Guest guest Posted May 2, 2002 Report Share Posted May 2, 2002 Mold Inspector Mold Legal Problems?Visit website: http://www.moldlawyer.comReal People, Real Mold, Real StoriesAlso, please visit our other Questions & Answers pages. Visit: Q. & A. Q & A Removal Q. & A. [MK] Legal Q & ANew Home Q & AIf you have any questions, please email mailto:moldinspector@... [April 29, 2002] Q. My family and I just recently moved into a rental home. ( My husband was laid off and we had to sell our home and move to something cheaper.) My children are all having allergy symptoms (they have not previously had allergies), my 4 year old has waken up a couple times in the middle of the night saying that he can't swallow and once he had trouble breathing. Is feeling like you can't swallow a side effect from mold exposure? He also has frequent nose bleeds and is always congested. I am also having congestion and a hoarse voice when waking up in the morning. I am running air purifiers but honestly it only seems to help a little. All the mentioned symptoms are with the purifiers running. The house has cement walls in over half of the living space in the basement. There are bedrooms and a family room down there. It always smells musty in the house and especially in the basement. Throughout most of the house we are not able to put furniture or anything against (or close to) the walls because within a day there is moisture and mold growing where the item touched or almost touched the wall. This is not just in the basement but throughout most of the house. Especially in my bedroom where there is a corner where if a book or piece of paper gets near the wall, black mold grows almost within a few hours. All of the window sills especially upstairs (not much of a problem in the basement) get moisture in them everyday and then if I don't clean them constantly mold will show up within a day. In the kitchen the cupboards smell musty, so much that I won't put my food or anything in them. Under the sink there seems to be dry rot and also a couple small spots on the floor. The kitchen floor got wet the other day (there is carpet in the kitchen) and a huge mold smell instantly was present. We have talked to the landlord about these things and he just says not to put furniture or anything against the walls and clean them if mold becomes present (which we do often) and just clean the window sills a couple times a day. He is not interested in putting money into this house. I told my husband that we should try to move. We really don't have much money to move and my husband thinks my concern over the mold is exaggerated. I am hoping to get some insight into this problem and a possible solution. A. You are absolutely right that you need to leave that mold hell immediately. Your family's health can be permanently and seriously injured by continuing to live in that mold infested place. Most landlords don't care about what health damage is done to tenants by mold. It will take many lawsuit victories by tenants against landlords for mold-caused health problems before landlords will get the message that they owe a duty to provide a habitable, mold-safe rental environment for their tenants. [April 21, 2002] Q. After reading some of these stories I am feeling really scared. We live in an older home one block from the ocean. Our house is very musty and there is black mold several places through out the house. I never would have suspected this was the problem had quite a few people not brought it to our attention. We have lived here for seven years. I have been really sick for almost a year. I have swollen Lymph nodes through my body, sinus infections, stomach problems, joint pain, severe headaches and pain in my chest. I feel sometimes like I have a pneumonia but I don't. I have been tested for many things. They diagnosed me with Pernicious Anemia which would cause some of these problems, but not all. My son who is ten has frequent nose bleeds and constant allergies. My husband has battled major anxiety, depression and the inability to concentrate on the simplest of things. I know these are a multitude of symptoms but I would really like to know what you think. Any help would be appreciated! A. Move your family out of this mold hell immediately to prevent any further damage to your family's health.After moving out, have one of our Certified Mold Inspectors thoroughly inspect and mold test your home to identify the types of molds present in your home and to locate their whereabouts. Do not move back into the home until you have completed mold remediation and the home passes mold clearance tests after the mold removal. For more information, please visit: http://www.moldinspector.com/mold_testing.htm and http://www.moldinspector.com/mold_removal.htm. [April 8, 2002] Q. We built our home in 1989 and moved in Dec 1989. In the spring of 1990 we had a terrible flood with about 4 ft of water in the basement. We had the flood cleaned up professionally and dried out. The next 3 years we had a flood every year with water ranging from 1 ft to 2 ft. Again had it cleaned up. I noticed that some of the foundation blocks are cracked and water has been seeping in. I also noticed a white chaulky substance on the walls and my 10 year old son has been not feeling his self lately. He has had three upper respiratory infections in 2 months, headaches and tired. We went to Florida for 10 days and he was fine. Now this week he is sick again. We also had a pipe break behind a shower wall in our bathroom and it leaked to a spare room. We didn't notice for about 4 months upon opening the closet I noticed the drywall was black and crumbling and the carpet was wet. We removed the drywall but I think that our house is got severe mold. My husband has also developed a memory problem, he can't remember where he puts anything. We live in Canada and I hope that you can help. A. You need to leave the house immediately because of the severe damage that mold may be causing to your family's health. Your first job is to test the visible mold and the air in the basement and in the various upstairs rooms of your home to determine [through laboratory analysis of mold and air samples taken] what types of molds have infested your home. Follow the mold testing techniques at http://www.moldinspector.com/mold_testing.htm.You must find a way to stop the flooding of your basement or you will never solve your mold problem. Find the best foundation and basement wall waterproofing contractor in your area to get a bid on the changes necessary for waterproofing the exterior basement walls and for draining water away from the basement walls rather than through them! You can deal with mold infestation in the bathroom leak area by the following the suggestions provided at: http://www.moldinspector.com/mold_removal.htm. [April 8, 2002] Q. I moved into my new home on January 17, 2001. After only a few days I started having problems with the house. One of the biggest problems was having a lot of water standing under my house in the crawl space. I called my contractor and he pumped the water out on several occasions. I thought the problem had been taken care of. In or about Dec. I decided to refinance my house with the State Employees Credit Union. They sent someone to check for termites. He told me I might as well stop the process until I fixed the water problem. He said I had a pond under my house. I called in the county inspection dept. and my contractor. My question is: I have been exposed to this problem for over a year. I have been sick but never thought of mold might be causing my problems. Is there any way my doctor can check to see if this is in fact my problems with breathing, headaches, coughing so hard I almost pass out, and symptoms such as I have. A. Two tests that you might consider asking your doctor to perform on you and your family members: (1) blood test to detect levels of mold anti-bodies in your blood; and (2) biopsy of lung tissues to determine if there has been lung tissue damage from molds likes aspergillus. [April 5, 2002] Q. We have had to move out of our home in December, 2001, because of mold. We live in Valparaiso, Indiana. We are in the start of a law suit because we only lived in the house for 7 months and there is mold everywhere from a wet crawlspace, I have emailed several people but have gotten no response. It makes me wonder why some people get their stories on tv and