Posted by Eric Anderson on Tue, Jun 15, 2010 @ 09:30
I just got finished testifying in a mold lawsuit that dates back to 2002. That's right, eight years ago! As an expert witness I'm not at liberty to discuss the details of this case, but I can tell you there are several insurance companies involved, along with a homeowner who just wants to move back into her home.
So what happens when you find mold damage in your home that either exceeds your insurance coverage or is not covered at all? If you can't afford to properly remove the mold, what are your options. Could someone else be held responsible for your mold problem?
In the lawsuit I recently testified in, nobody is willing to take responsibility for the cause of mold in the house. It wasn't the owner's fault. It wasn't the builder's fault. It wasn't the insurance company's fault. It wasn't the landscaper's fault. But the damage is extensive and somebody has to pay to remove it. But who?
So 8 years later, the homeowner and all of the other parties sit before a judge and jury awaiting an answer.
So, who wins? No one but the attorneys. Eight years and tens of thousands of dollars later, the house is still full of nasty mold, the cause of mold has not been established, and the homeowner is still out of her home.
My simple advice is don't let a mold problem go this far. If you have a chronic moisture problem, get the cause of mold under control with adequate dehumidification and ventilation. If you have a small mold problem, address it in the early stages before it gets out of control. If you have an odor problem and suspect mold, have it checked out by a mold professional. Many minor mold problems can be solved with little expense and minimal effort if they are addressed early.
The photos are from my most recent visit to this house.
Posted by Eric Anderson on Mon, May 10, 2010 @ 11:18
http://www.projo.com/news/content/FLOOD_MOLD_05-06-10_FVI9U9O_v43.4295a7c.html
Not long after the raging waters of the Pawtuxet River flooded his basement and continued rising to a third of the way up his first-floor windows, something began growing inside Jeremy Taft's duplex in West Warwick, Rhode Island.
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Video: 'The longer you wait, the worse mold gets'
Three weeks later, when he was finally permitted to return to his River Street rental property, he could see it as plain as day - there on the walls. And when he tore the drywall off the studs, there it was - inside, too.
Mold. Splotches of it. Some black mold, some white mold.
Drywall in a Portsmouth, RI residence shows evidence of mold contamination after being underwater.
The Providence Journal / Andrew Dickerman
"I've got everything in here - red, too," said Taft as he walked around his nearly gutted home one recent day, pointing out speckled patches of mold here and there.
A month since historic rains and flooding damaged property across Rhode Island, a microscopic organism valued for its ability to break down organic matter outdoors is making an unwelcome-and unhealthy - entrance indoors into residences throughout the state.
"It's a nasty problem," Robert Archila, a FEMA hazard-mitigation adviser specialist, said while touring Taft's duplex. He added, "The longer you wait, the worse it gets."
Mold is not only unpleasant, it can make people feel ill. Robert Vanderslice, of the Rhode Island Health Department's homes and environment team, said that reactions to mold vary. Some people experience common allergy symptoms such as coughing, congestion, sneezing and itchy eyes. But those with respiratory problems can suffer asthma attacks and people with weakened immune systems may develop serious infections.
"We're all exposed to mold. Normally, we deal with it just fine," Vanderslice said. "But it's a problem when it starts growing inside [buildings]."
Raimundo Asencio, left, a worker with Enviro-Clean of Smithfield, RI, listens as coworker Dennis Edwards talks about removal of mold at a Portsmouth house.
Federal and state officials fear that some property owners may not have taken the necessary steps to prevent mold infestation. And they have heard of instances of some taking steps to deal with it only to see it make a comeback.
Mary Margaret Walker, a FEMA spokeswoman who organized a news conference at Taft's house to raise awareness of mold, said that close to 7,000 Rhode Islanders have sought assistance at the agency's Disaster Recovery Centers, some located at home-improvement stores. Many come with questions about what to do about mold.
"They are not sure what to do," Walker said. "Also, with warmer weather arriving, we are hearing concerns about mold coming back. We want to make sure that what's done is effective."
"We're definitely seeing an increase in volume for mold calls," said Eric Anderson, owner of the Smithfield-based mold-remediation company Enviro-Clean.
Mold (called mildew in its early stages) has a hearty appetite for fabrics, carpets and wood products, including drywall, ceiling tiles and wallpaper. Mold colonies can grow on damp surfaces in as little as 24 hours, and they reproduce and spread by sending tiny, lightweight spores into the air.
