water damage and tenants care options

[Nellie Fitzgerald]

We had water damage for about two weeks but acted on it too slow. There might be mold growing on the drywall and the remediation company recommended mold remediation. It's a SFH with two beds on the upper floor (away from any potential mold) and two on the basement level. The tenants are a couple and their young kid. What's the best approach here? Should we rent an airbnb for them for a month or two while dealing with the situation?

Would they sue us if they or their kid develop any health issues that they can tie to the potential mold? Any suggestions and creative solutions?

[Richard F.]

Aloha,

How you respond at this point really depends on the source of contamination...was this a clean water (Class 1) issue, "Grey" water (Class 2), or "black" water (Class 3) that can cause serious illness?

After two weeks, the moisture would have wicked up into the walls and base trim, depending on material, and as long as moisture is present mold/mildew will grow and spread.

Mold Remediation is just a fancy phrase for "blank check, please". For Class 1 and 2 spills, remove all of the damaged drywall and trim, up about a foot, maybe more (check the backside of the drywall to see evidence of how much was wet and/or actively growing mold), above the level the water actually reached. If framing is feels or appears damp, use a fan or high velocity blower to move a lot of air through the area to dry it out. Clean exposed framing with TSP, let it dry, seal it up with Kilz, install new drywall and trim. For a Class 3 situation, there is a lot more sanitizing needed for areas of direct contact, and you need to be much more cautious with utilizing proper PPE.

Anybody can sue anybody, anytime, for anything. Document your remediation steps and timeline, with photos. If the kid has been sleeping in the area of the spill, well, the Parents must not have been that concerned. If you want some peace of mind, after repairs, get some air quality testing done to identify any mold spores present. There WILL be some present, but they will be able to tell you if there are more, or different, spores than there are outside the home, and, more importantly, identify any spores that are actually dangerous. You did not state how much area was actually damaged, but it certainly should not take a "month or two" for repairs unless an entire main floor was submerged, cabinet bases and flooring warped, etc.