newspapers. A. To get the attention of local newspapers and TV stations, you need to make their job easy to report about your mold hell---deliver high quality photo's, videotapes, and typed factual summaries of your bad experiences with your mold home to your local media. Besides waiting for some one to save you, you ought to learn how to test and mold remediate your own home so that you can get this problem over with on an affordable and prompt basis. Please read these website pages: http://www.moldinspector.com/mold_testing.htm and http://www.moldinspector.com/mold_removal.htm . [April 3, 2002] Q. My family has lived in our house for about 7 years, the house is about 50-60 years old. During these seven years we have had about 5 episodes of some type of water damage. We had black mold in the bathrooms and in the kitchen. We have it in the basement. Recently we had the kitchen and the bathroom remodeled. Because this was done, does that mean that the mold in those areas is gone? Also the mold in our basement was painted over, does the mold grow over the paint if it still exists? We have 5 children and my oldest child got asthma about 2 years ago and three of my children get bloody noses pretty often out of nowhere. And they are always sick with cold like symptoms. I feel like no one believes me when I say this is going on. Recently I went to the doctor because I have been having problems breathing, but the doctor said it is not asthma but gave me an inhaler. Within a time frame of a month and a half I have had 4 breathing attacks, where you can hear how awful my breathing sounds. My house smells musty when no one has been home for hours and has not been aired out. My husband thinks that it is all in my head. Could you tell me what are some symptoms that the black mold can cause? And what can I do? A. Take your family out of this house immediately and live in a mold-free place for as long as it takes you to test the mold in your home and to remove it completely and safely. The health symptoms you describe are typical symptoms of living in a severely mold-contaminated residence. Painting over mold does nothing to get rid of mold---it just gives more food for the mold to eat [the paint itself]. To identify and quantify the types of mold that have infested your home, you need to do testing either on your own or with one of our Certified Mold Inspectors. To find a Certified Mold Inspector in your area, please visit: http://www.certifiedmoldinspectors.com. For do it yourself mold testing, please follow the suggestions at: http://www.moldinspector.com/mold_testing.htm . For detailed steps on how to remove mold from your mold contaminated home, please visit: http://www.moldinspector.com/mold_removal.htm. [March 3, 2002] Q. My husband and I are renting a 50-60 year old house and have mold growing in almost every room. I have to use bleach water at least 2 a month to keep it from being visible. After visiting your web site, I noticed that the bleach water does not kill what could be growing behind the walls. I have brought this to the attention of our landlord twice. Each time I am told to clean it really well with the bleach water and repaint it with an enamel paint and it should be okay. How do I know that this will work? After reading your website, it seems like that would just be covering up the problem. I want to stay on very good terms with my landlords ( I can't afford to move), but I also want my family to be safe. My husband and I suffer from headaches almost daily, my husband and 3 children all suffer from nasal problems. I am at a loss of what to do. PLEASE HELP!!!! A. Chlorine bleach does not kill mold infestation because: (1) it is too weak from heavy dilution; (2) chlorine stays on the surface and does not soak INTO porous materials like drywall and wood where the mold has enzyme roots; and (3) weak chlorine bleach becomes even weaker when it sits for long times in warehouses and store shelves. Instead, use Mold Killer [benzalkonium chloride]---see our webpage Mold Killer. Your second problem is that you are just treating the symptoms of the problem. You need to do a thorough mold investigation through mold inspection and mold testing to find the water sources of your mold problem and to find mold contamination that may be hidden inside walls, ceilings, floors, hvac equipment and ducts, crawl space, basement, and attic. Follow the mold investigation techniques explained in our book Mold Buster Tips that you can purchase online at Product Catalog. Ask your landlord to help you pay for mold testing because the landlord owes you a duty to provide you with a HABITABLE place to live. Living in a mold hell is not a habitable place to live! [March 1, 2002] Q. My sister-in-laws' house has a strong musky odor. They have been living under these conditions for the past year. When they visit my house I notice that their clothes have this strong musky odor. I recently asked them about their home and was told that they had had water damage to one of their rooms a year or so ago. Do you think that the odor is from mold on the drywall? What should they do to remedy this possible mold problem? A. Their first step is to mold test the air inside the various rooms of their home, plus any crawl space, basement, attic, and several sample hvac ducts. The moldy smell of their clothes and the house is a very good indication that your relatives have a very serious mold contamination problem. They should follow the mold testing suggestions provided at: Mold Testing. [Feb. 20, 2002] Q. I live on South Padre Island, Texas. My question is can I leave my windows open or should I close them and run the air conditioner to help prevent mold infestation. I currently do not have a mold contamination problem and like fresh air but wonder if it going to cause a problem to the interior furniture and appliances. My building is 5 years old and outside is block-stucco inside is tile and 2 bedrooms carpeted. A. Living along the ocean means that your main problem is not the fresh air you desire, but in removing excess humidity from the air inside your home. Buy a digital hygrometer [$30] to check daily the humidity level in the various rooms. Desired humidity to discourage mold growth is 30 to 40% or less. The more your humidity is above 50%, the more you encourage mold to grow in your home and possessions. Use one or more powerful dehumidifiers [with a humidity level control setting] to keep the humidity in the 30 to 40% range---and enjoy your fresh air! You should also carefully check your home and possessions for any signs of mold growth. Follow the mold prevention and mold detection tips contained in my book Mold Buster Tips---see Mold Book. [Feb. 17, 2002] Q. Found the web-site in Askjeeves - good information. We made an offer on older home and the inspector found evidence of mold in the crawl space. He actually brought out a peice of dry rotted wood that had a grayish powdery looking substance on it. It broke off when he pushed on it. Anyway it appears that there was once a water problem and it has been fixed. Previous owners added more wood underneath - i.e. added new piers and joists to about 60% of the house - but did not remove the old ones. All of this wood is now discolored. A vapor barrier is present and there is 3" of insulation underneath. Based on what I have read it appears that we would have to clean and remove all of the wood, insulation, and sub-floor and replace it without the guarantee that we would get it all. As an additional note, the dryer and Jen-Aire rangeare vented into the crawl space. We really like the house, but after reading you website info - it is our opinion that we need to get out of the contract based on the presence of mold growth and the health/liability issues you raise. Not to mention the costs associated with the repairs. So with this little bit of info - do you suggest that we punt this house and look for another? A. Look for another home with no mold growth problems. Crawl space mold can easily grow into the floor and walls above the crawl space. Unless you are prepared to spend a considerable amount of money in mold testing and mold remediation, you should forget this house with its bad mold infestation history. When you get a contract to purchase your next home, get at least a 21 day environmental testing time period in your purchase contract, and then a hire a Certified Mold Inspector