Q. Your site is an invaluable resource, especially to the first-time home buyer whose been alerted to mold concerns in a prospective property. If a developer remediates mold in a condominium development, takes steps to address what caused the mold growth in the first place and a certified, independent inspector deems the building mold free, what is the probability that the problem will return due to historical precedent, leftover spores in the building, etc? [Aug. 23, 2005]
       A. Of course, all the items you mention reduce the chances of future mold problems, but it does not eliminate the possibility of future mold problems because of possible future water problems such as roof leaks, siding leaks, water line breaks, high humidity [above 50 to 60% some or all of the year], flooding, etc. If you are a prospective buyer of such a condo, you would be wise to have the entire condo inspected and tested [including inside walls, ceilings, floors, attic, basement, crawl space, and the heating/cooling ducts and equipment by a Certified Mold Inspector.

        Q. We are in the process of selling our home and the prospective buyers  just had a home inspection done today.  There was only one major problem they are concerned about and it is black mold in the attic.  We had a home inspection done as well 5 years ago and was told this was old mold due to insufficient ventilation but that it would remedy itself since there is now adequate ventilation in the attic.  The mold is not fuzzy or slimy and has actually not grown at all since we have been living here.  The prospective buyers are worried about this mold .  Is there any way to clean up this old mold that doesn't cost a fortune?  The crawl space under the house is on sand and there is no mold down there.  Do you think this mold in the attic is a problem and can it be removed? [June 10, 2005]
        A. Adequate ventilation is not going to enable to the mold problem to remedy itself. The mold is waiting there for access to high humidity or a roof leak to resume its mold growth. Attic mold can easily grow into the insides of the walls and ceilings below. In addition, airborne mold spores from the attic mold can travel in air currents to mold cross contaminate the entire house and its heating/cooling system by entering open windows and doors and the fresh air intake of the heating/cooling system. Learn the 25 steps for safe and effective mold remediation You ought to use our do it yourself mold test kits to learn the mold status of the rest of your house and its heating/cooling system. Most home buyers these days are requiring that homes be inspected very thoroughly by a Certified Mold Inspector.

        Q. We have recently purchased a home (December) and while attempting to lay a carpet in our basement we noticed the floor was wet. The floor is just unfinished concrete and it was wet for about a foot in front of an outside wall. We have a 8 foot corner where the cement wall is wet and the previous owner had tried to paint and cover with drywall/wood panels. This had aggravated the problem but we don't see a lot of mold just a lot of moisture. Some of the framing has mold as well as some of the drywall and paneling. Can we fix this from the inside by sealing the concrete walls or do we have to dig outside and put in weeping tile? We have been getting conflicting advice from different people. The information that he provided was that he knew of no flooding or water damage and he was the owner for 20 years. What is your expert opinion as to his legal obligations to us? [June 1, 2005]
         A. You need to ask your mold and water problem seller legal liability problem to a real estate specialist, local attorney licensed to practice law in your province. Sorry, but we are not lawyers---only experts at mold prevention, inspection, testing, and remediation. You should also read the in-depth ebook Mold Legal Guide. The water problem advice given to you that you need to do basement waterproofing and water diversion from the outside is the only correct advice given to you. Unless you are willing to install a new concrete liner wall inside the present walls and floors, at least one inch thick with adequate amounts of waterproofing compound, you are not going to be able to stop the water problem from indoors. Hydrostatic water pressure from the outside will pop water through any other effort such as waterproofing sealant [applied from inside the walls]. You should also consider the very real possibility that the basement floor is wet because of no or a degraded or damaged water moisture barrier beneath the concrete floor---thus allowing water to wick up from the ground into the concrete and thus into your home to drive high humidity and high mold growth. The facts that you are facing wet basement walls and floors and that you have already discovered mold infestation in the basement are two good reasons for you to do total home mold testing with do it yourself mold test kits from a large hardware or home improvement store..

