Mold drives family away

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Mold drives family away

Meeting will examine ways to avoid toxin

Orr

The Idaho Statesman

In a scenario that is becoming more familiar in Idaho, an infestation has

caused members of an Eagle family to abandon their home.

But it wasn´t termites or ants that caused the Zorns to move or gave them

splitting headaches and nausea. It was toxic mold.

Stacey Zorn said that in a matter of weeks after moving into the new home,

his family suffered from bloody noses, sinus and ear infections, congestion,

and muscle aches. His 7-year-old daughter even contracted strep throat and

mononucleosis before the family left the home.

" The best way I can describe it is traumatic, " Zorn said, explaining Sunday

how the family left behind their clothes, furniture and other belongings to

live in a furnished two-bedroom apartment.

" The mold spores get everywhere - in clothes, bedding material, carpets,

pillows. It´s an infestation. We were all sick. When we left, we all got

better, " he said.

In the Zorns´ case, a leaky faucet in the shower dripped water into the

home´s crawlspace. The mold soon followed, and that´s when the health

problems began, Zorn said.

While the Zorns are still trying to figure out whether their home can be

rehabilitated, a group of local government representatives, real estate

agents and contractors is trying to deal with the problem affecting people

in the Treasure Valley and throughout Idaho.

Although local numbers are hard to nail down, Idaho Department of Water

Resources spokeswoman Anne Brink said the problem with mold - which stems

from standing water in a home - is becoming more common.

" Because there´s no one place for people to call and say, ´Hey, I have a

mold problem,´ we don´t have any specific numbers, " Brink said. " But I can

say it is definitely an issue in the Treasure Valley. "

Toxic molds have forced several Idaho families to leave homes while the

structures are repaired; some of the homeowners may never be able to return.

In 2001, at least 10 families in Idaho had to move out of their homes

because of mold problems, according to the Idaho Department of Health and

Welfare.

Local contractor Doug Ness, whose company performs mold remediation and is

currently working on 12 houses, estimated that hundreds of homes in the

Treasure Valley could have mold problems of varying degrees.

" In the winter, I was getting five and 10 calls a day, " he said.

The Building Contractors Association of Southwestern Idaho, the Idaho

Realtors Association, the Idaho Department of Water Resources and the

American Red Cross are sponsoring a conference on Wednesday on the dangers

of toxic mold.

People who attend the conference will learn what to look for when buying a

home, how to identify potential problems in their current homes, how to

handle insurance claims and legal issues, and what type of services to look

for when dealing with mold.

The sessions for professionals are aimed at builders, remodelers, real

estate agents and home inspectors. Topics will include specifics on what is

occurring in the Treasure Valley, how to assess potential problems, water

resistant construction techniques for new homes and remodels, legal issues,

insurance issues and mold remediation guidelines.

Public health experts urge people to rid their homes of mold and to repair

water leaks that allow molds to grow.

One of the worst culprits is Stachybotrys, a greenish-black mold that grows

where there´s moisture from leaks. Stacey Zorn said their home has

Stachybotrys and more than 30 other kinds of mold.

In a case that drew national attention, Stachybotrys was blamed by a

Dripping Springs, Texas, couple for severe health problems that forced them

to flee their mansion. They won a $32 million jury verdict from Farmers

Insurance Group, which the couple said mishandled their claim for mold

damage.

Zorn said he really couldn´t talk about the legal issues surrounding his

family´s situation. Meanwhile, the family will continue living in the

two-bedroom apartment and wondering what life would have been like in their

new home.

" There is so little good information out there, " he said. " I just don´t know

what is going to happen. "

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