to check out your home---for mold inspection help, please click on: http://www.certifiedmoldinspectors.com. [Feb. 17, 2002] Q. We have recently moved into a home and agreed to rent it until our other home sells, at which time we would purchase the house. This was contingent on an inspection. We had the home inspected and moved in while problems identified during the inspection process were being resolved. One of the problems identified in the inspectors report was a spot of mold on the garage ceiling. This "spot" was due to a leaking roof that was totally replaced in August of last year ( we did not move in until late December). When tested by _______, the spot contained "Numerous Stachybotrys spores". My home inspector had the area completely removed, however he suggested we could get an air test to "see if we had a problem". I agreed and an air test was conducted outside as well as in the garage, in a room directly above the garage, and in the basement (smelled funny). The air test results are back and Stachybotrys was present in the basement air sample. Volume (L) was 150 and Detection Limits (Spores / M3) was 27. Results in the basement showed Stachybotrys 27. The owners insurance seemed to be stalling. My wife and 6 children (ages 3 months to 9 years) moved out on Saturday the 9th and I am still living in the home until I can get some indication of what we should do next (I have a job in town and cannot realistically move to where my family is staying - 3 hours away). A "Mold Expert" was sent out on Monday the 11th and said that although he could not guarantee anything, he didn't think i would have a problem staying here for the next week. The insurance company wants to send another person out this coming Monday and I am confused as to the significance of the homes health hazard. I am also unsure as to what to do with all of our possessions. Are they "contaminated"? Can we take them to a new home or will that increase the risk of taking this problem with us? What should I expect from the owner / landlord and his insurance company? A. You need to insist that the landlord do thorough mold testing through out the entire home as well as the hvac equipment and ducts. Follow the mold testing suggestions contained at: Mold Testing. Then the house needs to have mold remediation using the guidelines contained at: Mold Removal. You should join your family in living somewhere else until the ENTIRE home has had mold testing and mold remediation and then mold tests free of Stachybotrys. Do NOT move anything from the mold-contaminated home without first disinfecting all personal property from mold infestation and mold spores [Feb. 13, 2001] Q. The house I'm buying has mold growth in the attic because there is no ventilation up there. What can I do to kill the mold infestation? How do I know if mold contamination has spread through the whole house? A. You need to get a contract extension to allow you at least 2 to 3 weeks for environ- mental testing of the home being purchased. Follow the mold test suggestions at Mold Testing tomold test the visible attic mold, the attic air, the home's hvac ducts, and all rooms of the house, plus the basement and any crawl space. Attic mold, basement mold, and crawl space mold are especially dangerous because they can easily spread into the ceilings, floors, and walls of the rest of your home. [Feb. 11, 2002] Q. I am helping a friend who has been exposed to toxic black mold spores. She and her son are extremely ill. I am very worried that she will die as a result of her exposure. She is in constant pain throughout her body, her hair if falling out, she sleeps most of the day, and she is constantly trying to remove a “sticky” substance from her skin and hair. All of her belongings are still in the apartment, and the landlord is threatening to sell her things and rent the contaminated apartment to someone else. She is so sick that she has problems doing very simple tasks such as making phone calls. I am one of her only voices to the outside world. I am currently looking for legal, medical, and technical help for her. A. Get her to a pulmonary specialist [lung Medical Doctor] for mold testing and mold treatment immediately. If she cannot pay for medical help, get her enrolled in your state Medicaid program. As far as her legal rights against the landlord, contact the local legal aid society, or call the local bar association [attorney group] and ask for pro bono [free] help if she is unable to pay for legal assistance. [Feb. 11, 2002] Q. Could you please tell me how I can get mold testing done on my mobile home which is a double wide and it is now 7 years old with 24 code violations on it and the company knew about all of this and my family has been staying so sick and between the headaches, can't breathe, rashes, dry coughs, sinus infections, and it seems to be getting worse and I was wondering it I could get this place tested. I haven't got a lot of money and it is so hard right now so if you could please tell me how I sure would be grateful. A. To do mold testing and mold removal on a small budget, please do the following: (1) study our mold testing & mold removal pages on: http://www.moldinspector.com; (2) buy my $35 book Mold Buster Tips [available on same website]; (3) use our do-it-yourself mold test kits to identify the types of molds that have infested your home; (4) purchase at least one or two Honeywell hepa portable air purifiers [to remove dangerous mold spores from your indoor breathing air]; and (5) seek a legal aid attorney to go after the seller if you can prove that the seller failed to disclosed known problems with the home when the seller sold it to you. [Feb. 11, 2002] Q. My daughter just informed me that they have a problem with mold growth coming out on the walls in their bedrooms on the north end of their house and some in the bathroom area. Having never had a problem with mold contamination, we are at a lose as to what can be done and where to start. The house is brick and sits very low to the ground with very little crawl space under it. I'm sure the problem is coming from a wet crawl space. When the cover on the floor, to the crawl sapce , is opened, a very strong odor of mildew is present. Also there are 2 young children in the home, ages 6 and 4. Are there health risks to them and the family? Please advise us on what to do with this problem. We don't even know where to start. Also is this something that homeowners insurance would cover? A. Having crawl space mold can definitely cause serious health problems to the family. In addition, the problem can get much worse because crawl space mold often goes into the floor above and into the walls on top of the floor, causing a huge mold remediation problem and an extremely dangerous home in which to live. Usually, there is no insurance coverage unless the mold arises from an insured water problem [such as a water line break on a specific date]. Your first step should be to move the family into a mold-free place to live while the home is tested and remediated. Your second step should be to thoroughly mold test the home to determine the types of molds involved and the extent of the mold invasion. Follow the mold testing suggestions contained at Mold Testing. Your third step is to follow the mold removal steps explained at: Mold Removal. [Feb. 9, 2002] Q. We have had mold health problems since moving into our apt. shortly thereafter, headaches, rashes, nosebleeds, memory problems, sleep and digestion problems, animals sick, and we are getting out finally as the landlord refuses to do anything except cover up what he can so you can't see the water stains on the ceiling and had the ducts "cleaned" even when he was told it would do no good to remove mold in fiberglass ductwork and needed replacing. We have had to stay in hotels which they wont reimburse us for. Lost rent, sick days, medical expense. one medicine alone for fungus infection which i have in my lungs is $450 for 1 month...I washed all items that were washable but we cant afford to buy anything now to clean furniture....should we not take it with us even if i vacuum it?...we wont have anything but that would be better than carrying mold...how about tv's..hard surfaces??..or just cloth furniture should we leave...We are planning to leave in a few days so any info you can give would be helpful...This landlord is terrible mean...I think they