         Q. We live in Illinois. We bought an older house [which we were planning on renovating] from my Grandmother. We did know we had to rewire the house but did not know it was still substandard wiring which is not up to code in our state. Also as we got into working on the house, upon having bidders out to do siding/window work we were told we have excessive mold damage. Then our daughter got sick and was never better, hired a licensed air technician to come out and show there was mold in the house. We moved out immediately and into an apartment. What are my chances of getting out of this contract? I am still paying insurance on the house, which will have to be torn down. We also have invested well over $15,000 in repairs. I am confused as to what to do, especially since my family is hassling us. [May 29, 2005]
         A. Many homebuyers buy houses that turn out to be hidden mold hells because the buyers are unwilling to spend a few hundred dollars to protect their family health and home investment by doing in-depth mold inspection and testing of the prospective home---especially to check for the possibility of hidden mold growth inside walls, ceilings, floors, basement, crawl space, attic, and the heating/cooling equipment and ducts.  When the seller of the mold hell is your own grandmother, that fact certainly makes suing for concealed mold damaged very unlikely. If you are willing to sue your grandmother, you need to consult with a local environmental attorney. You would also be wise to read the in-depth book Mold Legal Guide, only $15.00, available at Mold Mart. Finding a good attorney is but one of the many important topics explained in detail in the Guide. As to your grandmother, perhaps your attorney can negotiate a cancellation of the remaining indebtedness [if any], a cancellation of the home purchase, a return of the mold hell property to the grandmother, and hopefully a return of your down payment and installment payments already made. The $15,000 of repairs is probably gone forever. Whether it is to pursue any legal rights you may have or to help document the severity of the mold health threat to your grandmother and other family members, consider doing in-depth mold inspection and mold testing of the home. Follow the inspection and testing tips at Mold Inspection and Mold Mart.

      Q. We are in the process of purchasing a home. (Adirondacks in NYS) Upon completion of the home inspection.  The inspector found black streaking on the ceilings of the home.  He felt that it may be a problem with how the insulation was installed.  The black streaking seems to be following the beams of the ceiling.  The home is a modular built in 1994 with a tin roof.  It does have ridge and soffit vents. We are concerned that it is mold.  There is not access to get into the attic to inspect further.  Can you tell us if this is a mold problem and suggest what we might want to do.  We will either proceed with the home purchase or look for another home.  We need HELP soon...[May 29, 2005].
      A. The black streaking you see is from mold growth in and above the ceiling. The home probably has a massive hidden mold problem, with mold growth likely to be a big-time presence inside not only the ceiling, but also the connecting walls and the heating/cooling equipment and ducts. Learn the 25 steps for safe and effective mold remediation and mold removal. Expect to spend from thousands to tens of thousands of dollars to fix the hidden mold infestations.

Q. We are considering putting an offer on a house in Indianapolis that has had a prior mold issue.  It has gone through remediation by professional mold removers, and will have a 1 year warranty on it from them.  They stripped all drywall, ceilings, carpets, (etc.) and HVAC [heating, ventilating, and air conditioning] out of the basement, where the mold problem originated.  They took out all the carpets on the main level (ranch home).  They treated the whole home (vents etc) over an extensive period of time.  Why the mold?  The bank repossessed the house in 2003, shut off power, the sump pump couldn't handle it because of no electric power, and the basement flooded.  No one came into the home for another year and a half.  I was told the mold was non-toxic kind, but had grown so much that it was at toxic levels.  We have been unable to get a report of the mold remediation b/c the realtor is out of town until Monday.  Because this is a VA repo, There is a deadline of Monday for all offers to be in. This is already Saturday—just 2 days to go before we have to submit an offer if we are going to do so.  We are looking to buy a property to either fix up and resell, or to rent.  We're concerned that if we rent, and any mold comes back, we could have some major legal liability.  This home is way under priced for the neighborhood because everything has had to be ripped out.  ($105,900 in a subdivision wherein other comparable homes have recently sold for about $140,000 at least for similar home...as much as $155,000.). Can you give us your feedback as to whether this is too risky a venture, or if it sounds like the risk is low due to the remediation already done?  I  know a whole lot depends on HOW  they got rid of the mold.  Oh, we did still see some mold/mildew stains in one place on the kitchen wall and window sill.  Not sure if it's the dead remainder of it or if that means it wasn't successful entirely and that would fall under the warranty conditions.  Would really love any feedback you could give us. [March 28, 2005]

