Mansion mold problem severe

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http://www.thestate.com/mld/thestate/9071606.htm

Posted on Sat, Jul. 03, 2004

Mansion mold problem severe

Sanford family must stay away till fall

By AARON GOULD SHEININ

Staff Writer

The mold problem at the Governor's Mansion is worse than previously

thought and will keep the first family away at least until September.

The consultant hired by the state to fix the problem said Friday that

mold also has been found at the Lace and Caldwell-Boylston houses in

the mansion complex.

Consultant Rick said it will be another eight weeks before

Gov. Mark Sanford's family can move back into their official

residence in Columbia.

It will take a total of 12 weeks to complete the entire project, he

said.

's firm, Risk Tech of ton, has been hired to fix the

problem. said he did not yet know how much the work would

cost. The money will come from the state's building maintenance fund.

Risk Tech's inspection discovered a " significant fungal reservoir " in

the mansion itself, as well as mold in the Lace and Caldwell-Boylston

houses in the mansion complex, said.

The mansion underwent a $5.6 million, taxpayer-financed renovation in

2000-01. The Lace House had $195,000 in privately funded improvements

this year.

The mold in the Lace House is visible on many surfaces, said,

while the mold in the mansion is mostly limited to the air-

conditioning system. The mold in the Boylston house is minor.

Employees in the Lace and Boylston houses will not have to be moved,

said. Work can be done around them.

Sanford's family had hoped to return to Columbia in two weeks but now

will be out until September, state government spokesman

Sponhour said.

The family — including first lady Sanford and the four Sanford

sons — has been living at the family's oceanfront home on Sullivan's

Island since the mansion was closed June 21.

If the family cannot move back into the Governor's Mansion by the

time the children return to school at Columbia's Heathwood Hall

Episcopal School, the family will find temporary quarters at

taxpayers' expense in Columbia, Sanford spokesman Drummond said.

The governor has been staying with the family at Sullivan's Island

but will find a place to stay in Columbia.

Sanford got a lot of attention for his frugality while in Congress

for sleeping on a futon in his office, instead of spending tax

dollars on a residence. That same futon is now in the Governor's

Mansion and would have to be cleaned before it can be used, Drummond

said.

The one piece of good news to come from Friday's revelation was that

the mold is not as dangerous as previously thought.

Initial reports said stachybotrys, a toxic mold that can cause

serious allergic reactions, permeated the mansion. But 's more

in-depth study found small amounts of stachybotrys. Instead, three

other more common molds were found.

Aspergillus and penicillium were found in the air throughout the

mansion, and cladosporium was found in the ventilation ducts.

Minor amounts of stachybotrys were found, " but it's very limited, "

said.

Aspergillus and penicillium are both " type 1 " allergens that can

cause health problems, especially for younger and older people.

Some people are allergic to certain molds, and some are not. Those

who are allergic typically experience symptoms similar to colds or

sinus infections.

said the mold in the mansion was caused by two things: a

problem with the air-conditioning system and the renovation work.

The air system is too big for the house, said. That creates

too much humidity in the house. Humidity causes moisture to collect

in the system ductwork.

During the $5.6 million renovation of the mansion, dust and debris

got into the air-conditioning system. Risk Tech interviewed state

employees who worked on the renovations who said they did not turn on

the filtration system for fear it would get clogged by the dust and

debris.

The ventilation system was not cleaned when the work was finished, so

the dust and debris remained and came into contact with the water

caused by the high humidity.

That's a perfect environment for mold, said.

The air-conditioning system was built by Swygert-Crowder Consulting

Engineers of Columbia, Sponhour said. Efforts to contact company

officials were unsuccessful Friday.

Drummond, the governor's communications director, said the Sanford

family was frustrated with the situation. Sanford first brought

the problem to the State Budget and Control Board, which oversees

state property, last summer. That agency inspected the mansion in

August and adjusted the humidity levels.

But in March, Sanford asked a family friend who is an engineer

to inspect it again. Lenny Greene of Orbital Engineering and

Consulting in ton found problems with the air-conditioning

system and presented a report to the Budget and Control Board in

March, Drummond said.

" They didn't take any action, " said Drummond, who added that Greene

donated his services.

Sponhour said the board received Greene's report in April. It sent a

copy to the chief architect of the mansion renovation, and

Schmidt Architects of ton. The architects asked Swygert-

Crowder — the firm that designed the air-conditioning system — about

the report, Sponhour said.

Swygert-Crowder agreed with some of Orbital's findings, Sponhour said.

said there is a problem with the air-conditioning system. He

does not yet know if the problem is in the design of the system, its

installation or the maintenance of the system.

It could be all three, he said.

The state's warranty on the system has expired, Sponhour said. It is

too early to talk about who is responsible for the situation, he

said, but the state will " keep our options open. "

Reach Gould Sheinin at (803) 771-8658 or asheinin@...