Here are a few tips to prevent mold growth, all of which need to be done within 24- 48 hours of the damage.
Assuming you have had an inch of water or more within you basement area. Waiting for the insurance company can sometimes be too late as most do not cover mold.
#1Try to get all personal items that were damaged up off the floor or to another area of your home to dry them out.
#2 Remove the carpet and padding throughout the area
#3 Remove all the base moldings from all walls in the basement.
#4 Cut the sheetrock up at least 2 feet on all exterior walls and discard. Insulation behind the walls acts like a very big sponge. Interior walls can some times be saved if you have enough fans. If not remove those walls also.
#5 Remove the insulation and throw it out.
#6 Get as many fans and dehumidifiers as you can, set up the fans in such a way that you create a cyclone affect where the air fully circulates the basement space.
#7 Remember to empty your dehumidifiers twice daily.
#8 If visible mold growth is observed while conducting any of these steps, stop what you are doing and call a mold professional immediately.
LA Testing offers mold and other indoor air quality (IAQ) testing services to protect students and faculty from hidden threats.
Pasadena, CA
As students across the nation get ready to start heading back to school, a number of news stories have recently made headlines about mold problems facing school districts. Elevated levels of mold can cause a host of potential health issues for anyone spending time in these buildings.
In Lake Zurich, Illinois, an elementary school recently discovered mold above classrooms and hallways in 17 locations. The Marietta Times last week reported on mold remediation that is required to fix a problem in an another elementary school in Ohio. Also recently, York Daily News reported that the South Eastern School District in Pennsylvania was tackling mold problem at one of their middle schools. Maine’s Sun Journal published a story about a $1 million mold removal project at the Otisfield Community School. These are just a few examples of mold causing problems in the nation’s schools.
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), “Poor indoor air quality can impact the comfort and health of students and staff, which, in turn, can affect concentration, attendance, and student performance. In addition, if schools fail to respond promptly to poor IAQ, students and staff are at an increased risk of short-term health problems, such as fatigue and nausea, as well as long-term problems like asthma.”
“It’s important that students who spend 8 hours in classrooms have good IAQ,” reported Ben Sublasky, National Director of Client Services for LA Testing and EMSL Analytical, a leading mold and IAQ testing laboratory. “Poor IAQ can not only diminish student’s capability to learn, but it can also increase absenteeism and lead to allergies, asthma and even fungal infections in susceptible individuals.”
Aug. 2, 2011 — Infants raised in a home with moldy areas may be more likely to develop childhood asthma.
A new study shows that infants who lived in moldy homes were nearly three times more likely to have childhood asthma by age 7.
“Early life exposure to mold seems to play a critical role in childhood asthma development,” researcher Tina Reponen, PhD, professor of environmental health at the University of Cincinnati, says in a news release.
“This study should motivate expectant parents — especially if they have a family history of allergy or asthma — to correct water damage and reduce the mold burden in their homes to protect the respiratory health of their children,” Reponen says.
Mold Tied to Asthma Risk
In the study, published in the Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, researchers looked at factors associated with the risk of developing childhood asthma in a group of 176 children followed from birth in the Cincinnati, Ohio, and Northern Kentucky area.
Mold exposure in the home was measured using EPA standards, and the children were evaluated for asthma at age 7.
The results showed that 18% of the children had childhood asthma by age 7. Children who lived in a home rated as having a high level of mold during the first year of life were 2.6 times more likely to have asthma as those who lived in homes with a low level of mold.
Researchers found that other factors associated with an increased childhood asthma risk were a family history of asthma and an allergic sensitization to dust mites.
The study also showed that air-conditioning at home slightly reduced the risk of childhood asthma development.
Researchers say about 9% of school-aged children in the U.S. will develop asthma. Symptoms of childhood asthma can range from a nagging cough to episodes of shortness of breath and wheezing that require emergency treatment.
Florida’s warm, humid climate is the perfect setup for mold to grow in our homes. Roughly 1,000 strains of household mold, Strachybotrys chartarum, commonly called “black” or “toxic” mold have been identified. Many types of mold cause such health problems as sneezing, itching and wheezing and even trigger asthma attacks.