A. Even the smell of dead mold is unhealthy to many mold-sensitive individuals. The fact that you can still see some mold growth after the mold remediation efforts is a big red warning flag to you about possibly inadequate mold remediation. The one year mold warranty is only as good as its wording and loopholes, the financial strength of the mold remediator, and how good your attorney is if you have to sue the remediator to make good on the warranty. Lawsuits cost thousands of dollars and take years to get results. If you get a future judgment because of the warranty, the mold remediator can simply hide behind an asset-poor corporation shield, or even declare bankruptcy to escape paying you any damages.  Having water flooding in the basement over a prolonged period of time will have probably caused massive mold growth INSIDE walls, ceilings, floors, the heating/cooling system, and everywhere in the home including its attic. You are very wise to be concerned as to the effectiveness of the mold remediation efforts done to-date. Most mold remediation efforts fail to solve the total home mold problems because of inadequate and ineffective mold inspection and mold testing to find all hidden mold infestations and because of poor training of mold remediator workers and unfortunate job shortcuts taken by both the mold contractors and the mold employees. The only way to learn the true and mold status of the entire home is thorough mold inspection and testing by a Certified Mold Inspector, with mold lab analysis of collected mold samples and air samples of room air, basement air, attic air, and the outward air flow from each heating/cooling duct register. The inspector should use fiber optics to inspect inside all ceilings, walls, floors, and heating/cooling ducts for hidden mold growth infestations.. Mold test kits need to be grown [cultured] over 5 to 7 days after mold sampling prior to mold lab analysis by a trained mold microbiologist to identify and quantify mold species in the samples and in the outdoor mold control test. You need to allocate at least a 2 to 3 week time period to enable the mold inspector to do his mold inspection and mold testing, and to get back results from the viable [grown] mold lab results. Viable testing is the most accurate way to identify mold species. Because you have only two days to submit the VA bid, you obviously don't have the 2 to 3 weeks you really need. If you buy this home and it is still mold-infested, expend to spend from thousands to tens of thousands of dollars in mold remediation efforts. Learn the 25 steps for safe and effective mold remediation. Even if you can find and fix all hidden mold problems, you will still probably have to disclose the mold history of the house to prospective buyers and tenants in the future, making the home hard to re-sell or to rent.

Q.  I am selling my house, and during a buyers’ home inspection, some white mold was found in my attic.  My real estate agent brought over his inspector which said he probably would not even had disclosed it as it is part of the vintage of an older home in southern Wisconsin.  There is no leak, and when I asked him what is causing it he said just the humid Wisconsin summers.  I know the buyer wants it tested which I am willing to do, but is it necessary to have to do a remediation for an attic crawl space, which my buyer will never actually go into, and most older homes in the area have this problem?  If I do clean it up, won’t it just come back? [March 12, 2005]

A. Attic mold can easily grow into the ceilings and walls beneath. In addition, airborne mold spores from the attic mold can travel
in air currents to mold cross contaminate your entire house and its heating/cooling system by entering through the attic access opening,
open windows and doors, and the fresh air intake of your heating/cooling system. Of course, simply cleaning up the mold might not permanently fix the mold problem. You need to find and fix the moisture problem that enabled the mold to grow in the first place---such as high attic humidity or a roof leak. You need to follow the 25 steps for safe and effective mold remediation. For your well-being, it should be the buyer who hires and pays for the mold inspector to check out your home mold-wise. The mold inspector needs to be reporting his or her findings directly to your buyer to make the buyer feel comfortable about buying your home. Of course, it would also be a good idea for you to hire your own independent mold inspection of your home to learn the real mold status of your entire home.

Q. We are looking at a house that has been closed up for six months, and the house has mold everywhere. We are looking into ice blasting have you ever worked with this? Is there a better way to remove the mold? How can you test for mold inside the walls? [Feb.26, 2005]

A. Ice blasting is an effective way to remove mold growth from wood, but be sure that all mold is removed completely, leaving clean, mold-free timbers. You will also need to hand spay EPA-registered fungicide to kill the mold before it is removed [safety precaution], and spray EPA-registered protective fungicidal coating on the cleaned out area afterwards. You can make your own Mold Home Remedy Recipe. If there is mold growth inside walls and ceilings, you will need to remove and discard the drywall to gain access to the wall and ceiling cavities to do ice blasting or any other form of mold remediation. To learn where there might be internal wall and ceiling mold growth, use fiber optics inspection by either a Certified Mold Inspector or buy your own fiber optics inspection device [about $300 on the internet]. Learn the 25 steps for safe and effective mold remediation.

Q. I just had an engineer's inspection with my Buyer and mold was found on the attic plywood and rafters, even though a new roof had been put on 1 yr ago and supposedly new plywood-I understand a professional mold remediator could cost $3-4,000? Would it be better to just tear off the roof and start over or get rid of the mold and leave the present roof on? The inspector said only 2-3 sheets of new plywood were visible not 28 as the roofer said they put on-any feedback would be appreciated. This home was built in the 60's and had 2 layers of roof, the 2nd layer was removed and replaced with a new 2nd layer rather than doing a tear off last year. [Feb. 21, 2005]

A. You need to find and fix the moisture/water problem which has enabled the mold to grow in the attic---such as present or previous roof leaks, excess attic humidity [above 50 to 60%], and inadequate attic ventilation. Of course, removing the entire roof [both levels] would be the most appropriate step in mold remediation, but you also need to be concerned about mold cross-contamination of the entire attic air, and possible attic mold growth into the walls and ceilings below. Airborne mold spores from the attic mold will be continually traveling in air currents to mold cross contaminate your entire house and its heating/cooling system by entering thru the attic access opening, open windows and doors, and the fresh air intake of your heating/cooling system. You should mold test your entire home. Learn the 25 steps for safe and effective mold remediation. If you want to try to save the present proof, you need to kill the present mold growth with one of the Mold Home Remedy Recipes, and then remove completely the mold growth by labor intensive use of a power planer, power grinder with wire brush attachment, and power sander.

