Dealing With Mold
There is a HUD house we are thinking about looking at that says there is mold. We know nothing about how to deal with mold. Just wanted to see what the experience people on this board, who have dealt with mold might have to say.
Most HUD houses say that they have mold. Most houses have mold. I feel that HUD is just covering their hind end. I am sure that they did not have the mold tested as to the type and severity.
Go for yourself and look. Look for discolored baseboards, water, water damage, soft trim, damp walls, leaking plumbing, etc. Mold needs water to grow. So anywhere that there is water leak, you will eventually get mold (in FL).
Brenda
I've heard that there are 527 strains of mold, of which, 500 are non-toxic.
Just my 2 cents.
jdflybuy
Every house I've bought from HUD has had mold. Including the duplex I purchased last Friday. I just deal with it. Clean it up and it's gone. CLOROX does wonders!!!!!!!!!!
Lori
[addsig]
Checked the house out the mold was in the basement and on the sheetrock, will kilz kill the stain. The carpet has been taken out so I wonder if the sump pump was off and the basement flooded. The basement floor has quite a few cracks in it as well as the walls. The floor has cracks that are more than hairline. And the walls have quite a few hairline cracks does I know concrete cracks but to have so many!!!! Just wondered if anyone has any comment???
Hire a good inspector and/or structural engineer. My inspector charges $300 and structural engineer charges $250. Cut a hold in the sheet rock and see what is behind.
For toxic mold kilz will not remediate. You did to spray ... darn what is the name of that white stuff .. you buy it at a janitoriual store.
Anyway, I have a house with mold right now. First step is to stop the water leak. Then you must remove the visible mold. Then you spray with the white stuff. The you put up new drywall. Paint everything. Clean all hard surfaces, remove all poreous surfaces. Take a mold test. When you resell the house you need to say that it had a problem, but you had a test done and it was negative.
Brenda
Yes, HUD is trying to protect themselves when they place the warning on the property. All they have to see is a speck of mold on the tile in the shower and they will report it. I say 99.9% of homes that HUD list with mold problems are easily cured and are safe to live in even before you fix the problem. BTW bgrossnickle all I can say is wow! 300 dollars for an inspection. That maybe reasonable price in Florida but in Texas I have never been charged over 200 and that was a 220k 3000sf home. Just one of many reasons not to live in Florida. :-o [ Edited by senatorcbp2 on Date 05/27/2004 ]
My inspector is a certified mold inspector and a is certified to do wood destroying organism reports. He also carried all the highest inspection certifications from the two or three organization and was president of the FL organization. He is probably more expensive than other (I am sure you can find them cheaper) but I have learned the most about construction, mechanics, land grading, wood rot, etc by following him around during the 2 hour inspection.
He has flat out told me three times not to buy the house. Wish I had used him on my townhouse that has the mold problem from years of my neighbors pipe leaks.
Brenda
Mold in House from: www.ServiceMagic.com
Thursday, May 6, 2004
Q: Could I be smelling toxic black mold in my home?
A: The most infamous toxic mold, stachybotrys atra, is actually quite rare, so it is unlikely that you have it, but there are plenty of other more common molds that can make people ill. And any mold can certainly be fatal to your shoes, clothing, etc!
Molds are always present in our environment, but they can become a problem in any structure if excessive water or moisture problems are not appropriately and quickly addressed. Thus, your first step should be to inform your landlord about this. Left unattended, mold can rot lumber, drywall and other building materials so it behooves a property owner to remedy the situation to avoid increasingly more costly property damage.
Also, if you believe you are experiencing mold-related health problems, you should consult your doctor to rule out other possible causes for your symptoms. If he/she determines that your health problems do stem from mold, a written physician's report may help encourage your landlord to take steps to hire the appropriate professionals to properly rectify the problem.
Molds can grow from moisture trapped inside a structure due to inadequate ventilation (a common occurrence in modern air-tight, energy-conserving construction); from a leak from a broken pipe, roof, window or wall; or water seepage from alongside or under the dwelling, which is a landscaping/drainage problem. Perhaps the original leak was already repaired months ago but undetected water flowed to a sealed cavity in another part of the house and it taken this long to grow in a closed, dark, damp environment.