Toxic or not, mold isn’t healthy to have in your home, according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
In the past, Florida homeowners were sometimes taken advantage of by so-called mold removal specialists who were nothing more than con artists.
Now Florida consumers have some protection with a new law that requires licensing of mold specialists.
The law also prohibits a company from performing both the mold testing or assessment and the mold remediation or removal on the same house. Previously, a company could do both on the same property.
“What this means now is that if you do an inspection on a job site, you are not allowed to do the remediation,” said Michael Fadell, president of Jupiter-based U.S Mold, licensed to perform both types of service.
The law requiring licenses for mold assessors and mold remediators was enacted in 2010. Enforcement began July 1, according to the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation.
Qualified companies that submitted their applications by March 1 were grandfathered in if they met certain requirements such as having performed at least 40 mold assessments or remediations.
Fadell welcomes the regulation and said homeowners should always demand to see a company’s license, ask for references and call the references.
To check for a license, go to www.myfloridalicense.com.
“The licensing is a good thing. Nobody can just jump into this business and start doing it,” Fadell said.
Those new to the business must meet requirements such as a two-year degree in microbiology, engineering, architecture, industrial hygiene, occupational safety, or a related field of science from an accredited institution and a minimum of one year of field experience, or a high school diploma or equivalent with four years of documented field experience.
All applicants must demonstrate documented training in water, mold and respiratory protection. Applicants must also submit an application and fee to the department, pass a state approved examination, and submit fingerprints for a criminal background check.
Mold problems in Florida homes accelerated beginning with the hurricanes of 2004, Fadell said.
“We had a lot of fly-by-nights coming in from all over the country and slapping magnetic signs on their trucks saying they were mold specialists,” Fadell said. “A lot of people were taken advantage of.”
In the past few years, the mold problems have been popping up in vacant foreclosed homes.
“As soon as you walk in, you get this ungodly musty, mildewy smell,” Fadell said. “The house is closed up and the banks turn the air conditioners off.”
Lately, Fadell said he has seen houses where someone has left the windows open to air out the house, and failed to close them before it rained, making the situation worse.
Fadell said his company is doing work on such homes, which are treatable 90 percent of the time.
The job involves cleaning the air conditioning coils, cleaning ducts with a high efficiency particulate air vacuum, and fogging with a biodegradeable chemical that kills bacteria and molds.
“It should not scare people from buying a house,” Fadell said.
The cost to treat a 2,000-square-foot house would be $2,000 to $3,000. If drywall and carpets need to be ripped out, the cost would be higher, Fadell said.
Only if the structure is compromised should a potential buyer not purchase the house, he said. If dry rot is present, that indicates the structure has water damage. When looking at the home, check all water sources, under vanities, behind washer and dryers and refrigerators, etc., Fadell advises.
Check under all windows to see if any baseboards are cracked and pulling away from drywall. Look for water stains and ask your Realtor if the home has had water damage.
Also check air-conditioning vents for visible signs of mold, and inspect ceilings for water stains.
About mold and moisture
Molds are living organisms that grow in damp places in your home. Mold, a type of fungi, produces ‘spores,’ tiny specks you can’t see that float through the air. They stain or discolor surfaces and smell musty.
Mold can grow almost anywhere: on walls, ceilings, carpets, or furniture. Humidity or wetness, caused by water leaks, spills from bathtubs or showers, or condensation, can cause mold to grow in your home.
People with allergies to mold may get watery eyes, runny or stuffed noses, itching, headaches or have difficulty breathing.
Some molds produce toxins that may be hazardous if people are exposed to large amounts . Mold spores and related mycotoxins also can pose a serious health threat to individuals who have compromised immune systems.
As huge numbers of foreclosed homes continue to work their way through the real estate pipeline, another problem is blossoming — mold.
In most homes, as residents go in and out and the seasons change, natural ventilation sucks moisture up to the attic and out through the roof. It’s called the “stack effect.” And in many parts of the country, it’s driven by air conditioning in the summer and heat in the winter.
