Everyday events in the home can cause unhealthy mold to take hold

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Everyday events in the home can cause unhealthy mold to take hold

By KATHY VAN MULLEKOM

Daily Press (Newport News, Va.)

Monterey County Herald - Monterey,CA

http://www.montereyherald.com/mld/montereyherald/living/16825949.htm

It only takes a leaky icemaker or a malfunctioning washing machine

to cause water-damage problems in a home

Storm flooding is a nightmare that haunts coastal residents. There's

the damage, the cleanup and the threat of unhealthy mold growing --

everywhere.

Yet, everyday events in a kitchen or laundry room can cause mold to

develop with or without you realizing it.

Two couples discovered that recently -- one after buying a home, one

after heading off to work. They share their stories, warning you to

read the fine print in legal documents when you buy a home and to

pay closer attention to how the icemaker and washing machine perform.

What does " newly remodeled " really mean?

After and Lee Anne Tragle moved to Yorktown, Va., from Atlanta

last November, they wrote a contract to purchase a house. Built in

the late 1980s, the residence featured a " newly remodeled kitchen, "

complete with Corian counters and a new tile floor, according to the

couple.

When Jamison Brown of AmeriSpec Home Inspection Services of

Poquoson, Va., looked at the house, he found evidence of

Stachybotrys, a black mold that plagues houses, he says. He gave the

Tragles a 12-page report on the structure.

The homeowner hired another mold specialist to inspect the home, and

a second inspection was done two weeks prior to closing, according

to the Tragles. The couple say they received no written reports from

those last inspections. Instead, says he was told no active

mold infestation was found and that a preventative fungicide had

been sprayed in the crawlspace.

" I thought that was it, so I never gave it another thought, " says

.

At closing in the attorney's office, the Tragles signed all the

closing documents. They didn't read each paragraph on every page,

assuming it was all standard language. Now, they wish they had seen

the one paragraph warning that the house had a serious mold

condition.

" Our closing attorney never informed us of the letter that was sent

to his office from the office of the mold inspection company, " says

. " By acknowledging that paragraph with our signatures, we made

our legal battle that much harder. "

While preparing the house for painting, the Tragles developed

persistent dry coughs and occasional stomach cramping. Their

daughter, Lexie, 2 at the time, had nosebleeds; son Tommy, 4,

coughed too much.

" At that point, we thought we'd caught something, " says Lee Anne.

While they worked, they pulled out the stove in the kitchen and were

alarmed when they saw the back was all black with mold.

" Right then and there I know this is not good, " says . " The

whole house is done in wallpaper, and the paste is a food source for

mold. "

Wallpaper professionals finished stripping the walls and found a

moldy area behind the refrigerator. They recommended the Tragles get

the house tested for mold. McKee Environmental Inc. of Virginia

Beach, Va., assessed the house, finding toxic mold in the walls,

ducts and subflooring of the kitchen. Moisture damage extended

beyond that area. No water leaks were found, but McKee believes the

water supply line to the icemaker was the culprit because a line had

been replaced. Under the house, insulation in that area was also new.

The Tragles soon discovered the new kitchen floor tile actually

covered up major damage underneath.

" The most common cause of mold in homes is uncontrolled moisture, "

says McKee, a mechanical engineer with numerous certifications

and professional memberships associated with air quality. " Keeping

homes painted, caulked and roofs in good condition go a long way to

preventing homes from moisture damage. "

McKee's 16-page report on the house recommended stripping the

kitchen down to the wall studs and floor joists, then having a mold

remediation company remove the contamination according to

Environmental Protection Agency standards. The Tragles employed

Peerless Carpet Care and Restoration Services, also in Yorktown, to

do the work, which included using dry ice to blast off the first

layer of wood, then two applications of an anti-microbial paint. The

dry ice is faster and safer than using a sander or wire brush to

prep the wood, says Dwayne Ward, a supervisor with Peerless. Special

vacuums removed all dust particles, and an independent

environmentalist tested to make sure all is well.

The Tragles consulted with a lawyer, hoping to convince the seller

to cover some of the $40,000 it is costing them to put the house

back together. After spending $3,000 with a lawyer, the Tragles

realized they are on their own. " In Virginia, buyer beware, " says

.

