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June 12, 2009
More on Mold....
I posted a few days ago (Urgent Buyer Advice needed from June 8th).Here's a bit of an update. I went back to the house and the contractor had put up more Sheetrock on the ceiling. In fact he had cut down the mold and placed new sheetrock over the ceiling. What could they be trying to hide? I had a mold tester come in at the advice of my attorney to identify if there was more mold in the basement..what kind and where it was.
They found mold in the ceiling of the basement and the new Sheetrock the contractor has just put up was soaked and wet. The issue here is that I have an infant and don't want her to develop anykind of health problems from bad mold. The heat is forced heat which originates from the basement to the rest of the house (its a 2 -family).
The mold report just came back from the lab (they took actual samples from the mold and the air. According to EPA and CDC, certain kinds can make people very sick once its airborne and needs to be professionally cleaned. The report revealed abundant Penicillium and Aspergillus and a small of Stachybotrys (all toxic).
Not sure what to do now..should i just walk away??
Comments
On top of the mold issue, why is the new basement ceiling sheetrock wet??? Yes, they are trying to hide something but not doing such a good job at it!!!!!
Posted by: daveinbedstuy at June 12, 2009 11:46 AM
The fact that the mold they found is toxic would be a big problem for me, especially if an infant is involved. Did you test other parts of the house (air test or sample)?
It would also really concern me that they tried to cover it up. What does your lawyer say? Did the mold inspector identify where the mold was located (is it just one wall)? Would the sellers be willing to fix and decontaminate, or reimburse you for it? What's worse is that if the source of the moisture that led to the mold is not addressed, it will come back.
Posted by: slope2009 at June 12, 2009 11:49 AM
I don't know much about it but as I understand it, there is mold in all old homes. There are ways to mitigate it but a mold test almost always comes back with something.
That said, I would be more concerned that the sellers are hiding something. I'd ask for the sheetrock to be taken down and see what is going on behind there before you proceed.
It all depends on how much you want the house. If you want it and you have a good price, you are only spiting yourself by walking away. You'll never see the sellers again after the closing. If you are only luke warm on it, then walk and you'll find something else without the hassle.
Posted by: Mrs. Limestone at June 12, 2009 11:55 AM
I'm w/ Dibs - I'd be more concerned about the moisture. If there's a leak that is repaired the mold won't be an issue.
Posted by: Arkady at June 12, 2009 11:56 AM
Yes, they're trying to hide a problem ( and being a jerk for doing so ) What they should be doing is taking the whole ceiling down and fixing the problem on their watch. Mold may be only part of the story, I wouldn't be surprised if it had termite damage too. If the owner will not take down the ceiling I would walk away from the sale.
Posted by: Rick at June 12, 2009 12:04 PM
Don't walk . . . RUN !!!
Posted by: SenatorStreet at June 12, 2009 12:32 PM
I would be concerned that since they're trying to cover up whatever is going on in the basement with new sheetrock, they may have done similar all over the house. You probably have a mess behind all the walls which could mean bigger trouble down the road.
Also as you mentioned, the mold is a much bigger deal because the house has a forced air system. With steam/hot water heat you could just try to keep the baby out of the basement if that was the only mold location. With forced air coming from the basement it's going to be blowing all over the house.
Posted by: setancre at June 12, 2009 1:20 PM
mold will continue unless moisture problem is taken care of.
The molds you mentioned are common and bound to be found in samples of any house - and I don't think 'toxic' as much as there are some people who are sensitive to them.
Mold needs right conditions to grow. Material to grow on, moisture and temperature.
Forced air heat is more apt to give you dryer air around house...so sounding like to me there is some leak inside or some seepage from outside. Not something I would necessarily run away from. Just need to know where the moisture is coming from.
Posted by: Petebklyn at June 12, 2009 1:47 PM
Actually, from what I understand, such molds are technically classified as toxic, so I would not brush away the health concerns.
Posted by: slope2009 at June 12, 2009 1:58 PM
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/21521.php
All of us have the 'toxic' mols in our homes and breathe it outside everyday. It is all about level and sensitivity.
Nevertheless - there is some issue in this house where it is growing in that area - and once remedied problem under control. If issue cause is major or minor who knows.
Posted by: Petebklyn at June 12, 2009 2:51 PM
Thank you all for your advice. As always, this forum has been extremely helpful in my journey to buy a good home. I'm waiting on the results of the air tests now. My attorney has suggested that once I get the results of the air tests that we move to get some estimates to remediate the mold at their expense. and I want that sheetrock down. Its strange that they put it up in the first place and that they took it down and put it back up again before I could have a look at what was behind it. If they don't agree I will walk. I do really like that that house, but I don't love it enough to buy it if it can make my family sick or if there is a moisture problem they are working hard to cover.
Posted by: drbedstuy2 at June 12, 2009 3:34 PM
there is obviously a leak coming into the basement due to either a leak in the roof drain tying into the main line, or a waterproofing issue in that area of the basement...the owners are idiots to try to hide it ..ask straight out what the issue is, figure the cost of fixing it, and discount the price accordingly...the mold thing will no longer be an issue
Posted by: eman1234 at June 12, 2009 4:14 PM
My biggest concern is trying to hide it. What else are they hiding? It's a buyers market, walk, run, jog, trot or whatever to get out of this deal.
Posted by: Iknow at June 12, 2009 7:34 PM
Everyone else has already said my peace, which is worry about what the sheetrock is hiding, and worry about the moisture. Mold is a symptom here.
If you want my $.02 about all this testing and professional removal and whatnot... I think that mostly this is a scam that's about frightening people out of their money.
It's true that mold can make people sick. It's a good idea to wear a respirator when you're working with mold. But it's also true that mold spores are literally everywhere, and usually don't make you sick, and that the overwhelming majority of instances where people get sick from mold, they recover very quickly.
For a little perspective, my own basement sounds a lot like yours, lots of mold. I took down the drywall myself while wearing a respirator and lived to tell the tale. (I also had the plumbing problem that was causing the mold fixed) And for a time I assisted a painting conservator, and often worked on cleaning moldy paintings and sculptures. You wear gloves and a respirator and a lab coat, and it's not that big a deal. You don't get hazard pay or anything.
Everything that's moldy will need to get thrown away, and for ethical reasons I would not let one of those cheap demo crews that only brings paper masks take care of it. You want someone who owns a respirator that fits their face, and who knows to wash their clothes and body thoroughly when they are done.
But try not to let anyone frighten you into spending tons of money. It's not nuclear waste, or ebola virus. It's just too much of an everyday material that is already in your lungs right now.
Posted by: vanburenproud at June 13, 2009 10:56 AM
I just reread the post... I didn't understand that you haven't bought the house.
They are obviously screwing with you... new sheetrock already wet? I would call them out on it. Demand that they pay a contractor of YOUR CHOICE to tear down the sheetrock, find the leak and fix it. Make it a condition of the sale. Stop spending money on tests and stuff, just fix the real problem.
If they don't want to do that, walk away.
Posted by: vanburenproud at June 13, 2009 11:00 AM
I'm with the runners here: it sounds from what you've said like you're dealing with dishonest sellers. The mold itself ... meh. Solvable. But it sounds like there are a lot of other issues hiding in the corners on this place.
Posted by: serpentor at June 15, 2009 3:07 PM
On a related note - can someone recommend a good, reasonably priced mold inspector? I'd like to have my apartment tested.
Posted by: audreypei at June 18, 2009 1:06 PM
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