But no one is going in or out of most foreclosed homes — regardless of climate — and the effects can be devastating.
In some states, it’s estimated that more than half of foreclosed homes have mold and mildew issues. Realtors across the country say they’re seeing the problem in everything from bungalows to mansions.
Bob Bennett runs Farsight Management in northeastern Ohio, specializing in cleaning up water-damaged buildings.
A full quarter of his work now comes from moldy, foreclosed homes where the electricity has been shut off. No electricity means no sump pump or dehumidifier for months, even years, and that often means mold — slimy black or green patches creeping up drywall and blanketing bathroom fixtures.
“Here, water came out of the sump, and it got underneath the carpet, came over to the wall, and then wicked up the side of the gypsum board, so you can see this banding where the top of the wicking stopped,” he says.
It was the middle of winter. There were icicles coming out of the windows above the garage, no heat, but it was 80 degrees inside of the house because it was self-composting.
– Realtor Rebecca Terakedis
Even minor mold abatement can start at $5,000 and cost much, much more. In this particular case, Bennett estimates a price tag of more than $6,000, plus the cost of new floors, walls and carpet. He wears a head-to-toe protective suit on most jobs.
A Manifestation Of The Foreclosure Crisis
Realtor Rebecca Terakedis has been showing an increasing number of abandoned, foreclosed and moldy — but otherwise fine — homes to prospective buyers.
“I have a release form that I use, and if the property has got a lot of mold in it, I don’t even let my own husband go in it without signing this disclosure because I don’t want the liability,” she says. “I had one really interesting [one]. It was the middle of winter. There were icicles coming out of the windows above the garage, no heat, but it was 80 degrees inside of the house because it was self-composting.”
Realtors say they don’t think banks mean to incur thousands of dollars in mold damage just to save on monthly utility bills. But the mold problem appears largely to be a manifestation of the foreclosure crisis. Bills go unpaid, houses sit vacant, and the whole process takes much longer than anyone wants.
Ohio Bankers League President Mike Van Buskirk says by the time the banks process foreclosure paperwork, it’s often too late.
“There are a lot of steps in government, the courts, county sheriff that are involved in it,” he says. “While it varies across the state, some of them, thinking they’re helping the consumers, are really dragging out the process, so that it can take two or three years.”
Realtor Jill Flagg says many lenders won’t sell a home for less than the mortgage note, so the house sits and sits, and it continues to grow mold.
“I had an offer on a house with Bank of America where they have agreed to do a short sale, and it’s been over two months, and they haven’t even responded to the offer,” she says. “They don’t have enough staff to move it along — too backed up. They don’t have enough qualified people who know what they’re doing, and, you know, it’s in a pile somewhere.”
Charges of faulty paperwork have slowed the pace of foreclosures in recent months, and that may be exacerbating the mold problem as those houses sit and bake through the long, hot summer.
A mold cover-up? A baby is fighting breathing problems and a doctor asked an apartment manager to step in and get rid of the mold. Now, the manager is accused of covering up the mold instead of fixing the problem.
Coughing, wheezing and hacking are symptoms the Gorski family says began after moving into their apartment at Holland place in Appleton.
They’re the sounds of cold season. But for this family of five, they’re symptoms that won’t go away. “The two youngest one Jennifer and jack were coughing all the time.” Joe Gorski explained. It was a red flag for a family who’s youngest has suffered from a heart condition from birth.
Even more mysterious, the family says the symptoms would disappear when they stepped outside. “As we would leave the apartment and go somewhere for the who day, everybody would start feeling better.” Gorski said.
That’s when Joseph says he discovered something growing on the ceiling. “I was actually laying on the couch watching TV when I looked up and seen the mold on the ceiling. I went what the heck?”
While it may have started there, the Gorski’s say they soon discovered it all over their place. “And then it started around the air conditioner around the windows.back again from the wall.
The apartment management tried to clean up and paint over several times. But Joseph Gorski says just hasn’t worked. “You can actually see the mold coming back, on the casing through here.” Gorski described.
