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.
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