Even just a few inches of water can create a perfect breeding ground for mold, which thrives when given water, organic matter and warm temperatures. Drywall and insulation sop up the water like a sponge and tend to remain damp inside walls, where air can't dry the material out.
"You could be sitting on a time bomb when it comes to mold and mildew," said Archila.
That was the problem at David Schuller's house in Portsmouth, RI, where despite having no flooding for the previous 10 years, in March he had to arm himself with wet vacuums and pumps while waging an eight-day battle with water in his partly finished basement. Everything was so wet - and warnings about mold issues so pervasive - that he hired a professional clean-up company.
"I couldn't take a chance," Schuller said.
On Monday, a crew from Enviro-Clean arrived in two trucks, and three workers donned white protective suits and breathing masks. They set up equipment in the basement to capture spores, including an air scrubber with replaceable filters and a negative air machine, which sucks air into a long, clear, flexible plastic tube that runs up a bulkhead and discharges air outside. They also put up plastic sheeting to prevent spores from traveling upstairs.
Then the demolition began. Workers removed the drop-ceiling and wood paneling, as well as the first two feet of drywall behind the paneling.
"This is where he ran into a problem, right here," Dennis Edwards said, his voice muffled by his mask.
He pointed at a section of drywall that co-worker Raymundo Asencio was removing. Small spots of green were visible on the outside of the drywall, but when Asencio flipped it around, the other side was much worse, with large splotches of green mold tainting the interior wallboard.
"That's mold all the way down," he said. "It's pretty bad."
He said the crew would vacuum up the dust and debris and spray everything down with an anti-microbial solution.
"We get right down to the problem," he said. "There is a strong chance that people who don't treat their property will end up getting mold in their house."
Flood victims unaware of potentially blossoming mold problems can preserve their right to future damage claims by applying for federal assistance now online at http://www.fema.gov/ or by calling 1-800-621_FEMA.)
KEY POINTSTips for eliminating mold
Wear gloves and goggles to avoid contact with mold or strong chemicals.
Put on a mask, preferably an N-95 respirator, to limit exposure to airborne mold.
Throw away wet, porous materials such as ceiling tiles, drywall, wood byproducts and rugs and check wall interiors for hidden mold.
Wash hard surfaces with a stiff brush and non-ammonia detergent or soap.
Ventilate to allow noxious fumes and mold spores to escape outdoors.
Keep it dry with fans, windows and dehumidifiers to discourage mold growth.
Posted by Eric Anderson on Mon, Jan 11, 2010 @ 03:45 PM
One of the leading causes of mold contamination in homes throughout New England
is water damage.
With the consistently cold weather we've been having this winter, pipes are freezing and bursting, resulting in water damage in homes and commercial buildings in the traditionally colder areas of the country. To make matters worse, some of the warmer parts of the country have been hit with freezing temperatures lately.
If this happens to you, you may try to clean it up yourself. But we recommend you not try it. Here's why. You'll be successful in removing the standing water from the areas you know are wet, and when you're finished you'll think "that's dry enough. It will dry on its own." But just because it looks dry and feels dry does not mean it is really dry. There will be moisture within walls, under the carpet, and in other places you can't see. And that's all mold needs. A little bit of moisture and a little bit of time. In fact, mold will start to grow within the first 48 hours. Fortunately the cold temperatures will slow the mold growth, but not for long. As soon as the air starts to warm up, the mold will get out of control.
Then you'll be calling your insurance company for mold remediation coverage, and you will be told there is a limit on your mold coverage. It's usually $5,000 or $10,000 depending on your policy, on both the mold removal and the repairs that will inevitably be required.
So you have avoided a small expense and have incurred a large expense.
So what's the moral of the story? If you have water damage, call a professional water mitigation contractor who has both the knowledge and the equipment to do the job properly. Check out the website of Water Out Southern New England http:www.water-out.com.
If you think you might have mold as the result of water damage, call us at Enviro-Clean, or contact me, Eric Anderson, on our website www.envirocleanmold.com.
Bottom line is this: If water gets in your home or business, get the water out as quickly as possible, thoroughly dry the entire area, and have the moisture levels in the structure tested to make sure it's totally dry.