In a previous blog, I highlighted some interesting facts about mold. Mold seems to be on the top of the list of the most terrifying things to find in a home these days. There is a LOT of talk about toxic mold, black mold, and all the health issues surrounding mold.
Please note: this blog is not intended to replace professional advice nor should it be considered professional advice on mold. This is my personal experience, and is rather lengthy. At the bottom of this article I have linked some government resources on mold, so if you have no patience to read my story, just skip to the bottom!
Here is my point, in case you're too impatient to read the whole thing (sorry, I can't help it, it's in my blood to ramble):
Mold, in most forms, usually does not have to be the end of the world. Mold is everywhere; and chances are it's in YOUR house. At least, the mold spores are probably there, waiting for the perfect combination of moisture and temperature to germinate.
In 1996, to make a long boring story a little shorter and hopefully less boring, Mr. Rice and I bought a $50,000 fixer upper in Pike County. Thankfully, Mr. Rice is a skilled professional carpenter and fix-it guy, and we weren't worried about the "issues." We didn't even have a home inspection. (gasp. Here is where I must say "Do as I say, not as I do." Get a home inspection!)
Our REALTOR® told us that the house had a new septic and a new roof! Hooray- two of the worst projects were out of the way! So, for $50,000, we got our dream home, in the Wallenpaupack School district, and close to my parents who lived just outside of Hawley. (TIP: Beware of a new roof! Be sure to mention this to your home inspector so he will see if there is any hidden damage not addressed when the roof was replaced!)
Naturally, we cleaned everything before moving in, not really paying attention to the blackish "stuff" on bedroom walls & in the closets. We hadn't looked in the closets previous to purchasing the home. I was more worried by the avocado & burnt orange shag carpets.
We had no Internet (heck, I didn't get my first computer until 1998, and then, I only had email from Juno!) to find out about all the horrors of mold. To me, the recurring mildew /mold on the walls around the windows was just a minor annoyance.
At some point, our baby daughter developed chronic sinus infections, which kept her from sleeping well. I thought this was crazy - she had so many ear and sinus infections; I couldn't imagine what was making her so sick all the time. The doctor told me to keep giving her antibiotics, and keep a vaporizer going in her bedroom.
After her fourth round of antibiotics, I began to wonder if there was something else causing her issues. I also noticed that within minutes of putting her down for a nap or at bedtime, her symptoms got so much worse...gagging, difficulty breathing, coughing, lots of mucus. Doctor said it was because she was laying down. "Just elevate the crib mattress, Mrs. Rice. That will help keep her passage ways clear."
But when she was lying on the sofa in the living room, she was fine. Hmm.
We had lived here several months, and while I kept the walls clean, it never occurred to me to look in the closet. It wasn't until I noticed that several of Heather's outfits had gotten mildewed. Not always being the brightest bulb in the circuit, I first assumed it was my fault for not getting clothes from the washer to the dryer in time. Hey, I was young. Sometimes I would forget about a load of laundry and have to rewash it.
Then I noticed clothes in the spare bedroom closet were mildewed too - including my wedding dress! Then the light
came on and I realized that there was a mold problem in the house (duh.) I was really angry with the doctor when I suggested that my daughter's problems were because of mold. He laughed at me.
Condescendingly he stated: "You just let me be the doctor, Mrs. Rice."
Yes, he was a respected pediatrician, practicing for longer than I was alive (maybe not that long, but close enough), and he laughed at me. He said she was too young to have developed any allergies yet, and that I should give her a NEW antibiotic, and continue running the vaporizer. Put more moisture in a room with an existing mold problem? Give a poor little body more antibiotics when they're obviously not helping? He prescribed a new, stronger antibiotic, which I filled but never gave her.
When I took her to her room for her nap, she struggled against me. Previously I thought it was just because she didn't want to go to sleep. Then I realized...she was trying to tell me she didn't want to go in her room. So, instead of putting her in her crib, I took her upstairs into our bedroom and put her to sleep - and she slept like the proverbial baby. No congestion, no gagging, no coughing.
