The Flood Co. Blog

Posts Tagged ‘black mold’

I was helping to write an estimate for an unfortunate situation today. Apparently the homeowner hired a contractor to totally demo the interior of a home. As they did they tour out some mold affected materials and exposed some mold affected framing and sheeting. So what does the contractor do? He sends one of his workers to the hardware store to get something to “kill the mold”, and they proceed to spray the inside of the home with the “mold killer”. The product they used was a pesticide that never should have been used in a home, it is for outside use only. A week after their application the home has a strong odor, and burns eyes and respiratory of anyone that enters. An industrial Hygienist is involved to try to figure out if there might be any way to make the home safe again without tearing it down the rest of the way. The estimate I was asked to prepare was to remove and replace all of the siding, sheeting and framing, and everything else that goes along with it. My estimate came to almost $100,000. A mold professional could have properly removed and cleaned up the mold and provided clearance testing for under $6000. So this contractor’s “mold cleanup” actually damaged the property to the tune of about $94,000. There is a correct way to do mold removal and cleanup, and no it does not include bleach. This is just one example of someone doing mold removal and they know nothing about how it should be done.This is an extreme example, but what is common is spreading the contamination and making the situation worse when they don’t know the proper way the cleanup should be done.

We perform a lot of inspections for people who are looking to buy a home. They don’t want to have any surprises. They are trying to investigate and understand all of the problems with a home before they buy it. Knowledge is power. If you know about something you can take appropriate actions. If a home you are considering buying has mold you can can find out what the removal and repairs will cost and adjust your offer to buy the home accordingly. Well this particular experience was a little different.

The prospective buyer who hired us did not want to know about the mold in the home. It was a bank owned home, and he was convinced that he had already negotiated a very good price on the home. In the process of getting a new mortgage on the home, the mortgage company required a home inspection. The home inspector pointed out some possible mold in his report. The mortgage company did not want to make a bad investment, so they required a mold inspection and report from a mold professional. That is the actual reason we were there, is because it was required by the mortgage company for them to grant a loan.

We did find a lot of mold. All of the basement walls were mold affected and about half of the ceiling. The water had come from problems in both of the bathrooms on the main floor above. Both bathrooms needed to be pretty nearly demolished, including a shower. This is alot of mold, a lot of work required and a lot of repairs; at a very considerable cost of course. The total cost of the mold cleanup and repairs was over $45,000. We wrote up a report for this customer and his mortgage company that described the damage and the needed repairs. The logical thing would be to ask the seller to pay for or share in the cost of the needed work. Well this man wanted this house pretty bad and I guess he thought it was worth what he had already negotiated for the home. He did not give our report to the mortgage company, instead he found someone that knew little or nothing about mold to write up a statement that minimized the mold problem. Even though he was not the owner of the home yet, he hid the problem from his mortgage company. He over paid for the house. He obviously did a poor or insufficient mold cleanup and he moved his family into this mold affected home. At times emotions can lead to irrational behavior, including loving a home too much.

The principles of mold removal are not that complex or difficult to understand. Listen, learn and do your own research and follow the principles. The mold removal principles are designed to not only remove the mold, but to also protect the property and its occupants. I recently advised an old friend on what steps would be needed for mold removal in his rental property. I also advised him that he could find someone to do the repairs afterwards at a lower cost than what we could offer. He did take my advice and found a “handyman” that could do the repairs at a lower cost. He also told me that this particular handyman also had a “package deal” for the mold removal and repairs. “He even had the special stuff to spray into the wall.”  Well special stuff to spray into the wall has nothing to do with industry mold removal guidelines, it is purely someones own perscription. The principles that are important are for the engineering controls and the cleaning. These principles are almost totally oblivious to do it yourselfers following their own perscription. If the engineering controls are not used, spores are easily spread through the property, the damage is greater, the cleanup is larger and the cost of the cleanup is greater. So the moral is: be careful who you listen to or believe. If the engineering controls are used the the job is safer, faster, cleaner and cheaper. If the engineering controls are not used the scope of work and the costs are much greater.

