Re: Building mold-safe home isn't common, but is possible

[Guest guest]

KC, do you or anyone know if there is a statute of limitations on

sueing a seller for hidden mold and leaks?

Also, so much wood used for studs in home building has mold already on

it from improper storage. I'd be a little bit afraid of all of these

new coatings. What are they made from?

Barth

---

t> Building mold-safe home isn't common, but is possible

t> By Alan J. Heavens

t> Seattle Times*

t> The Philadelphia Inquirer

t> http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/realestate/2004097131_mold30.ht

t> ml?syndication=rss

t> PHILADELPHIA — There are better ways to build a house, especially if

t> you want to keep mold under control, believes.

t> " Mold is a huge issue for my clients, especially lenders, since they

t> have 80 percent exposure to the problem through [the] mortgage,

t> compared with the homeowner's 20 percent equity, " said ,

t> principal of Environmental Assurance Group, a lending and real-

t> estate consulting firm, in West Hartford, Conn.

t> So he agreed when clients suggested he make the year-round house he

t> planned to build on the site of a lakeside summer cottage in

t> Chesterfield, N.H., a showcase for mold-resistant construction

t> techniques and products.

t> " I said I'd be happy to do it, but that because this was my house,

t> I'd establish the ground rules, " said.

t> The result is a " mold-safe model home. " Completed in September, it

t> was built in conjunction with the Partnership for Advancing

t> Technology in Housing (PATH), which will monitor how the house

t> performs over time.

t> Products and techniques used were chosen based on 's research

t> and PATH's input. With his approval, PATH brought some manufacturers

t> into the project.

t> A lot of builders consider mold-prevention strategies too expensive.

t> disagrees, though he declined to put a price tag on the 3,000-

t> square-foot, two-story structure.

t> " In a house costing a quarter of a million dollars, paperless

t> drywall represents one-half of 1 percent, or $1,250, " he said.

t> " I spent $2,500 on a commode and two light fixtures for one of the

t> bathrooms. Is $1,250 too much to invest in an effort to get mold

t> coverage put back into homeowners' insurance policies? "

t> Mold thrives most often in moist conditions, which — combined with a

t> nutrient source such as soil, dust and products that, like

t> conventional drywall, contain cellulose or other dead organic

t> matter — provide the ideal environment.

t> Indoor-mold problems were aggravated by changes in home construction

t> wrought by the energy crisis of the 1970s.

t> Creation of energy-efficient houses in which the air inside is not

t> regularly exchanged has been linked by the American Lung Association

t> to a dramatic increase in asthma.

t> Correcting moisture problems is often the best way to stop mold

t> growth. Depending on the extent of damage, though, cleanup can run

t> into tens of thousands of dollars.

t> After several high-profile lawsuits involving homeowners and

t> insurance companies, many insurers dropped mold coverage from

t> standard policies or began requiring special and expensive riders

t> with higher deductibles.

t> Building products have been developed that resist mold or create

t> barriers to the moisture it needs to thrive. Many of them were used

t> in 's mold-safe house:

t> Georgia-Pacific's DensArmor Plus paperless wallboard, listed for

t> microbial resistance by the Greenguard Environmental Institute, was

t> installed with inorganic glues and tapes (information at www.gp.com).

t> The wallboard and all the wood in the house were coated with an

t> antimicrobial spray developed by American Mold Guard

t> (www.americanmoldguard.com).

t> The house and roof were wrapped in DuPont's Fiberweb Typar

t> (www.typar.com), which acts as an air and moisture barrier while

t> allowing moisture vapor to escape.

t> It was installed before the exterior siding, which was natural cedar

t> in keeping with the rural, lakefront view.

t> The Western red cedar siding was sprayed with a specialized coating

t> made by Cabot (www.cabotstain.com).

t> The Typar housewrap was covered with Home Slicker, a ventilating,

t> self-draining rain screen made by Obdyke Inc.

t> Home Slicker drains moisture from behind the siding and down the

t> house, reducing the chances of premature peeling or blistering of

t> finishes. It allows about three-eighths inch for airflow

t> (www.benjaminobdyke.com).

t> CertainTeed provided its Optima insulation for the walls and its

t> DryRight insulation for the ceiling cavities, both of which are

t> designed to deny mold a food source. The insulation is covered with

t> CertainTeed's Membrane, a permeable vapor barrier

t> (www.certainteed.com).

t> Builders haven't capitalized on the products, said, " since

t> [they] are afraid of being first and don't want to be known as

t> higher-cost producers. "

t> " They are not going there, they don't want to be cutting-edge, they

t> want to do it the way they have always done it because that's the

t> way they always have done it. "

t> Taking the opposite view is Schaal, director of sales and

t> marketing for Paparone Homes of New Jersey.