The apartment’s manager who wouldn’t go on camera with NBC26 but says because she was new, she was unaware of any issues involving the couple or their concerns.
Health issues that Heather Gorski says she’s reminded of all day long..”Seeing them cry in pain, wheezing, coughing, how hard they’d cough that’s gotta hurt.”
NBC26 also spoke with a representative of Dominium who owns the complex. We were issued a statement saying the company takes all concerns seriously. But admitted the wooden frame windows were prone to condensation. The company has asked tenants to wipe the condensation away.
TRENTON — Legislation that would require the state to establish standards for exposure limits to mold in residential buildings and certification of mold inspectors and abatement workers has been released by an Assembly panel.
The bill (A-3773) would require the Department of Community Affairs in consultation with the Department of Health and Senior Services to establish standards for exposure limits to mold in residential buildings, and procedures for the inspection, identification, and evaluation of the interior of residential buildings for mold.
“Mold can exacerbate health problems including asthma and allergies in children, and currently there are no standards to control its harmful potential,” said Assemblywoman Celeste Riley, D-Bridgeton, one of the sponsors. “Other states have passed laws establishing guidelines, and now it’s time for New Jersey to follow suit.”
Under the bill, the DCA would also be required to establish standards for mold hazard abatement procedures including specialized cleaning, repairs, maintenance, painting, temporary containment and ongoing monitoring of mold hazards or potential hazards and establish a certification program for persons who inspect for the presence of mold hazards in residential buildings and who perform mold hazard abatement work in residential buildings.
The bill was released by the Assembly Environment and Solid Waste Committee.
Does it seem that no one will help you, or no one believes you? Testing for mold in the human body can change everything. If you are seeking legal damages or just want people to understand your mold sickness is real, you will need to be tested.
Why Get Tested?
Because This Test Can Prove Your Complaints of Mold Sickness are Legitimate
There’s a Million Reasons to Be Tested, What’s Important to You?
Fungal Infections Just Don’t Go Away, They Can do Damage for Years to Come
Does it seem that no one will help you, or no one believes you? This test can change everything. If you are seeking legal damages or just want people to understand your mold sickness is real, you will need to be tested.
There are three key and very specific things you should do when trying to prove Mold damages. Proving you have Abnormal levels of Mold in your body is the #1 thing you’ll need to prove your Mold complaint is legitimate, blood testing will help validate your health conditions.
1. Document the cause of the mold growth. What caused it, and where it came from.
Most people use photos and contractor’s estimates for this.
2. You must always prove it is actually Mold in your home, or in your environment.
Photographs alone can not provide you with what you will need to prove you actually have Mold. You probably will need to hire a Mold Certified Professional to take your Mold samples. You should get a professional Mold inspection report and a microbiology laboratory report confirming it is Mold. Just because you say it is Mold no one will believe you as you have no scientific training regarding the identification of Mold or training in the collection of Mold samples. This is why a mold home test kit may not provide you with the documentation you really need as the knowledge of the person taking the Mold samples is always questioned.
3. Prove that your body has been exposed to Mold.
You can say you don’t feel well all day long, and tell people Mold is making you sick. But unless you prove your body has been exposed to Mold what proof do you have?
Again you will need scientific evidence which documents you have Mold in your body at “ABNORMAL”
We have been informed by many Law Firms that when the blood test results come back showing elevated levels of mold in the human body they are able to settle their cases very quickly and for a lot more money.
What to do with our reports
Once you have your report and blood profile life becomes much easier as now you can take your report and results to your doctor and begin treatment.
If you have an Attorney or are seeking damages for Mold sickness our reports will become instrumental in helping you with your claims regarding Mold sickness.
It is important to know
If blood tests show elevated levels of Mold in your body this may help you understand and identify where
you were exposed to Mold and to avoid those areas.
With so many people now upside down on the value of their homes vs. the balance of the mortgage, they are simply walking away and leaving the homes in the care of the lender. A recent report estimates there is now a three-year surplus of homes. That greatly reduces the “new home market,” which cannot compete with the price of an existing home.