should have to live in the mold infestation and see how funny they think it is when they get sick and bleed everywhere and cant breath....it may cost to fix but we didn't cause the damage but we sure have suffered from it...Thanks for your site..I hope an attorney will read what I have read hear as it seems people just don't get how dangerous mold is.......now not only do I have allergies to penicillin, mold, now just about everything bothers me..perfume, smells, clothing....one thing.......since I can hardly work much less do anything (am praying for quick recovery for me and my family when we get out of here)...one thing I can do well now...detect mold anywhere it seems...my nose just freaks out!......well thanks again.....keep on informing the people. A. To kill mold and to remove mold from clothes, wash them once or twice; [better] with Borax laundry detergent. You can also use Borax mixed in water to wash all of your possessions. You are very smart to move out quickly because most landlords will not spend money to test for or to remove mold----they just don't care if they ruin their tenants' health. You are also right that attorneys need to step in to correct this problem by filing lawsuits for compensatory and punitive damages against such bad landlords. [Feb. 4, 2002] Q. WE HAVE THE STACHYBOTRYS MOLD IN OUR HOME. WE HAVE A FEW QUESTIONS ABOUT OUR FURNITURE. WE HAD THE SAMPLES TESTED AND KNOW THAT IS WHAT WE HAVE. WE HAVE SOLID WOOD FURNITURE IN THE BEDROOM,IT DID NOT GET WET IT WAS CONTAMINATED BY THE SPORES IN THE AIR, AND WE NEED TO KNOW HOW TO CLEAN IT. WE ARE ALSO WONDERING ON HOW TO CLEAN OUR TWO COMPUTERS AND TV'S CONTAMINATED THE SAME WAY. WE NO LONGER ARE IN THIS HOUSE BUT WOULD LIKE TO CLEAN OUR THINGS AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE. ALSO WE HAVE SOME BOOKS THAT ALSO DID NOT GET WET BUT MAY BE CONTAMINATED BY THE SPORES IN THE AIR, IS THE SOMETHING TO CLEAN THESE THINGS WITH? A. Here are a few mold removal suggestions from Mold Inspector's helpful book Mold Buster Tips. Mix Borax laundry detergent with water to make a mold-killing solution to wash hard surfaces such as wood furniture. You should also use Borax to wash your clothes at least twice to kill and remove mold contamination. Clothes that can be dry cleaned should be so treated because the dry cleaning process is a strong mold killer. Unplug electronic items and then spray a light spray of Mold Killler on all interior surfaces of electronics to kill mold spores therein---be sure area is completely dry before plugging back into electricity. For info on Mold Killer, please click on: Mold Killer. You can purchase Mold Buster Tips on this web page: Product Catalog. [Feb. 3, 2002] Q. There is a house I am looking in to moving in to. a house down the street from it had toxic mold and the whole family died. The house I am looking at had flooded, and was treated but the outside of it has mold on it. What do I look for? A. Somewhere else to live that has no mold infestation! Knowing that the house has been flooded and that it has visible mold growing on the outside of the home are all you need to know to reject that house as a possible place to live. Most landlords or sellers are not willing to spend the substantial sums required to find and to remove mold infestation that may be hidden inside walls, above ceilings, below floors, inside heating and air conditioning equipment and ducts, attics, basements, and crawl spaces. Removing mold can be very difficult and very expensive. [Jan. 25, 2002] Q. My boyfriend and I recently discovered extensive mold contamination in our kitchen which is currently being tested. Even without the results, our situation looks grim. The mold is black, leading us to believe it's toxic. There is also a lot of dry rot behind the portion of the wall that has fallen away. We suspect this type of damage in other areas of the house as well. Unfortunately, due to a sudden and severe change in income, we barely have enough to get the bills and mortgage paid. At this time, regardless of lab results, we cannot afford to make repairs or pay for decontamination. Can you offer us any advice? Our homeowner policy does not cover mold. We considered going after the man who sold us the house in February of 1999, as time has proved he hid several other problems. However, we are not able to prove any of it. Selling the house is not an option, as we can't afford to purchase another one, nor could we legally sell a mold-infested house. We are extremely frustrated and worried. Do we have any options or are we just screwed? A. Your first step is to protect yourselves from breathing in harmful black mold spores, toxic mold spores, and elevated levels of mold spores. Do you have a friend or family members you can live with temporarily while you do your own mold remediation? If so, move there, but don't take any personal possessions or clothing with you without first decontaminating them from mold. If you stay in the home, as soon as possible, buy one or more Honeywell-brand hepa portable air purifiers from an appliance store, Lowe's or Home Depot. By running hepa filters 24 hours in several areas of your home, you can reduce airborne mold spores big-time. If you see any moldy areas, until you can afford to take remedial steps, cover those areas completely with 6 mil thick clear plastic sheeting [use duct tape to make tight fit on edges of sheeting]. Your first remediation step must be to find the source of water intrusion that is causing your mold problem. Until you fix water and moisture problems, you will be unable to control your mold problems. One area at a time, as you can afford it, follow the do-it-yourself home mold remediation steps provided at: Mold Removal. [Jan. 24, 2002] Q. What a relief to find a site that may have answers for me. Words can not explain how upset I am. My new house is not yet three years old. I notice the first year that I had some dark spots on my cathedral ceiling--I thought it was roof trusses drying out. I have recycle white pop bottle carpeting and when I scrubbed in I noticed it was black around the registers. Months later I went into the open loft and found black cobweb type things hanging from the ceiling as well as the fan and the carpet was black on the outside walls. As months progressed the walls started getting blacker but only in corners and walls that faced the outside. I have had two builders come out, three furnace men and each one has a different idea of what it is. What are you feelings and what is the cause, plus who would be responsible? A. The most likely cause of the attic mold, loft mold, and ceiling mold is roof leaks. You should have your proof carefully inspected for any entry points for water by a qualified roofing contractor. Another possible mold source is if you have a dryer venting humid air into the attic area. To find the mold contamination sources by mold testing and careful physical inspection of your home [including the use of a hidden moisture meter and a fiber optics inspection device, hire a Certified Mold Inspector. To find a Certified Mold Inspector in your area, please visit: http://www.certifiedmoldinspectors.com. [Jan. 21, 2002] Q. Purchased my home in 1998. In spring to Summer of 2000, Town put waterline in. I was concerned as the front of my home was constructed in mid 1800's and addition on back in 1947 after a fire. After they completed the blasting and trenching in front of my home, I would not let them blast directly in front of my home as the trenching was done three to four feet from my house, I began to experience problems. that winter after the snow melted, I got a small area of water stains on my kitchen ceiling. Kitchen is in "newer" addition. Since then , I have had another leak this year in the same spot, cracking drywall along the exterior addition wall in my stairway, a sinking and cracking living room oak floor, water spots on my bedroom and the spare bedroom ceiling a a contaminated well that made me and my dog ill. I am concerned as to mold growth behind the second floor wall that runs along the area where all of the problems are occurring. I spoke with an environmental testing lab that stated that since my home is so old, there is air circulating through the walls .True, because when we purchased the home that second story room was only studs, and we could feel the cold air blasting, that it why we dry walled