Mold - Here today - Here tommorrow?

Question

Hey all - I've been doing some thinking.  One of the areas I've dealt very little in is with that ugly horror MOLD.  I actually found a great deal on a property, but it was coated in mold.  EVERY inch of the building was black.  I was amazed - you wouldn't think that mold could grow in doorknobs and lightbulbs, but it was there!

I quickly left, coming very close to losing my lunch on the way out . . .  my question is this:  If we eliminate the source of the mold and bleach the hell out of the place, what are the odds of the mold returning?   I am scared of such projects because of the possibility of lawsuits in the future - are there any good ways to protect yourself here other than GUTTING?

. . . lets talk about MOLD!

Mark Yuschak · Answer

I've flipped multiple properties with mold.  My current flip was a mold house, too.

The first thing you need to do is eliminate the water source.  Whether it be a failed sump pump, broken pipe, or leaky foundation.  It needs to be solved FIRST.

Then, I fully gut the property, including insulation.  You need to get rid of the drywall since it's porous and holds in a lot of moisture.  If the insulation is wet, that needs to go to.  Let the structure of the home dry out.  A majority of the mold will likely be on the drywall, but you will still see some mold on the inside of the exterior sheathing, floor joists, 2x4s, sub floor, etc.  For that, it has to be chemically treated to kill the mold.  I use this product: http://www.traskresearch.com/mold.html.  Pricey, but kills the mold.  It's applied with the 2600 fogger on this page: http://www.traskresearch.com/order.html.

Once I've applied the product THREE times, I let the house completely dry down with industrial fans, then do an air quality sample with a third party (not Trask Research since I want unbiased results).  If there are not excessive levels of mold in the property (using the outside local atmosphere as a benchmark) I begin putting the house back together.  If the levels are still excessive, more remediation, more chemicals, more fogging.

Bleach does NOT kill mold.  It removes discoloration - and nothing more.  The spores are still alive and active with bleaching method.  Kilz primer does not kill mold either.  If there is exposed wood which will not get recovered with drywall, but is stained, I use Zep Mold and Mildew cleaner to remove the staining, after the area has been treated with the 501 concentrate.

Mold remediation is very labor intensive since it typically involves fully gutting a house.  If the mold is as bad as you describe, plan on removing all drywall, all cabinetry, all trim, flooring, etc.

In my current project, I even changed the sub floor since I don't want any trace of mold in the property.  In total, I've filled up four 30-yard roll-off dumpsters with debris from the 2,600 square foot home.

And, of course, when you're done, DISCLOSE, DISCLOSE, DISCLOSE.

Account Closed · Answer

make sure there's no leaks, and then install a fan

Robert Steele · Answer

I've said it before and I'll say it again; I love moldy properties!

http://www.biggerpockets.com/blogs/1028/blog_posts/5926-real-men-love-mold

Joshua Dorkin · Answer

I just found a really good article on How to Safely Eliminate Indoor Mold at Realty Times.  this one is worth a read.

http://realtytimes.com/rtcpages/20040202_mold.htm

Robert Steele · Answer

Exactly! that is why paying the big bucks for the professional to certify that the property is mold free is a must from a liability point of view. But paying the big bucks for the professionals to re-mediate the mold is not necessary. In fact, I avoid it as they charge like wounded bulls.

And as someone else already said on this thread I think; DISCLOSE, DISCLOSE, DISCLOSE!

Chris Cliff · Answer

I have made offers on moldy houses before, the worst of which would have taken $40k to be fully remediated and have a certificate of cleanliness.

A little mold can be pulled out and cleaned up, but when the whole house is moldy, I want pros in and a certificate from a 3rd party saying it is clean.

The last thing I want is the new owners to talk to the neighbors and find out what was growing in their 'new home' before they bought it.  That is just a lawsuit waiting to happen.

Don Hines · Answer

I am living through this right now. I have a 40 year old upstairs shower pan that has leaked for apparantly a long time. Long enough to rot the floors down to the decking. The leak drained downstairs through a wall and has destroyed about 250 square feet of underlay. A fan would not have helped this neglect. So far, 2 trips to the dump has made a start.
Don

Ken Yearwood · Answer

What if the source of the moisture is a bathroom shower in a bathroom with 1 window and no vent fan.  Any tips?

Nick Henson · Answer

Lots of good advice on dealing with the mold issue here. I would only add that you get an inspection done yourself when you are finished so you can feel secure about the results.

David Garrow · Answer

we bought a home, unoccupied for a long time 6 -8 months and no heat on. during my inspection i pulled a piece of paneling off the wall and exposed the wallboard behind the paneling and found mold. we were able to pitch a lower price and still closed with the bank. once we owned it . we removed the paneling, sprayed concentrated well clorine on the effected walls using a paint sprayer and left the home for several weeks closed up. then started to air the place out. we then used a primer called jammer ( what they use after a fire ) to seal up the walls and proceded to paint the basement and kept the dehumiftifier on after that. so far 4 years have passed and no signs of reoccourance.

Mold - Here today - Here tommorrow?

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