Q. My husband and I are in the process of looking for a house to purchase. We found the perfect house made an offer that they rejected.  We went back to look @ the house during the day light.  I had noticed before that the shingles were curling up and wanted to look in the attic.  When we looked there was mold all over the sheathing.  We have looked at about 20 houses and this is the only one we can agree on.  I have forwarded pictures of the attic, and roof.  My father is a building inspector, and has been for over 10 years and he said it was the worst case of mold he has seen in an attic.  I was wondering if the mold can be gotten rid of ?  Is a machine available to see if the mold has gotten down in the walls?  Would you have any idea what it would cost to get rid of the mold?  My father said that the mold was probably caused b/c of the insulation being over the vents in the attic, which we did notice that they insulation looked like it had been pulled back.  [Jan. 25, 2004]

A. Your father is correct that the attic mold problem is huge. Your attic mold photo shows a huge amount of mold growth. Attic mold can easily grow into the ceilings and walls below. In addition, airborne mold spores from the attic mold can travel in air currents to mold cross contaminate your entire house by traveling into the return air duct of your heating/cooling system, open windows and doors, and the access opening into the attic. There is likely to be major mold infestation elsewhere in the home which can be located by fiber optics inspection inside walls and ceilings, and by comprehensive mold testing by a Certified Mold Inspector, or by using our do it yourself mold test kits, available from our online mold products catalog. As to mold remediation, learn the 25 steps recommended for safe and effective mold remediation. Expect to spend from thousands to tens of thousands of dollars for mold remediation. Then you will still own a home with a mold history which you will probably need to disclose to future prospective buyers and tenants.

Q. I'm looking to buy a house the inspector found black spots on the sheeting in the attic said he wasn’t sure if it is mold the attic was covered in frost said if it is mold can be easily washed out how do you find out if it is mold and how expensive is it to get rid of it? Is it worth the trouble or better to find a different house. [Jan. 22, 2005]

A. The existence of a water problem [frost in attic melting] and visible mold growth means that you need to have the entire home inspected and tested by a Certified Mold Inspector. Mold does not easily wash away. Learn the 25 steps for safe and effective mold remediation. Expect to spend from thousands to tens of thousands in mold remediation expenses. In addition, even if you can find and fix all mold problems, you would still own a home with a mold history which you would probably have to disclose to prospective buyers and tenants in the future.

Q. I am considering buying an end unit town home that is consumed with mold. It is everywhere! It is a foreclosure, so is sold as is. Is it possible to rid a place like this completely with no return of the mold if professionally done? It is probably 1000 sq ft. Is it possible it has gotten into the neighbors unit as well. If so, can I keep it from coming back into mine? How do I go about getting an estimate on this before I actually purchase it and about how much would it cost to rid the home of it (worse case scenario)? The home is located in Georgia.
[Jan. 20, 2005]

A. For the purchase of a home or any other building, you should insert a 21 day environmental inspection contingency clause into your purchase contract to enable you to thoroughly inspect and test the home for mold and other environmental threats. Highly accurate mold species identification by a mold laboratory is best achieved by viable mold testing which takes at least 7 days of mold growth of the collected mold samples in mold culture plates. It is very likely that the entire townhouse has many areas of hidden mold infestation inside the ceilings, walls, floor, heating/cooling system, basement/crawl space, attic, and garage. To get an accurate mold status of the town home, you should hire a Certified Mold Inspector to thoroughly inspect and mold test the entire house, including fiber optics inspection inside the walls, floors, ceiling, and heating/cooling system. Learn the 25 steps recommended for safe and effective mold remediation. Expect to pay from thousands to tens of thousands of dollars in mold remediation expenses. Even if you can find and fix all of the mold problems, you still have to worry about mold cross-contamination from the adjacent townhouse [because of townhouse to townhouse mold growth and the movement of airborne mold spores]. You would also still own a townhouse whose mold history you would probably need to disclose to prospective future buyers and tenants.