it. They told me that the water most lost likely dried (dissipated) as it traveled down the wall and settled in my kitchen ceiling tiles below that room. They did say however that there could be mold, although they do not think so. They said it is better to air on the side of caution and not to disturb anything until I get a lawyer. I have having a MAJOR problem trying to find a lawyer to represent me. I was diagnosed wit anxiety and panic disorder November 2000, as I became fearful after the illness I suffered after the contaminated well. I remain emotionally scarred and continue to fear any germs and mold. I have nightmares and my daily life has been altered as i fear for my 12 year old son who has allergies and asthma. He had this before we bought the house. He is growing out of these illnesses and they have not been worse while we have been residing here. Sinus infections are now common, however, for both of us. A. Your first step is to thoroughly mold test your home for mold contamination [such as the presence of black mold spores, toxic mold spores, and elevated levels of mold spores] using either our do-it-yourself mold test kits, or hiring one of our Certified Mold Inspectors [http://www.certifiedmoldinspectors.com]. A Certified Mold Inspector can not only test for mold problems, but also do a thorough physical inspection of the home to document any water intrusion problems. Two inspection tools that are used by our Certified Mold Inspectors will be of especially high value in your home mold inspection and mold evaluation: (1) hidden moisture detector; and (2) fiber optics inspection system [to check INSIDE walls, ceilings, and floors for mold contamination]. Until you have a written report of thorough mold testing done on your home, you are not ready to hire an attorney to pursue whatever legal rights you may have---in mold contamination cases, the first thing an attorney wants to see is the written mold test results. [Jan. 18, 2002] Q. I have been working in a very bad mold infested bldg. I suffered ear infections, and breathing problems. After repeated requests for the results of the mold testing, I finally got to find out that Aspergillus species, Penicillium species and Chaetomium globosu were found. Can anyone explain these species and the health effects they can cause. A. No wonder you are so sick! Get a different job as soon as possible in a mold-free work environment if your boss won't immediately correct this very adverse work environment. Aspergillus causes severe health problems and is the only known mold to cause cancer in humans. Penicillium destroys lung tissue and cause severe respiratory problems. Chaetomium is also very destructive of your respiratory system. Mold health problems are extremely serious! [Jan. 14, 2002] Q. My car got sick when it was undriven for a while. The interior was about 25% covered in black mold. Seats, carpet a/c vents and ducts too I suspect. We cleaned all we could see but what about what we can't see? I assume your product has to come in contact w/ the affected area. Can it be used successfully for my problem? What about a/c ducts and other hiding places? A. Many people cause mold contamination of their cars by the spread of mold spores [from their home or work] that are on their hair, skins, clothing and shoes. Every time that a person goes from a mold-contaminated indoor environment into a car, there is a definite chance of increasing the cross- contamination of the car. A good way to treat the interior of the car to stop mold spreading is a wet spraying of our Mold Killer [benzalkonium chloride]. Please visit Mold Killer. [Jan. 2, 2002] Q. I am a contractor who is in charge of performing work on a mid size motel with 20 plus ground floor units that have been flooded three times with out major repairs other than drying out of the units. Major mold growth and dry rot from mold has been spreading for some time in these units. These units are built on pilling that supports a laminated beam system that supports a floor joist system that is very contaminated with fungi, mold and dry rot. The under floor was insulated with two inch foam insulation screwed to the bottom of the floor joist's. This trapped moisture and dirt from the floods in this area. Because no cleanup action were done after the floods, the partition walls between each room have major dry rot damage to the partition wall framing. It is my thinking that the foam insulation needs to be removed and the area needs to be pressure washed, repaired and then sprayed with a fungicide. But after visiting your web page I am not so sure. please advise any help would be greatly appreciated. A. All support timbers or other building materials that have dry rot need to be replaced or repaired [e.g., remove, fix, and reinforce sections having dry rot]. All timbers and building materials that have mold contamination need to be completely cleaned of mold or replaced with new materials. To stop mold spreading, it is usually more cost-effective and it makes better mold-free results if you replace damaged building materials, rather than go through all of the steps for effective mold removal. The precise methods you need to use to remove mold contamination and to control mold are explained in detail on our web page Mold Removal. [Jan. 2, 2002] Q. I am only 14, but I suspect something is wrong with our bathroom. The caulk around the bathtub files has gone from white to black, and it is pretty nasty, and not only that but our bathroom some times stinks, and on the upper wall there are these circular brown spots, like stains on the wall, there are a nasty brown color, and covers a good amount of the wall. It has been there for over 6 months, and has only gotten bigger. I was thinking it might be mold. Also, there is this pretty large gap between the sink and the bathtub, and if you look into the gap, there is continously nasty black stuff. Can you help? What should we do? A. Follow the do-it-yourself mold testing instructions contained on our web page Mold Testing to collect mold test samples of the black caulking, the brown stains [cut out a sample of it from the wall], and nasty black stuff in the gap. Send the mold samples [enclose $65 per sample for laboratory analysis] to Mold Inspector Laboratory, 65 N. 3700 West St., Hurricane, UT 84737. Because your hunch is probably right about the presence of mold, if you family can afford to do, buy 2 or more hepa filter air purifiers from Home Depot or Lowe's or elsewhere and run them 24 hours per day to remove airborne mold spores from the air you breathe in your home until the mold problems has been taken care of. [Dec. 22, 2001] Q. MY HOUSE IS A RANCH ON A CONCRETE SLAB, I THINK THE MOLD IS COMING FROM THE HEAT DUCTS IN THE SLAB, AND ONLY IN THE BEDROOMS FURTHEST AWAY FROM THE FURNACE. THERE SEEMS TO BE BLACK MOLD EVERY THREE OR FOUR MONTHS ON THE CEILINGS AND IN THE CORNERS OF THE WALLS, WE WIPE IT DOWN WITH BLEACH AND IT CONTINUES TO COME BACK. ALSO IN THE ATTIC OVER THE BEDROOMS THERE IS MOLD UP ON THE RAFTERS AND THE PLYWOOD. THE ROOF WAS REPLACED ABOUT THREE YEARS AGO & THE MOLD IS STILL COMING BACK. WHAT DO THINK THE PROBLM IS? A. Chlorine bleach is an ineffective mold killer because it doesn't totally kill all of the mold spores, especially the mold roots embedded into house building materials. Instead use Mold Killer [benzalkonium chloride] that you can read about by clicking on: Mold Killer Your first step is to use the lift tape method [1 inch wide clear Scotch tape, about 3 inches long] of mold sampling inside the floor heating ducts and on the roof rafters and roof plywood and send the samples to our Mold Inspector Laboratory, 65 N. 3700 West St., Hurricane, UT 84737. The laboratory analysis fee is $65.00 per sample analyzed. You can learn how to take effective lift tape samples by clicking on: Lift Tape Test You need to find and fix the roof leaks that caused the mold growth on the roof rafters and plywood. After fixing all water leaks, you can remove the mold deposits by following our mold removal suggestions found at Mold Removal. [Dec. 16, 2001] Q. What kind of information could you give to me or lead me to get on the serious health risks of mold. We have a home that just had 174,000 gallons go through a broken hot water heater pipe in the basement. There is only a small crawl space to the area where we need to get, but was like a