t> " Builders are concerned about health and litigation issues, so the

t> construction techniques and materials we use are designed to deter

t> mold growth, " Schaal said.

t> " Some builders put dehumidifiers in houses if they know the buyers

t> will be finishing the basement at some point, " he said. " They coat

t> the exterior basement walls with waterproofing systems such as

t> Tuff 'n' Dri, and, in most cases, the residential industry has

t> shifted from porous concrete block to less porous poured concrete,

t> to prevent moisture intrusion. "

t> In townhouse construction, Schaal said, " if the builder uses

t> Sheetrock between the units instead of block walls, the procedure is

t> to spray the sheets with a bleach product to kill anything that

t> could have grown if they were exposed to moisture. "

t> In existing homes, said Jim Mellon, president of Mellon Certified

t> Restorations in Yeadon, Pa., " the sources of the mold have to be

t> located, the areas have to be contained, material removed under

t> controlled circumstances, then vacuumed, washed and vacuumed again. "

t> Drywall is porous, and if there's mold it will spread, Mellon said.

t> Residential mold doesn't get quite the same attention it got a few

t> years ago, but that doesn't mean the issue has gone away, and

t> others said.

t> " If the house smells, it is a problem that must be dealt with, " said

t> McCann, an associate broker at Prudential Fox & Roach's

t> Center City Philadelphia office.

t> " Even if testing doesn't find mold, sellers have to disclose any and

t> all moisture problems, because if they don't disclose, there's

t> always the chance of a lawsuit by the buyers, " he said.

t> Still, McCann said, buyers haven't requested mold testing in any of

t> the houses he's sold in the last six months to a year.

t> " If there is no odor involved, but the home inspector notices it,

t> he'll tell the buyer to have someone check it out. "

[Guest guest]

,

I really can't answer either question. I posted the article because

I found it interesting that other organizations, builders, IAQ

people etc., are working toward building safer environments (as far

as moisture/mold go), but we still fighting the medical field.

As far as the statute of limitations goes, each state is different

and the best people to answer would be attys.

KC

--- In , Patilla DaHun <glypella@...>

wrote:

>

> KC, do you or anyone know if there is a statute of limitations on

> sueing a seller for hidden mold and leaks?

>

> Also, so much wood used for studs in home building has mold

already on

> it from improper storage. I'd be a little bit afraid of all of

these

> new coatings. What are they made from?

>

> Barth

>

>

>

> ---

>

> t> Building mold-safe home isn't common, but is possible

> t> By Alan J. Heavens

> t> Seattle Times*

> t> The Philadelphia Inquirer

>

> t>

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/realestate/2004097131_mold30.ht

> t> ml?syndication=rss

>

> t> PHILADELPHIA — There are better ways to build a house,

especially if

> t> you want to keep mold under control, believes.

>

> t> " Mold is a huge issue for my clients, especially lenders, since

they

> t> have 80 percent exposure to the problem through [the] mortgage,

> t> compared with the homeowner's 20 percent equity, " said ,

> t> principal of Environmental Assurance Group, a lending and real-

> t> estate consulting firm, in West Hartford, Conn.

>

> t> So he agreed when clients suggested he make the year-round

house he

> t> planned to build on the site of a lakeside summer cottage in

> t> Chesterfield, N.H., a showcase for mold-resistant construction

> t> techniques and products.

>

> t> " I said I'd be happy to do it, but that because this was my

house,

> t> I'd establish the ground rules, " said.

>

> t> The result is a " mold-safe model home. " Completed in September,

it

> t> was built in conjunction with the Partnership for Advancing

> t> Technology in Housing (PATH), which will monitor how the house

> t> performs over time.

>

> t> Products and techniques used were chosen based on 's

research

> t> and PATH's input. With his approval, PATH brought some

manufacturers

> t> into the project.

>

> t> A lot of builders consider mold-prevention strategies too

expensive.

>

> t> disagrees, though he declined to put a price tag on the

3,000-

> t> square-foot, two-story structure.

>

> t> " In a house costing a quarter of a million dollars, paperless

> t> drywall represents one-half of 1 percent, or $1,250, " he said.

>

> t> " I spent $2,500 on a commode and two light fixtures for one of

the

> t> bathrooms. Is $1,250 too much to invest in an effort to get

mold

> t> coverage put back into homeowners' insurance policies? "

>

> t> Mold thrives most often in moist conditions, which — combined

with a

> t> nutrient source such as soil, dust and products that, like

> t> conventional drywall, contain cellulose or other dead organic

> t> matter — provide the ideal environment.

>

> t> Indoor-mold problems were aggravated by changes in home

construction

> t> wrought by the energy crisis of the 1970s.

>

>

>

> t> Creation of energy-efficient houses in which the air inside is

not

> t> regularly exchanged has been linked by the American Lung

Association

> t> to a dramatic increase in asthma.