At first I was triumphant. What did that doctor know? How dare he laugh at me! Once we moved her out of that room, she was fine. Her symptoms disappeared when we moved her out of that awful bedroom. That feeling of triumphant glee was replaced with dread at cleaning up the mess!
This long story does have a happy ending. Yes, the north end of the house was infested with mold. It truly was. When my husband gutted that little bedroom, we were disgusted with the mold we found in the walls. When the roof had been replaced by the previous owner, no thought had been given to the water damage. Being on the north side of the house, in the shadow of the neighbor's large house, it never got direct sunlight. It never had a chance to dry out - so mold took root.
Hubby did everything right though; sealed off the room, wore his respirator, and all that...just so you know, we didn't tear the room apart willy-nilly spreading more mold spores all around the house. His clothes went into the dumpster along with everything else. (Anyone who is married to a carpenter knows how happy it makes a wife to throw some of their clothes in the dumpster!)
We didn't fight with our homeowner insurance provider to try and make them pay for it. We didn't spend waste time trying to make the previous owner of the house pay for it. We didn't sue our real estate agent; how in the world would HE know there was mold in the insulation?
We didn't even sue the doctor (though I did give him an earful, informing him that the mold was indeed the problem and that we would be looking for a new doctor who wouldn't laugh at mother's intuition.) Hopefully, by this time, he has read Indoor Air Pollution: An Introduction for Health Professionals
We just took the bull by the horns and fixed the problem before it got worse. I've read stories online about people with chronic mold in their homes - and a lot of time was spent wasted trying to force someone else to pay for it. Mold + time = disaster.
All that to say - the mold is gone, and our daughter is fine. In fact, she's probably the healthiest one in the house; she rarely, if ever, gets sick.
I realize that not all mold stories have happy endings. My point is this - when you discover you have a mold problem, don't waste time trying to place blame; just get the problem fixed before it gets worse. When it comes to mold, your worst enemy next to moisture is time. While many people have allergic reactions to mold, only a small percentage of the mold found in homes is actually toxic "black mold." And most often, the toxic mold shows up where there has been serious and severe moisture, such as a flood and/or a leak that has not been fixed.
Here's something by Ninah Hunter here on Active Rain that you may not have thought of: Mold in New Construction.
Important - Please Read More On Mold - EPA Guide To Mold & Moisture in your Home
And Even More Fungus Amongus Info:
Moisture Control in Your Home
Conditions that Promote Mold Growth
Indoor Mold Characteristics
This blog is not intended to present myself as an expert on mold, nor should it take the place of the advice of a mold professional. Always have a home inspection before purchasing a home.
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Karen E. Rice is a real estate agent working in Pike & Wayne County of Northeastern PA in the Pocono Mountains. Lake Wallenpaupack is one of Pennsylvania's most popular destinations for vacations, retirement, and purchasing a home.
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Use the links below to learn more about real estate for sale and about my innovative marketing plan for sellers in Pike and and Wayne County of Northeast PA.
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Areas Served: Hawley, Honesdale, Lake Ariel, Lake Wallenpaupack, Lords Valley, Greeley, Greentown, Tafton, Waymart, and Lackawaxen. Planned Communities: The Hideout, Hemlock Farms, Wallenpaupack Lake Estates, Fawn Lake Forest, Pocono Springs, Masthope, Indian Rocks, Tink Wig, Woodland Hills, and other communities in NEPA.
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I had mold in my A/C unit...I got so sick that I couldn't breathe. I had it cleaned out three times and had my A/C vent's through out my home cleaned...and had a week of antibiotics...and a week out of town while they were trying to cure the mold issue before I could live in my home again.
It's a very serious issue and should not be taken lightly IMHO!
I represented a buyer who had a home tested for mold and tested positive for Stachybotrys, etc. Seller (relo company) got bids from 2 remediation companies that varied wildly and did not even find one of the sources of the mold. There was a outside water heater cabinet with standing water and visible mold 2 feet up. Both revised their bids. It did not leave me with the impression that you can rely on their assessments.