sauna, it went through the hollow walls (this is a 167 year old home which was a one-room school house), up into the walk-in attic. The attic became like a sauna and the condensation gathered on the A-frame ceiling, turning the attic into a rain forest, you might say. This all dripped onto the floor and has soaked through the ceilings of 3/4 of the house. There is mold growing in some areas of the house and we're afraid it has gone down the walls, between the walls and paneling, etc. My sister called from Iowa and said their town had a flood problem, which the government came in and purchased the houses and burned them all down. Many people got very sick and we'd like to know if you have any thoughts on the matter, ideas for us, or info to suggest. A. Your first step is to mold test the visible mold to identify it using the lift tape sampling method explained at Lift Tape Test. Then, each room of the house should have its air tested using our mold test kits with laboratory analysis, as explained at Mold Test Kit Inside the walls and ceilings and floors need to be tested to identify and locate mold using mold culture plates or mold swabs. Besides our do-it-yourself mold test kits, you need to read my book Mold Buster Tips that is available at Product Catalog. Learn the 17 steps to remove mold by reading the directions contained on our page Mold Removal. [Dec. 11, 2001] Your site helped me discover why I was soooooo sick for almost 2 years...BLACK MOLD....i have moved and it is great that I don't cough all the time anymore....thank you thank you thank you.....keep me posted as I have become a real warrior...lotsa hugs, [Nov. 27, 2001] Q. I am a Tennessee realtor. I recently met a lady who had purchased a home in Knoxville which had dangerous levels of mold. She has become very sick because of the mold contamination. Tennessee laws do not yet require mold testing. I am not sure if this is because Tennessee has not experienced many mold problems, or if it is because we are behind the times. I would like to know more about mold testing and treatment. I feel it is my duty as a Realtor to know more about mold testing and treatment. I feel it is my duty as a Realtor to home buyers and sellers to know as much as possible. If you have any information for me, it would be greatly appreciated. A. You have just won our award for your being the most caring realtor in America! If Realtors and real estate sales agents were well-informed about the health dangers of mold contamination in homes, there would be a big decline in buyers buying mold contaminated homes.Your first step as a mold-enlightened Realtor is to look for and smell for the danger signs of mold problems when you list properties for sale and when you inspect homes for sale listed by other Realtors. Learn how to visually check out homes and other buildings for mold problems by reading my book Mold Buster Tips, available by clicking on Product Catalog. Second step: If you believe that a particular home or building might have a mold problem, you should encourage the property owner to test the property using either our do-it-yourself mold test kits with laboratory analysis [described at Mold Test Kit], or by hiring a Certified Mold Inspector [find out if your area has one by visiting http://www.certifiedmoldinspectors.com]. Your third step would be to encourage property owners to find and to correct all mold contamination locations prior to the sale of their properties. Property owners should follow our mold removal directions explained at: Mold Removal. [Nov. 19, 2001 from AUSTRALIA] Q. We have a son aged 11- he appeared to be a healthy baby and at the age of five months old I took him to Holland (from where I come) for a month to visit family. We returned to Australia and within a month his health was not 100%. He was slow to gain weight, became a fussy eater and a poor sleeper. My son has been diagnosed as dyspraxic which means he has poor motor skills and speech. His motor skills have improved however his speech is a good measuring stick to tell if his general health is good or bad. This seems to fluctuate immensely. In March this year we returned to Holland for a month - during our time there his health seemed to improve drastically which in turn improved his speech and he was like a different child. On returning home to Australia he was back to the fluctuating speech and poor health within a period of ten days. That got us thinking about environmental allergy which might adversely affect his general health. Mould is a big problem in this house and recently we got someone to take some samples. The results have been returned as aspergillus niger but have yet to be confirmed. This mould is growing on our bedroom ceiling which used to be the bedroom of our son. Our bathroom is covered in huge colonies of this mould and it doesn't matter how often I clean it down with bleach, it returns within a matter of weeks. Our next task is to see whether the mould is actually growing in the wall cavity. At this stage we're still tracking down where the mould is and where it is coming from but my real question to you is whether you've ever heard of mould affecting a person like it seems to be affecting my son. The house we were in for a period of four weeks in Holland was a brick house which is constantly centrally heated at around 22 degrees during the day and around 15 degrees during the night. The air was so dry that our lips were cracked in the mornings. Now we are back to a humid sick house which I'm quite prepared to move out of should it be affecting my son. I have read a lot about mould and asthma, breathing problems and sneezing but can it actually cause general ill health? A. Move out of your home immediately to temporary, mold-free quarters elsewhere. The massive visible mold contamination guarantees that the health of your family is at stake. Mold infestation problems affect strongest young children and the elderly. The mold health symptoms your child is experiencing can well be mold-related. The fact that your child's health improves or worsens depending on the child's living in your home is strong evidence of the link between your home's mold contamination and your child's health problems. Follow the suggestions in my book Mold Buster Tips (only $35 plus US $9 delivery charge via Global Priority Mail to Australia} to guide your testing of your home and your mold removal efforts. Also visit our website page: http://www.moldinspector.com/mold_removal.htm. [Nov. 11, 2001] Q. I am writing to inquire if there is a test for black mold infection in a person. Forty years ago, I lived in a house that was infested with this mold, and ever since, I have been plagued with upper respiratory illnesses, including asthma. No one one seems to know much about this, and my primary care physician is no help. I can't find any information on whether it is possible to test a living person for mold. A. Yes, medical doctors can test a human being for the presence of mold. For example, a lung specialist (pulmonary physician) can take a sample of one's lung tissue in the doctor's office(outpatient basis!) to do tests for lung damage (such as lung tissue destruction by the dangerous and common mold penicillium). Blood tests can reveal the presence in the blood of dangerous molds such as toxic Stachybotrys mold. Allergists can do a number of tests for mold infection in one's sinus cavities and respiratory areas. The most important task for you is to make sure the physician has experience treating persons exposed to mold contamination before you make an appointment [or risk wasting your money and time seeing a physician who is ignorant of the effects of mold on the body]. [Oct. 24, 2001] Q. I recently began renting a house that was built in 1916, in September with 4 other girls. When I moved in, in my room there was a hole in the ceiling about 3x3, at that time I was unsure of the cause of the hole, that is until it rained one evening. Once, the water began pouring into my room, I knew the cause and wanted it fixed immediately. The hole did get fixed and also the hole in the roof was repaired. I am unsure of how long the ceiling and hole in the roof sat like that. Since, this happened I have begun to smell a strong weird unexplainable odor only present in my>bedroom. I am not sure if this will help, but a friend of mine said it smells like an anesthesia that they give animals. I