Mold damage costs homeowners and home insurers in excess of $1 billion every year. For this reason, home buyers, real estate professionals, and mortgage companies are beginning to request home inspections and mold inspections for new and existing homes alike.
They don't make them like they used to.
With all the advances and industrial technology in the past few years, you would think mold would be less of a problem than it was 10 to 20 years ago. Actually, the opposite is true. New homes are typically better sealed than homes built 20 years ago.
While this makes them better insulated against extreme temperatures, it also provides mold with the necessary growing conditions. The insulation provides the mold with the desired temperatures, and the tighter seal raises humidity levels due to lack of ventilation.
Remediation
Remediation includes fixing the water/moisture problem, and the cleaning, removal and/or replacement of damaged or contaminated materials. Mold remediation can be an expensive process, so prevention is always the best method for combating mold.
Remediation costs
Mold spores are introduced into homes in a variety of ways. Spores are lightweight and can be spread by air currents very easily. The weight of the spore determines how long it will remain airborne. Some mold spores, once airborne, will never settle down to earth.
Mold spores are more dangerous to humans when they are airborne and capable of being ingested or inhaled. Mold spores on the surfaces of materials inside a home have the potential to colonize and spread throughout the area where they landed.
Some mold spores may be introduced by Pets. For example, dogs and cats that go outside, track mold spores to their fur and paws with static electricity.
Then then bring the spores into the house where they are deposited and can sit dormant for extended periods of time waiting for the right moment to germinate and begin colonization.
In addition to health problems, mold can cause extensive damage to the physical components inside a house. Mold needs to eat to survive and will consume whatever substance it is growing on.
Homeowners versus insurance companies
Stachybotrys, a slimy black mold, can cause extensive damage to homes. It is reportedly responsible for taking over the 11,000 ft.² home of Melinda Ballard and her family in Texas.
Everything in the house was contaminated by stachybotrys from the family photographs to expensive silk Persian rugs.
The mold was caused by leaks in the drain system that eventually had the family's three-year-old son spitting up blood and her husband suffering from memory loss.
The family had reported the drainage problem to their insurance company but the insurance company had done nothing to remedy the problem.
In 2001, a jury awarded the family 32 million, including 12 million in punitive damages. This case set a precedent for future mold litigation.
Mold claims were virtually unheard of before 2000, but today mold related claims cost home insurers more than one billion every year.
Correcting construction defects
There is a common saying that states "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound or two". Mold is no exception to this rule. Homeowners can save substantial amounts of money by fixing small problems like leaking pipes that could potentially lead to big problems like stachybotrys mold infestation.
Fix water leaks
Water leaks can lead to mold infestation very quickly, so it is crucial to fix any pipes that may be leaking and correct any drainage problems.
Remove carpet from bathrooms
Carpeted bathrooms are often plagued by mold problems because the carpet traps moisture from the shower, sink, and humidity in the air and provides the ideal condition for mold growth.
Fix exhaust fans in kitchens and bathrooms
Without exhaust fans/windows in kitchens and bathrooms, there is often nowhere for the moisture in the air to escape to. This moisture tends to encourage mold to spread in these poorly ventilated areas such as behind shower walls, near appliances, and on ceilings.
Check the foundation
Mold can also significantly weaken the construction of a home also. It is important to make sure no wood siding is touching the ground and that the foundation of the house is not permitting mold to attack components of the home’s construction from the ground.
Where to look for mold.
Mold will grow only where there is something to consume. Cellulose, mold's favorite food, damp/wet conditions including leaking water, condensation, and high humidity.
Some of the areas for mold are listed below:
Common areas for mold growth
Underneath kitchen and bathroom fixtures
Basements or cellars that have/had been flooded
Behind walls that contain plumbing
Behind wallpaper that was once was damp
Between baseboards and the wall or floor
Around air conditioning units
Around leaky windows
Underneath previously wet carpet
Carpeted basement on a damp concrete floor with no apparent signs of moisture leakage
These common areas for mold growth are given special attention during our mold inspection. There are also some warning signs to be aware of that may alert us to the presence of mold in these areas:
Warning signs
Musty/rotten odor
Staining
Warping or indentations in wood/trim
Swelling or crumbling of plaster/sheetrock
White mats (mycelium) underneath carpet, flooring, floorboards