Mold inspection is important because it will bring to light some of the hidden issues you may not even be aware of within your home. Mold is a sort of fungus that can become airborne, and settles on wet or damp surfaces both outside and inside of the home. The spores from the fungus inside a home can often cause many health problems, ranging from dermatitis, allergies, headaches, asthma, sinus problems, fatigue, emphysema, eye irritation, dizziness, and confusion. The areas where mold is most prevalent aren’t just in the bathroom, but also the kitchen, attics and basement. Having a mold inspection is important for a home or property owner because older buildings can often have more places for the mold to thrive. Newer homes may also have mold, but it is more likely in the older buildings due to leaks and different areas of dampness.

It may be difficult to really understand that there is some minuscule element that may be making your family ill, but having a mold inspection with a certified mold inspector who knows how to not only detect the presence of the spores, but also on surface areas can help you to figure out a starting place. Finding out what sort of mold is present helps in knowing how to be rid of it. Visual inspections can often show problem areas, but there are hidden issues that only air and surface samples would be able to detect. These spores generally grow in areas that aren’t usually seen by the naked eye – that is, areas where leaks and dampness are high, such as behind walls, leaky roofs and windowsills or under sinks. All of these areas can enable mold to thrive and over time, a serious problem can develop before the home or property owner really has any idea there is an issue.

If the issue that causes dampness remains, even cleaning will not get rid of the mold problem. Leaving the leaks intact simply results in the growth of more mold spores and a toxic mold inspection can help by going through, doing a thorough cleanup, and pointing out what repairs need to be made to prevent regrowth.

Spores that are classified as mold generally become toxic when the growth is out of hand and people exposed to this can suffer from respiratory illnesses. The spores make people very sick, and this really depends on the nature of the spore. Black mold is the usual culprit in making people extremely ill. Inhaling these spores can cause so many breathing problems – from asthma to emphysema. This type of fungus is easily detectable through a professional mold inspection. While there are many different strains, this mold tends to be the most problematic, as exposure to black mold can cause many serious health issues.

Some of the surface areas that mold will attach to and grow are usually wet straw, hay, ceiling tiles, carpet, wallpaper, wood, baseboards, and different types of wall board. Having a mold inspection can show not only where the mold spores are, but also why they are there. The first places usually checked in these inspections are problem areas – places where water leaks are generally found. When a problem area is identified, the mold inspector will then let the individual know that cleaning up mold alone is generally not advised, because they’d have to consider cross contamination, as well as limiting the exposure to the mycotoxin. Another thing that has to go into this is what disinfectant must be used, and what would be safe for those living in the home.

Hiring a competent mold inspector and abatement team is generally critical to not only addressing the issue, but also making sure that the home is free of mold and not ripe for regrowth.

No matter where you find it in your home, mold is a scourge that we all want to eradicate. Black mold in particular has gained national attention in recent months because of the illnesses it has caused. However, with some careful work, such as mold remediation, and some preventive maintenance, mold does not need to be the horrible foe that it is made out to be.

First you should know some facts about mold and where it can be found. Mold will grow on virtually any organic substance and only needs a trace of moisture and some oxygen to get the reproductive process started. Buildings are really airtight these days, and they do not allow for venting, which gives mold a better chance of gaining a stronghold. Vigilance is very important because of this; watch for and eradicate any signs of moisture. Monitor water pipes and replace them if there are any leaks. If you do this you may not need to employ mold remediation.

Keep the humidity levels of your house down to at the very most 60%, but lower would be even better. Make sure that your home is well insulated and allow air to circulate to keep things dried up. Make sure that your appliance drip pans are emptied often. Because your dryer can raise humidity in your home, vent it outside and use an outdoor line as much as possible. If moisture is a huge problem in your area, consider limiting the number of houseplants to a bare minimum and skip the aquarium altogether. If you don’t you might then have to employ mold remediation.

Mold remediation may be an involved and dangerous process, especially for those susceptible to the illnesses that the mold spores can cause. First, you must decide whether or not certain family members will need to be removed from the home during this process. Those that are very old, very young or have weakened or compromised immune systems should probably go stay somewhere else until the mold removal process is completed.

Also be sure to contact a professional mold removal company to do all mold removal projects, as dealing with mold can prove to be quite hazardous. They will help you go through the process of drying the area and then determining the best possible solution to remove the mold, making your home habitable for those family members once again.

Another big reason why you should consult a professional mold removal company is insurance. Dealing with insurance companies, as some of you can attest, can be quite challenging, especially in matters relating to water and mold damage. However, most – if not all – professional mold removal companies handle the process of dealing with insurance agents for you, so all you have to worry about is staying safe and keeping those you love safe as well.