don't personally know how to explain it. I am concerned that this may be mold growth between the roof and my ceiling. I am on the second floor of three floors and there is only dead space (closed off by walls in the shape of a triangle) between my ceiling and the roof. I was wondering if you could tell me what the mold will smell like? Also, if this is to be mold what would be our legal rights? I know that also our basement has had flooding problems in the past and now has a musty smell...could this also be a problem? Could I find out by going to the doctor if I am sick from mold in my house? Thank you for your time---Heidi. A. Smell is one indication of mold problems. The former leaks in home are proof positive that there was available water for mold growth. You can use our do-it-yourself mold test kits with or without lab analysis to discover whether your apartment has a mold problem. Click on: Mold Test Kit You will test the air for the presence of unhealthy mold spores. Because most landlords are unwilling to spend the thousands of dollars (or more) required to remove mold safely and completely, your best alternative is to find a mold-free place to live and move immediately. You can permanently harm your health big-time by living in a mold-contaminated apartment. To determine if you have already suffered health damage, have your lungs checked by a pulmonary specialist (lung doctor) and/or you respiratory system by an allergist with experience with mold problems. [Oct. 14, 2001] Q. We live in military housing which was constructed aprox. 40 years ago. Our home smelt moldy the paint was bubbling, we were toldd to put clear tape over the it until environmental health could come out, when they came and pulled the tape up the molded dry wall came out too, I have a son who has sever allergy problems since we moved into that home, I took the molded drywall to my son's doctor, he wrote a letter to housing recommending that we be moved, we were told if they tried to fix the wall with our belongings in the home mold spurs would imbedded in our belongings when the wall was tore out. In this new home our son's allergies only worsened, he now has cysts and polyps in his sinus cavities and may require surgery, now the housing office want's to move into lodging for 3days- 4weeks so they can fix it. The roof has leaked and went through double insulation and the dry wall, I had mold growing in the bathroom ceiling and molded to the towels in the bathroom closed, this closet has been boarded up. Water has leaked from the roof as I said into the drywall, our light fixture has water stains in it and we have had a problem with bulbs blowing in that fixture, we no longer use it in fear our home will catch a fire. We were told(at the first home) the mold spurs would go airborne once the started ripping out the drywall and get into our belongings so we had to move, now the same problem exists and housing wants us out so they can fix it. We have questions & are concerned the mold spurs we were before warned about are now being ignored. We have 4 children living in the home ages 16,15,11 & 2 the 11 yr old has the sever allergies. If we let them do this with our belongings in the home, will the mild go airborne and get into our belongings? The attic has nearly double the insulation which I believe was put up there to catch the water so the roof did not have to be repaired, the water had made it's way into the home from the roof, through all the extra insulation into the dry wall causing mold, cracks and stains. What do you think? We can no longer trust Army to do what is best for our families health. A. You must not permit the mold removal to happen while your personal property is inside the work area. Mold removal temporarily puts even more dangerous mold spores into your indoor air. Your personal property needs to be removed, moved to a mold-free clean area where it needs to be disinfected using the specific advice contained in my book Mold Buster Tips. Only after the personal property has been disinfected and tested clean of mold, could you then move the items into a mold-free housing unit. Cross-contamination between real estate and personal property and one property to another is a big, big problem that must be effectively handled by families suffering from mold contamination. It is a true dishonor and affront to our armed forces that they and their families have to sometimes live in substandard, unhealthy housing units. I would suggest you bring this extremely important health problem to the attention of your base commander. If he or she doesn't solve the problem, bring the problem simultaneously to the attention of your local U.S. Congress and one of your U.S. Senators by mailing them a very detailed account of your mold contamination problem. You can also bring the problem to the attention of local news media. If all else fails, send a detailed [Oct. 11, 2001] Q. I'm scared to death of mold. My parents house had it (they were moved into a motel in March and the house still isn't finished, my father died in May and spent the last months of his life in a motel), another friend of mine in town (he and his wife and 6 children were moved out of their home for 9 months) and my best friend's mother died from it. I'm about to purchase a house. It was built in 1954 and has a limestone exterior. When it was inspected, it was not inspected for mold. I was told that older homes have cured wood and that they are likely not to have mold unless they've had water leaks. I've been told that newer homes were the "problem" homes. Please tell me if this school of thought is generally true, and what steps I can take to protect myself. Would cleaning the vents be helpful or a waste of money? Please help, Kathie A. Generally, newer homes are often at greater risk of mold contamination than are older homes because of the following factors: (1) moldy building materials are received from the builder’s supplier; (2) the builder and its supervisors and employees fail to do quality control to inspect for, and, thus, prevent moldy building materials from being used in the home’s construction; (3) the builder stores the inventory of building materials on the outside ground with no plastic sheeting to protect the building materials from rain [which thus supplies the necessary water to enable mold to grow in and on the materials]; (4) the construction crew fails to cover the entire home under construct- ion with plastic sheeting at the end of each construction day to protect the building materials from rain [which thus supplies the necessary water to enable mold to grow in and on the materials]. The roof and side walls need to be protected against rain until the entire roof, siding, windows, and doors are totally installed to seal out rain; (5) the builder fails to inspect and test the home for mold growth while it is being constructed and at the home’s completion; and (6) use of modern building materials like chip wafer boards, drywall (plasterboard), & plywood--- all of which molds love to eat. Cleaning air ducts does not solve mold infestation problems because duct cleaning doesn't solve the mold contamination problem that may have put mold into the ducts. Duct cleaning and replacement (including replacement of air handling equipment) may be necessary after the complete removal of mold contamination from a home or building. What is needed is a complete mold testing of the home in question, including testing for hidden mold above ceilings, inside walls, below floors, and inside heating and air conditioning ducts and air handling equipment [plus heating and cooling units themselves]. [Oct. 2, 2001] Q. I have 7 kids. Ages 17, 11, 5, 3, 3, 2, and 2. I moved into this apartment 2 1/2 yrs. ago. Since I've been here, my last 5 kids have been diagnosed with asthma. My 5 yr. old can't breathe at night. My other 4 weeze. My 17 yr old has all kinds of stomach problems, she gets diarrhea a lot, and thinks it's a social problem. My 11 yr. old coughs and feels sick, while visiting (he lives with his father.) My 5 yr old just had an ultrasound for 2 urinary tract infection within a month, they found ecoli in the culture. I've had headaches everyday for over 3 months, last year I suffered bloody noses. These headaches rarely go away with Excedrin migraine, Motrin, Motrin migraine, you name it, I've done it. My question is, could this be related to