall board and treat the studs.  And, repair will be necessary to remove the mold to be able to get it  'certified' as mold free to ever be able to sell the house.  The insurance company will pay (less deductible) for some of the water damage (floors and carpet), but the mold affected areas and getting the 'mold' free certification is capped at $10K.  My friend lives in California.
[February 5, 2003]
           A. Your friend should be very concerned about making sure that ALL of the home mold has been discovered and that it will be all remediated even though he has to pay a big part of the cost. Most insurance company mold inspection and testing is very inadequate to find the total extent of mold in a home. If there is a serious mold contamination problem in one area of your friend's home, the heating and cooling system is probably itself contaminated with mold spores and perhaps mold growth. The hvac system takes mold spores throughout the home. The entire home needs mold inspection and mold testing by a Certified Mold Inspector.  Your friend is lucky that the insurance company will pay at least $10,000 of the mold remediation cost. Most insurance companies try every legal trick they know to pay absolutely nothing for mold damage inspection, testing, and remediation. Depending on how widespread the mold infestation is, your friend may need to get financial help form the mortgage lender on the property, or get a second mortgage on the property, or get funds in some other way. Persons who don't have insurance coverage can do some or all of the mold repairs by doing it themselves by following the 25 steps for safe and effective mold remediation.

Water Intrusion related topics.