Q. After having just received a mold analysis report from a home inspection (I'm considering buying a 54 year old home that is pier & beam), I'm a bit confused and concerned about the seriousness of these molds.  The test results came back with: Cladosporium, Rhodotorula, and Ulocladium. The sample was taken from a bedroom window where there appears to be some wood rot.  The "mold" was present on all windows of the house. I would greatly appreciate any additional insight/comments you may have. [Jan. 5, 2005]

A. The molds discovered in your home [especially Cladosporium] will cause severe health problems for your family. You need to have the entire home carefully mold inspected and tested by a Certified Mold Inspector. It is likely that there is widespread mold contamination, including mold hidden inside walls, ceilings, attic, basement, and the heating/cooling equipment and ducts. Learn the 25 steps recommended for safe and effective mold remediation. Be prepared to spend thousands or more for mold removal. Even if you successfully find and remove all visible and hidden mold problems, you would still own a house with a mold history which you will likely have to disclose to any prospective future buyers or tenants.

Q. We are considering purchasing a home and I went under the house to check it out with the home inspector and I came across some white "mold". Please advise what you suggest be done. I think we are going to require the homeowner to clean up the mold. Is the cleanup something we can do ourselves? Please advise what you suggest? The mold was caused due to the vents in the crawl space are at ground level so the water is draining under the house. We know how to fix that but need to know what to do with the mold. [Jan. 4, 2004]

A. Crawl space mold can easily grow into the floors and walls above. In addition, airborne mold spores from the crawl space mold can travel in air currents to enter your home through open windows, doors, and the fresh air intake of the heating/cooling system to mold contaminate the entire house and its heating/cooling system. You should have the entire home and its heating/cooling system mold inspected and tested by a Certified Mold Inspector. Learn the 25 steps recommended for safe and effective, do-it-yourself mold remediation. Once you have mold remediated this home in its entirety, you will still own a house with a mold history that you are most likely going to have to reveal to prospective buyers and tenants in the future. Don't rely on the effectiveness of mold remediation done by the seller or a mold contractor hired by the seller. Most mold remediation is done poorly because of untrained personnel and job shortcuts taken which leave big-time mold problems in the house AFTER mold remediation. You would have to have the mold removal work of the seller or mold contractor evaluated by thorough clearance testing all around the house by an independent Certified Mold Inspector [uninvolved in the mold remediation itself].

Q. My husband and I are currently looking at purchasing a home and recently had a home inspection completed.  The home inspection also included a mold test.  The mold test showed that the home as stachybotrys airborne in the home.  The mold test also showed Cladosporium, other Basidiospores, Penicillium/Aspergillus, and Pithomyces.  What am an wondering is what is the success rate of removing the mold and the mycotoxins from this home and how safe it would be to live in this home? [Jan. 3, 2005]

A. Learn the 25 steps for safe and effective mold remediation. Because there is likely mold infestation inside walls, ceilings, floors, attic, and the heating/cooling system, and maybe elsewhere, be prepared to spend thousands to tens of thousands of dollars for mold remediation. You will have difficulty in ever reselling the home because you will need to disclose the mold history of the home even if you have do complete mold remediation.

Q. My husband and I recently purchased a home 5 months ago. We used a realtor to buy it and the seller had a listing agent. After a good rain, water runs under the sheetrock and one side of the garage has about 2 inches of water in it. We then noticed black mold around the vanity in
the basement bathroom (I thought the sink was leaking). When we looked back at the disclosure papers we signed the previous owner said there had been foundation problems from the original owner (8 years ago) but none since. Since we have moved into this house, we all stay sick with
coughing, sneezing, etc. Both my young children have been to the doctor twice since we have lived in this home. I know this problem didn't just appear in the last 5 months - I think they patched the house to sell it. Is the previous owner responsible for this mess? I certainly don't have thousands of dollars to spend on cleaning up someone else's deception. [Dec. 18, 2004]

A. If you want to make a mold claim against the seller, your first step is to prove the existence of a mold problem using either a Certified Mold Inspector, or do it yourself mold test kits available from a large hardware, home improvement, or safety store. Learn all about presenting and defending mold claims in our in depth book Mold Legal Guide, only $15.00, which includes a section on how to find a good mold or environmental attorney in your area.  Besides mold inspection and testing, you should make high-quality close-up, properly labeled and dated photographs of all visible mold problems. What is needed is to find hidden mold growing inside walls and ceilings and the heating/cooling equipment and ducts. Read more about mold inspection.. Learn the 25 steps recommended for safe and effective mold remediation.

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