During all this, they rented a home, stored furniture that wouldn't

fit in their smaller quarters and wished things had gone

differently. The Tragles hope to move into their home in early fall.

" If I had gotten that mold document in the beginning, the contract

to buy the house would have been over and done with, " says ,

shaking his head.

" The inspectors did their job. We've owned houses and know what

we're doing. We want people to know what happened to us so,

hopefully, others can avoid the same mistake. "

Should you leave the washer running while you're gone?

In Hampton, Va., the water problem at the home of Gene and Tish

Llaneza was serious, but quicker to fix and deal with in the short

term.

Gene loaded the clothes washer at 7 a.m. one morning, then left for

work with the machine still running. The overflow valve

malfunctioned, allowing the washer to flow until his mother arrived

at 2 p.m. to let the dog out. She saw water running out of the

garage and down the sidewalk. A neighbor cut the water off, but not

before it had flooded the entire first floor with 2 inches of water.

Carpets, recently installed hardwood and vinyl flooring have been

removed. Parts of walls have been replaced and new cabinets are

going in.

They, too, hired Peerless Restoration, which used three

dehumidifiers and five fans to help dry out the house. Fortunately

for the Llanezas, homeowners' insurance covers the $8,000 in damages

because it was an unforeseen accident; they are upgrading some

items, personally paying about $6,000 for those improvements.

Then, there was another water incident. A few days after the washer

did its thing, the air-conditioner coils in the attic clogged,

causing the overflow pan to drip through the ceiling.

" Thank goodness for the Lazy-Boy chair being under the ceiling, "

says an exasperated Tish. " It was piled with pillows that did a

great job of absorbing the water. "

What advice do the Llanezas have for busy households? Don't run

appliances when you're not at home -- and check drain systems for AC

units.

" At least the washer wasn't on the second floor or the damage could

have been a lot worse, " says Tish.

Moisture and mold|

What does mold need? Jamison Brown of AmeriSpec Home Inspection

Services in Poquoson, Va., says musty odors indicate conditions ripe

for mold or mildew, but are often overlooked for many reasons. Mold

is common in our environment and doesn't become a problem until a

water source is provided, allowing mold to flourish. Water and

cellulose-based materials, such as sheet rock, wood, cardboard,

paper or jute-backed carpeting, are the perfect environments for

mold to grow, he says. Given the right conditions, mold grows within

24 hours.

What does an inspector look for? An inspector starts with a home's

exterior, looking for poor water control and ways water can get into

the building, says Jamison. In addition, poor ventilation, improper

vapor barriers and leaking faucets and/or drain pipes help mold

grow. Other indicators of moisture problems are ceiling, attic and

roof sheathing stains, as well as water condensation on the interior

panes of windows.

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Mold prevention tips Here are some mold-prevention tips featured

in " The Homeowner's Guide to Mold " and from the " Brief Guide to

Mold, Moisture and Your Home " by the Environmental Protection

Agency: • For flooring. Hardwood, linoleum, vinyl, tile or stone are

good choices. • For walls. Instead of wallpapering entire walls,

consider papered borders or stenciling as decorative touches. Mold

can thrive in wallpaper adhesives. • For closets and storage areas.

Minimize clutter to decrease dust, a food source for mold and

mites. • For bathrooms. Run the fan or open a window when showering,

and let the bathroom ventilate for about an hour afterward. • For

roofs and siding. Check regularly for leaks and fix them

immediately. Avoid letting sprinklers spray the sides of your house.

Keep your siding clean, removing mold and mildew; remove overhanging

tree limbs so sunlight can help keep your home dry. • Keep gutters

clean; if you don't have gutters, add them. • For crawl spaces.

Insulate pipes and ductwork. After fixing any air and water leaks,

ventilate the space; replace the crawl space door with a screen

during spring and summer. • For outdoors. Make sure the ground

slopes away from your house so water flows away and not under your

structure. • For overall. Use your air conditioner and replace

filters regularly. Also, make sure drainage pipes on your units are

clean so they drain properly; extend condensation drains at least 3

feet past the foundation wall. • Learn more. Read the EPA's " Brief

Guide to Mold, Moisture and Your Home " online at

www.epa.gov/iaq/molds/ moldguide.html. Another good resource is the

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention site at www.cdc.gov/mold/

dampness--facts.htm.