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Updated about 6 years ago,
HELP!!!!! I HAVE MOLD!!!!!!
I apologize in advance for a lengthy post but I am trying to paint as clear a picture as possible.
I recently purchased a home in Florida as my primary residence. The house was remodeled in 2012 and a brand new kitchen was added, as well as a bamboo floating floor throughout most of the house.
I had planned on remodeling the master bath shortly after moving in, so I recently started pulling up the bamboo flooring in the master closet. I discovered mold/mildew under the planks. I had the foundation inspected and it appears to be fine. There are no leaking pipes or cracks where water is seeping in. The digital moisture gauge they used detected lots of moisture on top of the planks, and none in our carpeted rooms. There is a moisture barrier under the bamboo, but the moisture is getting trapped between the foundation and the planks.
My suspicion is that there is mold/mildew growing under the floating floor all over my house. The flooring covers about 1700 square feet, and the worst part is that it is running under my kitchen cabinets and island. If the flooring were only in one room then I wouldn't be writing this post, but removing all of the flooring (including the kitchen), remediating any existing mold, and adding a new floor is a significant undertaking that I am not prepared for.
We submitted a claim through our insurance agency and it was denied.
I am looking for recommendations on what to do next and I'm curious to see if any of you have ever dealt with a similar situation. I really don't want to take legal action, but at the same time I have a hard time believing that the only answer is that I have to pay for everything. Also curious to know if a short sale is an option.
Thank you for taking the time to read this, and I will be grateful for any advice or recommendations.
Thanks,
Matt