The public has become increasingly aware of the health risks associated with molds. Certain sensitive people, including the elderly, young children and those with respiratory ailments, often suffer adverse affects from prolonged exposure to or increased levels of molds. Common symptoms include eye, nose and throat irritation, excessive colds, nausea, compromised immune systems and respiratory complications such as lung infections or asthma. However, completely healthy individuals with no history of allergies can also react to amplified levels of molds.
There are so very many types of molds in our environment and they are so small that visual detection may not be possible until damage has progressed to an advanced stage. Thus the first step to remedy a mold problem is to hire a certified Industrial Hygienists (IH) from an environmental testing service to take samples and analyze the results in a lab to identify all the specific molds present.
If testing reveals elevated levels of molds, the IH will write a remediation protocol for restoration contractors to follow. Remediation could be as simple as HEPA vacuuming, washing/cleaning of the area with a biocide or diluted (10%) bleach solution, thorough drying, and encapsulation or painting. More involved remediation can require vacating the premises while the work is performed. In these cases, full containment combined with negative air pressure techniques would be used in conjunction with many other steps.
Finally, the IH will perform clearance testing to ensure that levels of molds inside the structure are lower than those outside. It is important to note that all the remediation work will be for naught if the original source of the water or moisture intrusion is not permanently rectified.
Unfortunately, just testing for molds can cost hundreds of dollars and there are no governmental agencies to oversee or require testing, abatement or remediation of molds in structures. If your landlord will not address the problem, your only recourse may be to move out. For other remedies you might consult your attorney.
If you decide to move out, avoid bringing your problems along through cross contamination. Many molds can lie dormant indefinitely, only to be reactivated by contact with moisture. Often it is not even the mold that causes problems, but rather their spores, which can become air-borne and inhaled, ingested, or transferred to other areas or objects through the heating and air system or improper handling/cleaning. Therefore, be sure to have all your belongings professionally cleaned before using them again or moving them to a new location.
This information is brought to you by ServiceMagic service professional Michael Zboralske of Zebra Cleaning & Restoration Services in Orangevale, CA.
To find a Industrial Hygienist to test for mold, please return to our site at: http://www.servicemagic.com, and submit a service request for "General Toxicity Testing." For a Water Damage Restoration Specialist, submit your request for "Find A Water Removal Service."
Good luck with your dilemma!
Kathy Maynard More Valuable Home Improvement Articles from www.ServiceMagic.com
hi brenda,
Based on your reply
Anyway, I have a house with mold right now. First step is to stop the water leak. Then you must remove the visible mold. Then you spray with the white stuff. The you put up new drywall. Paint everything. Clean all hard surfaces, remove all poreous surfaces. Take a mold test. When you resell the house you need to say that it had a problem, but you had a test done and it was negative.
What does the white stuff do exactly? I want to try to ask for it and describe it so they will know what I am looking for.
Assume that after you get the property sorted the price will take a slight hit or the number of people interested will be reduced by the mold disclosure.
It might be entirely cleaned up but some folks will just not take what they think is a risk.
Hence price this in up front and make the place look really attractive so someone will fall in love with it.
If anything looks half done or not completely sorted they will then start to wonder at how well the mold was addressed. Not fair but how people react.
John
[addsig]
question: what is the name of this "white stuff" that you speak of..?
Quote:
On 2004-06-14 13:11, pushcart wrote:
hi brenda,
Based on your reply
Anyway, I have a house with mold right now. First step is to stop the water leak. Then you must remove the visible mold. Then you spray with the white stuff. The you put up new drywall. Paint everything. Clean all hard surfaces, remove all poreous surfaces. Take a mold test. When you resell the house you need to say that it had a problem, but you had a test done and it was negative.
What does the white stuff do exactly? I want to try to ask for it and describe it so they will know what I am looking for.
Could "that white stuff" be named KILZ ? (A well-known stain and mold blocker)
Cheryl Lopez, Broker