>

> t> Correcting moisture problems is often the best way to stop mold

> t> growth. Depending on the extent of damage, though, cleanup can

run

> t> into tens of thousands of dollars.

>

> t> After several high-profile lawsuits involving homeowners and

> t> insurance companies, many insurers dropped mold coverage from

> t> standard policies or began requiring special and expensive

riders

> t> with higher deductibles.

>

> t> Building products have been developed that resist mold or

create

> t> barriers to the moisture it needs to thrive. Many of them were

used

> t> in 's mold-safe house:

>

> t> Georgia-Pacific's DensArmor Plus paperless wallboard, listed

for

> t> microbial resistance by the Greenguard Environmental Institute,

was

> t> installed with inorganic glues and tapes (information at

www.gp.com).

>

> t> The wallboard and all the wood in the house were coated with an

> t> antimicrobial spray developed by American Mold Guard

> t> (www.americanmoldguard.com).

>

> t> The house and roof were wrapped in DuPont's Fiberweb Typar

> t> (www.typar.com), which acts as an air and moisture barrier

while

> t> allowing moisture vapor to escape.

>

> t> It was installed before the exterior siding, which was natural

cedar

> t> in keeping with the rural, lakefront view.

>

> t> The Western red cedar siding was sprayed with a specialized

coating

> t> made by Cabot (www.cabotstain.com).

>

> t> The Typar housewrap was covered with Home Slicker, a

ventilating,

> t> self-draining rain screen made by Obdyke Inc.

>

> t> Home Slicker drains moisture from behind the siding and down

the

> t> house, reducing the chances of premature peeling or blistering

of

> t> finishes. It allows about three-eighths inch for airflow

> t> (www.benjaminobdyke.com).

>

> t> CertainTeed provided its Optima insulation for the walls and

its

> t> DryRight insulation for the ceiling cavities, both of which are

> t> designed to deny mold a food source. The insulation is covered

with

> t> CertainTeed's Membrane, a permeable vapor barrier

> t> (www.certainteed.com).

>

> t> Builders haven't capitalized on the products,

said, " since

> t> [they] are afraid of being first and don't want to be known as

> t> higher-cost producers. "

>

> t> " They are not going there, they don't want to be cutting-edge,

they

> t> want to do it the way they have always done it because that's

the

> t> way they always have done it. "

>

> t> Taking the opposite view is Schaal, director of sales and

> t> marketing for Paparone Homes of New Jersey.

>

> t> " Builders are concerned about health and litigation issues, so

the

> t> construction techniques and materials we use are designed to

deter

> t> mold growth, " Schaal said.

>

> t> " Some builders put dehumidifiers in houses if they know the

buyers

> t> will be finishing the basement at some point, " he said. " They

coat

> t> the exterior basement walls with waterproofing systems such as

> t> Tuff 'n' Dri, and, in most cases, the residential industry has

> t> shifted from porous concrete block to less porous poured

concrete,

> t> to prevent moisture intrusion. "

>

> t> In townhouse construction, Schaal said, " if the builder uses

> t> Sheetrock between the units instead of block walls, the

procedure is

> t> to spray the sheets with a bleach product to kill anything that

> t> could have grown if they were exposed to moisture. "

>

> t> In existing homes, said Jim Mellon, president of Mellon

Certified

> t> Restorations in Yeadon, Pa., " the sources of the mold have to

be

> t> located, the areas have to be contained, material removed under

> t> controlled circumstances, then vacuumed, washed and vacuumed

again. "

>

> t> Drywall is porous, and if there's mold it will spread, Mellon

said.

>

> t> Residential mold doesn't get quite the same attention it got a

few

> t> years ago, but that doesn't mean the issue has gone away,

and

> t> others said.

>

> t> " If the house smells, it is a problem that must be dealt with, "

said

> t> McCann, an associate broker at Prudential Fox & Roach's

> t> Center City Philadelphia office.

>

> t> " Even if testing doesn't find mold, sellers have to disclose

any and

> t> all moisture problems, because if they don't disclose, there's

> t> always the chance of a lawsuit by the buyers, " he said.

>

> t> Still, McCann said, buyers haven't requested mold testing in

any of

> t> the houses he's sold in the last six months to a year.

>

> t> " If there is no odor involved, but the home inspector notices

it,

> t> he'll tell the buyer to have someone check it out. "

>

[Guest guest]

Thanks KC. Wishing you and the list members a wonderful New Year where

we'll all be blessed with breakthroughs in all areas of our lives.

Thanks to all who are helping others on this list. So many work so

hard despite the lack of energy.

God Bless,

Barth

www.presenting.net/sbs/sbs.html

SUBMIT YOUR DOCTOR: www.presenting.net/sbs/molddoctors.html

---