Marchel - that is something a lot of people need to consider too- if a home has had water damage or a claim to fix a mold problem, an insurance company may refuse to insure that house or they may charge such an outrageous amount that they can't afford the premium.
Karen - I hope that I didn't give the impression that one should take mold "lightly" - my point was that it's generally not the end of the world, and of course, should be handled by a professional. Also, geographic location can be a big factor as well. Some people are more prone to reactions than others. Mold is difficult to nail to the wall as one definite thing - because there are so many different varieties and people react differently to it.
Joe - goes to show that if you don't find the source of the problem and fix it, you will have it come back...and yes, you can get varied assessments and opinions.
When it comes to remediation, I have read that you need to check their references religiously!
Mold is so prevalent where moisture has been permeating the environment for a prolonged period of time. Water damage, if left unchecked, can really be a nuisance. Mold probably isn't as drastic in states where you have extreme cold or, just the opposite, extremely warm climates (not humid) because of rapid drying, although the heat can be a contributing factor. Drying the place out properly is always a great start. The strong, musty odors associated with mold are always a sure give away. Now for the startling facts:
There are over 100 thousand kinds of fungi that have been identified. But we're not talking about the kind of mold that produces those amazingly satisyfying and aromatic loaves of bread at the bakery, are we, Karen ? It's certainly serious when our health is affected by one of these varieties. Thanks for addressing the problem.
Best wishes.
Everyone should read this story and take heed. One member here got severly sick from mold in her basement.... It's not to be taken lightly!
David - thank you for your comment. Yes, the amount of different varieties of mold is mind boggling. And not everyone reacts to mold in the same way. When there is mold, it is imperitave to find the source, repair the cause of the moisture, and remove all organic material that is affected (consult a pro if more than 10 sq. feet) as soon as possible.
Sally - I'm still annoyed by that doctor who laughed at me - and am so thankful that we discovered what was causing our daughter's problems quickly.
Karen...
Living in Florida keeps mold in the forefront of our minds. We deal with this all the time.
It is hazardous if left untreated.
By the way...I'm impressed that in this world of sue or be sued you stayed away from it. Good for you :)
In this business...Our good names should never come in a lawsuit of any kind.
P.S. I keep checking out with bananas and bread nut. It's making me hungry for banana bread :)
TLW...ROAR!
Thank you to whoever gave this a localism feature! I appreciate it!
Jennifer - yes, we were thankful that our daughter didn't have any serious ill effects - actually I wonder if it made her stonger; that kid almost never gets sick.
TLW - thank you for stopping by! Mold left to itself is definitely a disaster waiting to happen! No...suing someone was the last thing on our minds. We just felt really stupid for not "catching" it before we moved in...I think we were just so excited to have a REAL HOUSE to CALL OUR OWN...that we ignored the obvious. Kind of like dating a handsome guy that really is a shallow jerk and not handsome at all when you get to know him? LOL
Maybe though we were distracted by the GREAT FLEA infestation...yes, our house was infested with fleas when we moved in.
In Los Angeles one of the major news channels (I believe it was Channel 2, Eyewitness News) staged an undercover investigation using eye shadow in places one would usually find mold and invited contractors out to analyze and quote for mold remediation and removal. They invited companies using the yellow pages (some claiming to be experts in the industry) to give quotes on a staged home.
All the companies invited gave ridiculous quotes and reported the problems as severe, with solutions that included complete tear-outs. Later when confronted on camera after it was revealed it was eye shadow that was being used, they refused to answer questions and disavowed statements made on camera during the inspection.
WOW!!! Can you spell B-U-S-T-E-D???!!!
Holy smokes!!! I love those undercover investigations. Thanks for commenting, NeedaNotary...
Karen, I can relate to this! It has all of the same factors that my family experienced. It also made me laugh about the part when the wife finally can throw those crusty work-clothes in the dumpster:) You are truly an excellent writer. I really enjoyed looking over some of your posts.