Common questions about mold continue to come up in discussions about older homes in Charlotte. The most common questions are why is mold growing in my house; can mold cause health problems; how do I get rid of mold. These issues are clearly discussed in the Environmental Protection Agencies (EPA) Guide to Mold, Moisture and Your Home.
Mold is often lumped together with words like “asbestos, lead, and radon” and they all seem to make buyers, sellers and real estate agent cringe. Often times, the level of mold contamination, like many things, is overstated. And many times what may seem to be a problem, is no problem at all – there is of course the reverse too and that is what may seem to be a little problem, could, in fact, be much larger than anticipated.
Here is a list of basic truths about mold:
1. Not all mold is dangerous.
2. Different people react differently to different types of mold.
3. Mold is everywhere and has been around since the beginning of time – it is an essential part of our ecosystem.
4. Mold requires moisture to grow in addition to appropriate food sources.
5. Moisture sources include leaking pipes, wet and damp basements, condensation, high humidity.
6. Food sources include wood, wall paper, drywall, carpet, bio-films (dirt, dust, oils, grease).
7. Spraying bleach on mold is NOT a good cleaning method.
8. The best cleaning method is through removal, whether removing the material or cleaning with a detergent.
9. Do-it-yourself test kits will always produce positive mold levels (see #3).
10. Be careful what you read or watch in the media – it is often over sensationalized.
11. Mold remediation is in the Bible – see Leviticus 14.
12. Black mold, red mold, white mold, yellow mold – mold comes in all colors.
13. Mold grows like dandelions – a small problem can get overwhelming quickly if not corrected properly.
14. Mold can be hidden in attics, behind walls and other areas where moisture could be present.
15. Dead mold can still pose a potential risk to sensitive individuals. It’s important to remove it, not just try and kill it.
There are many companies that specialize in Mold abatement or other environmental issues the impact your home. For more information visit the Environmental Protection Agency website for more information.
I wanted to take some time to write you a letter about how fantastic our experience was with Lauren Ponder on the recent purchase of a new home and listing of our current home.
Dear Mr. Farrell,
It is good to see someone trying to educate the real estate community that it is important to take the potential hazard of mold seriously, not just to protect occupant health but to also protect the financial liablity of the matter.
I am a Ca real estate agent whose family went thru the nightmare and have been on sebatical for four years lobbying for education and change over the issue.
The late Senator Edward Kennedy ordered a Federal Government Accountability Office audit of the health effects at my and many other people’s urging.
The report may be read at:
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-08-980
As a result of this GAO Report, the Federal Gov now has one central commission that oversees what information comes from the gov to help insure accuracy. Federal Interagency Committee on Indoor Air Quality
They may be contacted thru their website and are a wealth of information that could assist real estate agents faced with questions:
http://www.epa.gov/iaq/ciaq/
A few comments on your advice that is mostly very good.
“1.Not all mold is dangerous” If there is atypical mold growing in a building all mold has the potential to be dangerous for an occupant. There is no need to panic over a little mold in a shower, but mold growing where it should not be can be a sign of some hidden water damage. Real estate agents are not qualified to determine health risk, nor should they be put in that position. If you see mold, document it for your client and advise they get an expert to determine the extent of the problem. Logic must prevail. Of course, a rotten tomato on a counter is no need to panic.
“2.Different people react differently to different types of mold”. True, but mold should not grow on building materials. It is indicative of problem with the building.
“3.Mold is everywhere and has been around since the beginning of time – it is an essential part of our ecosystem.” True. However in the late 70′s to encourage energy efficiency we began constructing buildings more airtight. At the same time we started using manmade materials like particle board and dry wall that easily wick when water is added. In essence, we turned buildings into giant petri dishes and added a food source perfect for the growth of mold and bacteria to grow when water is added. Over the next 20 years or so as sinks, washing machines, roofs, etc. leaked, people became ill from mold at rates never seen before in history. That is why we are seeing claims of illness from mold that we never saw until the early 90′s.
“4. Mold requires moisture to grow in addition to appropriate food sources.” True. VERY key point.
“5. Moisture sources include leaking pipes, wet and damp basements, condensation, high humidity.” and roof leaks, poor flashing instillation, poor HVAC instillation. (new construction is more problematic than old) Thorough inspections are essential.
“6.Food sources include wood, wall paper, drywall, carpet, bio-films (dirt, dust, oils, grease).”
“7. Spraying bleach on mold is NOT a good cleaning method.” (unless it is a minute amount, but white vinegar is better. it has anti-fungal properties)
“8. The best cleaning method is through removal, whether removing the material or cleaning with a detergent.” True. Removal of the moldy material is best if at all possible.
“9. Do-it-yourself test kits will always produce positive mold levels (see #3).” Do-it-yourself kits should only be used if you suspect there is a problem as a cursory examination. Don’t rely on them as the end all be all. Sometimes they give false positives, sometimes false negatives and sometimes its the bacteria not the mold that is the real problem.
“10. Be careful what you read or watch in the media – it is often over sensationalized.” Be careful to not take mold serious by thinking what the media reports is just sensationist hype. People ARE getting really sick from moldy buildings, but not in epidemic quantities. The media tends to report on the worst case scenarios. So don’t think they are lying, but don’t think what you read is common place. However, you would never want to get caught in the nasty web of this issue IF one of the houses you sold was uninhabitable for your clients. It is a nightmare of litigation for all involved.
“11. Mold remediation is in the Bible – see Leviticus 14.” True. But the remediators did not wear Rolexes back then or drive SUV’s. Be VERY careful who you tell your clients are “experts” over this issue. It is an unregulated industry that tries to self govern itself, but there are alot of self professed professionals out there. NEVER pick the remediation company for your client. Give them at least three names and tell them to investigate themselves.
“12.Black mold, red mold, white mold, yellow mold – mold comes in all colors.” True.
“13.Mold grows like dandelions – a small problem can get overwhelming quickly if not corrected properly.” Excellent analogy!
“14. Mold can be hidden in attics, behind walls and other areas where moisture could be present.” True
“15. Dead mold can still pose a potential risk to sensitive individuals. It’s important to remove it, not just try and kill it.” True. Non-viable mold can be even more hazardous than viable because it is dry and becomes airborne more easily. Easier to inhale.
“There are many companies that specialize in Mold abatement or other environmental issues the impact your home. For more information visit the Environmental Protection Agency website for more information.”
The rule of thumb to stay out of trouble over mold as a real estate agent is to ask alot of questions of sellers about prior water damaged or mold and what they did to correct the problem. Have the seller put everything in written disclosure. Let the buyers decide what they want to do with the info they have been given. Let them make decisions of how they choose to handle the matter and who they want to do it. To protect not only the buyers and sellers, but yourself and your broker disclose, disclose, disclose.
December 1, 2009 @ 7:09 pm
Wonderful synopsis on mold, with the glaring exception of #9: “Do-it-yourself test kits will always produce positive mold levels.”
This is true of the Petri dish kits, the “instant” kits, and the vacuum cleaner kits. You’ll know you have mold, but you won’t know if you have a mold problem, i.e., mold growth in your home.
The pros use a different approach. They take a baseline air sample outdoors and as many indoor samples as they deem necessary, using Air-O-Cell cassettes and a calibrated air pump.
The GOT MOLD? Test Kit uses the same Air-O-Cell cassettes and a disposal air pump. If used properly (and it’s really simple to do so), it will give you the same results as a $1,000+ inspection.
You can get more information at gotmoldtestkit[dot]com
December 3, 2009 @ 10:34 am