the super mold in my basement? My basement is covered. Everything I stored down there when I moved in is completely covered. My whole apt. is damp constantly. What can I do? Thank you, A. All of the mold health symptoms that your family is suffering are possible health consequences of living in a place that is mold contaminated. Most landlords will not spend money to test apartments for mold or to remove dangerous mold from apartments. Because of the severe health damage being suffered by your family and because of the uncooperative landlord attitude, your best strategy is to find a mold-free place to live and get out of your present apartment as soon as you possibly can. Alternatively, seek out a legal aid society attorney to go after your landlord [e.g., sue] for failing to provide a habitable apartment and for the health damage to your family. [Aug. 16, 2001] Q. On or about June 9, 2000, our condominium was partially destroyed by fire. Most of the damage was do to water and smoke. The unit is a two story condo and had recently been completely renovated including top of the line Berber carpet. There were approximately 25,000 gallons of water poured through the unit. The unit was condemned due to structural damage. The unit basked in 100 degree heat for a week before we were allowed back in to salvage. At this time mould and mildew had overtaken the unit also the sewer backed up into the first floor in the bathroom, kitchen, hallway, and laundry room. This all remained this way until the 23,of August,2000 or approx. 90 days. The second floor was still soaked from the water, (made squishing sounds when you walked on it) When the rebuilt they did not replace the sub-flooring or the floor joists on the second floor. Of course they are now buckling and stretching . Now the real problem. Both my son and wife and myself seem to be sick all of the time since we moved back in to the unit in Dec., 2000. My son and wife have been the most affected because they are home most of the time, however I experience the same sinus discomfort when I am at home. We have found large areas of mould in the guest bath. Clusters of black mold all behind the shower walls. It was first noticed when the black mold began growing out from behind the shower walls within a month after we moved back in. We are very concerned about our 4 1/2 year old son. He has the sinus congestion, shiners under the eyes, fever that comes and goes, seems to have to vomit three or four times a month. and now all three of us have been experiencing blood in the sinuses. We are very concerned we all have trouble sleeping , heavy congestion in the chest and constant coughing through the night are most of the problems. Any information you could provide us with would be greatly appreciated . A. Move immediately out of the house into temporary living quarters elsewhere! Do extensive testing of the mold by lift tapes and mold test kits (both explained and available on our website at http://www.moldinspector.com/mold_test_kit.htm). You need to know whether your home has highly dangerous molds such as Stachybotrys, penicillium, and aspergillus. You will need to inspect for, test, remove mold completely, and then re-test for a mold-free condition before you move back in. If you are unable to move elsewhere on a temporary basis, then immediately purchase a Sun Pure Ultraviolet, Six Step Air Purifier ($595) that will kill and mold spores, germs, viruses, and bacteria in the indoor air of your home 24 hours per day to give you time to do your testing and mold removal. For more info on this unique air purifier, please visit: http://www.moldinspector.com/mold_test_kit.htm [Aug. 15, 2001] Q. WE AND SEVERAL OTHER OWNERS HAVE BOUGHT NEW TOWNHOUSE A COUPLE MONTHS AGO. SINCE THIS TIME WE HAVE HAD STANDING WATER FROM MARCH TILL MAY, WE TRIED TO GET THE BUILDER TO RESPOND. I DID RESPOND TO ONE OWNER BECAUSE THERE SON HAD ASTHMA. SO IN RETURN HE DID PUT A SUMP PUMP IN ALL UNITS. SOME OF THE WORK WAS NOT CORRECTLY DONE AND STILL LEFT STANDING WATER. SPRAYED CHLORINE TO SAVE COST. SINCE AFTER SPRAYING THE CHLORINE THE MOLD HAS COME BACK. THE BUILDER DID GET AN OPINION AND HAVEN'T NOTIFIED THE OWNERS ON THE LEVELS OF MOLD. BUT ONE OF THE OWNERS DID GET SOME INFO MOST UNITS HAD PENICILIUM BUT OF LEVELS 0F 3,000 CFU (COLONY FORMING UNITS) TO 300,000. OUR UNIT HAS THE HIGHEST. WE PRESSURED THE BUILDER AND AT TIME HE MADE THREATS .IN THE PAST WEEK AFTER THE NEWS EXPOSER HE HAS BEEN VERY COOPERATIVE. HE IS NOT FIXING THE PROBLEM BUT PUTTING A BAND AID ON EVERYTHING. HE IS IN THE PROGRESS OF FIXING BUT HASN'T GOTTON RID OF THE MOISTURE FIRST. SO THIS WILL BE A PROBLEM IN THE FUTURE. WERE HOPING HE WILL BUY OUR PLACE BACK. A. You need to hire an attorney [on a contingency basis in which the attorney gets paid by a percentage of what he or she is able to collect on your behalf from the landlord] to pursue your legal rights against this bad landlord. [July 25, 2001] Q. Oct.'99 we noticed water on bathroom floor and decided that it may be from the grandkids staying with us. We let this problem go because of all the holidays coming up. It got worse., Jan.11, 2000 we notified Ins. Co. to come investigate our water problem as the water leak is now showing on the carpet along the base-board in living room and two bedrooms (a 1 story home-slab). He came pulled the carpet in bedroom and said it was very moldy. Not knowing anything about mold we waited patiently to see what they, Ins. Co. would do to help us.In the meantime our dog died of lung and breast cancer, grandson bleeding of the nose daily and nightly. daughter and son-in-law with stomach problems and respiratory. My husband and I having skin rashes, respiratory problems, forgetfulness, sores on face and arms, scalp rashes and sores, kidney and bladder infections that won't go away and husband with a blood disease calledhemochromatosis. After almost 5 months going through plumbers, engineers etc. and constantly informing [company name], sub-contractors for Ins Co. that something in the house was making us real sick they finally did an A.Q.T. [Air Quality Test] and found that our home had been invaded by all kinds of toxic molds, and advised us to leave.It has been hell. I only hope ins.co. take this problem more seriously than they do. Peoples lives depend on them. A. If you have any problems collecting from your insurance company, you need to hire a public insurance adjuster who works solely on your behalf against the insurance company and on a commission basis [you pay only out of money actually collected form the insurance company]. Or, alternatively, hire an attorney who specializes in collecting from insurance companies. [July 25, 2001] Q. We purchased home 3/2001 in Peru, Indiana. Saturday, after being out of town for two days, returned home to find entire basement, eastside ground level 1/2 mile from river, consumed in black mold. Single, widow with two teenagers, no money and need help. Have notified real estate agent, previous owners and my insurance to no avail. No assistance forthcoming in helping me resolve this so I don't lose my home or jeopardize my children's health. Any information so appreciated, particularly about financial assistance and resolution. A. To learn do it yourself mold testing techniques, please visit: Mold Testing. For do it yourself mold removal techniques, please visit: Mold Removal.If you have any questions, please email mailto:moldinspector@... Certified Mold Inspector Santner [who services metro Chicago, metro Milwaukee, and Madison, Wisconsin] uses his fiber optics inspection device to inspect inside a wall for mold contamination. To find a Certified Mold Inspector in your area, please click on: http://www.certifiedmoldinspectors.com. To buy our products on Visa or Master Card, visit http://www.paypal.com and enter our PayPal email address: moldinspector@.... Telephone & FAX orders can be placed only with American Express Card and Discover Card Monday-Friday 8-5 [utah time] by calling (435) 635-6849 or (435) 635-6850. Or use our FAX and/or Mail Order Form by clicking on: Fax Order FormTo order your FREE subscription to "Mold & Indoor Air Quality Newsletter", please enter your email address below, and then click on "Go." Join the Mold Inspector mailing list Email: Mold Inspector, I.L.L.T., is an International Limited Liability Trust. 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