With a third-party owner such as a bank, mortgage company or government entity, the abandoned home is shut down to save on maintenance costs. The homes are generally winterized by turning off all utilities, leaving the home to the ravages of the weather.
During the cold winter months, the home becomes a nest for pests looking for a winter’s lodging. Then in the hot, humid summer, the homes are at the mercy of moisture, which feeds mold.
With the doors and windows closed and the air-conditioner turned off, the indoor humidity levels increase, feeding any mold spores that were present — and all homes have mold spores.
The molds need warmth, water and a food source to thrive. A closed house is warm, the summer months are humid and the house itself is the food source.
My advice to any lender, real-estate agent or caretaker is to turn the air-conditioner to at least 78 degrees or place a dehumidifier in the home. This, of course, requires the electricity to be turned on and that is an extra cost added to the declining value of the home.
If you deprive mold of any of its life’s necessities, it will go dormant. Dehumidification by means of the use of an air conditioner is the easiest way to reduce mold growth.
Once the home is sold, be careful in choosing a mold-treatment company.
My experience has shown that in 95 percent of the cases, mold-infected items need to be removed from the home, not simply sprayed or treated.
The notion of cleaning mold with bleach is untrue and untested. The water content of the bleach only helps feed the mold spores.
Molds have roots that go beyond what you see on the surface.
Bleach and other spray-on applications simply do not solve the problem.
Drywall, wallpaper, ceiling tiles and paneling are easy to remove. Wood studs, floor decking and floor joists can be sanded once the wood has had time to dry.
The wood is then sealed with polyurethane or another permanent sealant.
Before hiring a mold-remediation company, Have an independent mold inspector inspect the property and provide air quailty tests to evaluate the overall condition of the home. Get three or more references and call those people to see if their work was satisfactory. Make sure the company is insured.
The Better Business Bureau is a very good source when checking a contractor’s background. And as always, get three or more estimates to compare.
NORTHGLENN, Colo. — Tiffany Melenciano said she’d only been in her apartment for three days when water began dripping from the ceiling.
The mother of three moved into the Crestwood Resort Apartments in Northglenn on May 2.
Coincidentally, it was one of the wettest months on record.
“It started raining,” Melenciano told 7NEWS. “And the ceiling started leaking.”
She complained to management and they sent a crew over to fix the problem.
Several days later, it rained again.
Melenciano said there was so much rainwater leaking into her bedroom that the paint started ballooning away from the drywall.
“I had to put a bucket down,” she said. “The carpet and padding got soaked.”
She again told management and they again sent out a repair crew.
Melenciano said that when a maintenance employee pulled the carpet back, she saw mold along the edges of the wall behind the baseboard and along the carpet tack strips.
“It was the furry type black mold,” she said.
The apartment complex manager told 7NEWS she couldn’t talk about the specific tenant’s case, but did say there was no mold in the apartment.
“There was discoloration from moisture intrusion,” the manager said. “But it wasn’t mold.”
Melenciano isn’t convinced.
She’s asked to be let out of her lease, but says management wants to dock her $2,200 in penalties.
“I’m not going to stay under these conditions with my three children,” the mother said. “So I signed a paper that said, ‘I want out of my lease.’”
An attorney with Colorado Legal Services said there are two things that the tenant might do.
“She can ask Tri-County Health if they’ll come out and test the air in her apartment,” Andrea Faley said. “Or she can pay for a mold inspection herself.”
Faley said if the test is positive and the landlord doesn’t remedy the problem, the tenant may be able to get out of her lease.
Landlord-Tenant attorney Jacob Eppler told 7NEWS the tenant should put all communication with the manager in writing.
Eppler said that after the manager receives a complaint in writing, they have a reasonable amount of time to make repairs.
As to whether it was actually mold or just discoloration, Eppler said, “A professional service can tell you quickly.”
Melenciano isn’t the only tenant in that complex experiencing that problem.
Another renter approached a 7NEWS crew shortly after 5 p.m. Monday and said he’s had leaks in his apartment too.
When asked if the baseboard or walls were discolored, the tenant said, “I haven’t taken a close look.”
That tenant said the leaks occur whenever it rains.
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