Mold in house-Can it come back after remediation?

[dancer1]

My husband and I have found our "perfect" house, after much searching. The only problem is the entire lower level (it is a tri-level house) has black mold along the walls, ranging from 6" up to 3 feet up the wall. NO visible mold in any of the upper levels. The story is: It is bank-owned, and when the previous owners moved, the electricity was turned off, causing the sump pump to quit, which allowed water to back up. I know the house was empty for around 1 year, and when the bank finally took posession, and restored the electricity, the water problem was solved. I am unsure how long the water was present, or when it occurred. I have asthma (well controlled) and obviously have health concerns. I had a mold remediation contractor give an estimate for extensive removal and repair, including removal of all carpet in the house on the upper levels, with washing of all surfaces in the entire house with fungicide, repainting with 2 coats KILZ, and total "gutting" of lower level walls, ceiling tiles, flooring, etc. If we can get the bank to accept a MUCH lower bid, with having to put approx $28,000-30,000 into the home, it will be a wonderful home with approx $60,000.00 in equity right off the bat! Our concern is, can this come back? Has ANYONE had a recurrence of mold after adequete PROFESSIONAL remediation?? I need to know, good bad or otherwise, before even making an offer on the house. Most of our friends and family are against the house because they feel "once it's there, it'll always be a problem", but I'd like to hear from anyone about their personal experience!! We LOVE the house, and it is a great deal, even with the extensive work that is needed, but we don't want to be stuck with a house we can't live in due to allergies, or resell due to mold. HELP!!

[Joseph Meehan]

It all depends on how well the job is done. Done right it will be no more prone to future mold issues that any other home. However it will not be exempt.

Now how well is an issue. Finding someone who will do it right could be difficult. I would want an inspection after they are done before they are paid and best while they are doing it, to make sure nothing is just covered over. I have seen some good jobs, but I am sure not all are.

Good Luck

[avid_hiker]

I have never heard of "getting rid of mold" other than gutting like you stated the entire lower level. This means any wood, plaster, etc etc where mold can grow....and that the water reached.....and replacing with new. But with mold that bad as youve stated..........I wouldnt do it; especially with allergies. You could be asking for some big problems. I dont believe you will ever COMPLETELY get rid of it. Cosmetically it will look okay probably, but will still be present.........It may look like so many inches to the eye........but within the wall, where the dampness is much more.......the mold could have grown all up into the walls of the 2nd and 3rd levels also. Something to think about.

I think in some states you must report this to potential buyers when and if you sell the home in the future; might want to check on this. If so, you might not be able to resell it........and your then stuck with it.

[Todd H.]

It's a risk certainly.

If you eliminate the moisture source, mold won't come back. The rub is did PROFESSIONAL remediation just kill and bleach up the mold, or did it to that plus eliminate the moisture source?

I'm fairly risk averse though, and wouldn't advise such a gamble, especially if I had allergy or asthma concerns in the family, no matter how well controlled. Investment property.. .maybe, but even then....

-- Todd H.

[dancer1]

[avid_hiker]

Might want to think of installed a second sump. If one breaks without you knowing........the second will take over. This happened to me in the past where the sump broke.......and the basement flooded.

Might want to also find out the water table in this area....is it prone to high tables? Your sump might be running continuously. If so, the moisture content would be very high.........and dont believe a dehumidifier could keep up with such moisture. What kind of foundation are we talking about here? Beware of a stone foundation vs. water tables.

But if the mold problem is taken care of right the first time, then moisture will not be much of a concern other than possibly letting a new mold to investigate moving in with you.

[Todd H.]

Mold simply has a hell of a time growing without a moisture source.

-- Todd H.

[Tom The Great]

imho:

Careful, I've been told that if the conditions for mold growth aren't removed, mold grows, information I heard wasn't shared with homeowners, since more mold means more money.

So was there a humidity problem? Water intrusion?

tom @

[dancer1]

[dancer1]

[BobR]

I will just add this to what has already been said. The mold will not be limited to the visible portions of the walls, it will be between the walls and anywhere the moisture reached. That will make it necessary to remove the lower wall paneling or drywall to above the point of mold penetration. If that is done and the remaining structure is treated before replacement, the mold should not reappear as long as you maintain the proper environment. I will caution you though, if the house contains a central air system it must be throughly cleaned and treated as well. What you have described looks like you should be in good status once complete.

dancer1 wrote:

[dancer1]

[trader4]

I wouldn't be too enthusiastic about a house where one of the living levels can flood this badly from a sump pump going out. Around here, we'd call that a basement and put the furnace, water heater, etc up on blocks to help avoid future problems. If I were bidding on this place, I'd discount the price that way.

As for the mold issue, if the flooring, drywall, etc are all removed, what's left cleaned, scrubed, treated, I wouldn't be overly concerned about the mold. But there are 2 issues. One is you have asthma. The second is I would check local real estate disclosure laws. In many area, after a house has had even far less damage then this, you have to disclose it to future buyers, which may affect resale value.

[Art]

Some houses have been burned to the ground because mold problems could not be fixed even though they were just caused by construction issues that were fixable. I would not buy it.

[Tom The Great]

imho:

Wow now that the idea about the ducts came up, I would use good filters for a long time. I was told the alergen from mold is in its spores. So if you keep the house the same or cleaner than outside, you might benifit. Now this is just guessing, I might even involve your health care provider as to what you are doing.

Also, another thing I remmeber, some insurance companies will NEVER cover a home again after a mold claim. Might want to see if you can get coverage since there was a pre-existing condition.

I mean, how do you verify it's over to underwriters? Fires go out, floods receed, how to do you say your home is mold-free? Mold is everywhere.

Now again, just guessing, now an insurance agent, doctor, or lawyer.

tom

[Speedy Jim]

Insurers are not offering mold coverage anymore; I don't think that will be an issue.

Good idea about the filtering though. I would use one of the deep-pleated media filters which are HEPA rated. Not one of the usual 1" thick filters.

Additionally, install a UV lamp in the ductwork (usually in the return but can be in the plenum too. These are very effective in destroying spores and even viruses as they move thru the ductwork. Any HVAC guy will know what to get. Add in maybe another $200 for this.

Jim

[bigjim]

A little mold in an accessible place is one thing but this seems too much. Even without medical conditions I'd pass on this. If it flooded once it can flood again!

dancer1 wrote:

[dancer1 via HomeKB.com]

[dancer1 via HomeKB.com]

[Tom The Great]

I've been on the fense about the UV lights. I understand destroying the bad stuffs ablity to reproduce, but doesn't dead spores still cause asthma attacks?

tom @