All Forum Posts by: Jason Allen Taylor

The proper substrate for durock is 3/4" t&g sheet subflooring which is screwed and glued to joists, and glued in the groves. No planks, no half inch. Durock panels should be set in thinset mortar and screwed with rated fasteners per instructions. 

I don't use hardibacker but I'll bet it's similar.

If it were me I would cut out the planks, block the edges, install and level new 3/4 inch t&g subfloor, then durock and tile.

Hope that helps.

This is exactly why we photo document all of our projects extensively. You'd be surprised how often they swear it was brand new, then we produce a photo from before work that shows it was not.

Regardless, it is extremely important that you give your contractor proper "Right to Cure". This means that you contact the contractor BEFORE MAKING ANY REMEDY YOURSELF and give them the opportunity to:

1. Assess the claim of damages

2. Provide evidence (if they can) or information regarding whether the claim is valid

3. Assume liability and cure at their cost

IT IS NOT appropriate for you to fix it and send them an invoice after the fact. Chances are they can probably remedy the situation cheaper than you can, and it is possible that they could prove themselves not liable. They need to be given the opportunity to perform.

This is not my strong suit, but a couple of things I'm wondering about:

Repair budget looks very low to me.

Are you allowing anything to cover vacancies/marketing/cost to turn units?

Management fee is lower than I thought it would be (but again, what do I know?)

honestly these types of cookie cutter arrangements are far too broad and general to comment on. I can think of different scenarios where either of these could work, or fail miserably for either or both of you.

You're better off finding an actual deal with actual numbers and working out an arrangement for that specific deal. Hope this helps.

Uneven like cracked and rising/sinking, or uneven like sloping toward a floor drain?

- Yes, Stachybotrus can produce MVOCs and mycotoxins, but many other molds (including Acremonium, Alternaria, Aspergillus, Chaetomium, Caldosporium, Fusarium, Paecilomyces, Penicillium, Trichoderma) also pose these threats ["Toxic Effects of Some Common Indoor Fungi", Chin S. Yang, Ph.D.]. 

Additionally, acute health reactions can be triggered in individuals with increased sensitivity EVEN IN THE ABSENCE OF MYCOTOXINS AND MVOCs. Completely discounting the risks of mold species other than Stachybotrus is both deceptive and potentially harmful. 

- The ERMI testing protocol was derived to analyze a home's history of elevated mold levels to help determine if early childhood mold exposure could impact a child's health. It is completely and categorically inadequate in serving as a sole or primary means of assessing current conditions in the indoor environment, or to determine the need or viability of remediation activities. ["Is ERMI Testing Being Used For Its Intended Purpose?", Gary Rosen, Ph.D.]

- Regarding bleach. EPA, OSHA, IICRC, ANSI, RIA and others do not currently support or endorse the use of bleach as a means of remediating mold. The use of EPA-registered disinfectants specifically designed, tested, produced and marketed for this task will not only provide better results, but are also infinitely superior from a litigation perspective... And for a cost difference equivalent to what you waste on the average disappointing deli lunch special.

I am an educated, trained, certified professional mitigator, remediator and consultant who deals with these topics in my business on a daily basis. My only goal in participating in this conversation was to provide accurate, helpful information to both the OP and other persons looking for quality, objective advice and direction in dealing with a mold problem as a real estate professional, in a way that mitigates risk, saves needless expense and minimizes legal exposure. I have no intention of getting any further into a back-and-forth peeing contest, or a futile attempt to correct an unending stream of bad advice.

Regardless of future posts to this thread, this will be the last time I visit this discussion. If anyone reading this would like further details or information, please feel welcome to contact me directly.

 I don't mind that you disagree, but I would like to comment on your post. There are a couple of things to clear up:

1. Mildew is mold. Technically it is white in color (not black), but as we have already discussed the color makes no difference.

2. Any mold test that gives you rates of toxicity for mold species is dealing in something other than facts. There have been no firm quantifiable permissible exposure limits defined for any mold species by any regulatory authority. A human's reaction to mold exposure varies significantly depending on their specific biological makeup, exposure history, allergic predisposition, etc., and therefore general benchmark measurable quantities cannot be derived.

3. Yes, mold (you said mildew) is a common naturally occurring element in the environment. Air quality tests determine whether an air quality issue exists by comparing spore counts and types in the indoor air to those in the direct outside environment. As long as the fungal ecology of the indoor environment is consistent with the outside environment, no elevated health risk exists. Spores travel readily from outside to inside in the air, on clothing, etc., so it is obviously silly to think that one should attempt to eliminate all mold spores in the indoor environment.

However, germinated mold colonies growing on structural elements in building structures do not belong there. This is not normal or acceptable, and needs to be addressed.

If physical mold growth is found, there are certain guidelines to follow in determining whether you should clean it yourself or hire a professional. We can talk more about that if anyone here wants to. But regardless of this, DO NOT USE BLEACH. IT IS NOT PROPERLY EFFECTIVE. Spend the extra few dollars and purchase a proper EPA registered disinfectant.

@Account Closed

Is it possible for us to push the reset button on this conversation? There is a ton of misconception and confusion out there regarding mold in the indoor environment. I'd like to take a moment to settle a few facts and give some sound advice. 

By the way, I hope that anyone who has already posted does not find offense in my response. The BP community here is full of great, unusually helpful people, and I believe that every response posted so far was offered in an honest attempt to provide assistance. Unfortunately, the volume of misinformation out there affects even the best-intentioned of people, and some of the information that has been offered is not exactly correct. That said... 

1. Mold is mold. I don't care what species it is, what color it is or what genetic research you do to it. There is no such thing as toxic vs nontoxic mold. It does not belong in your indoor environment, and it needs to be properly removed.

2. Mold is not mildew. Do not use this word "mildew". First off, mildew is a specific term used in horticulture to describe a certain type of mold. Secondly, every ambulance-chasing billboard-buying personal injury attorney will get a special tingle when they hear you using that word; this tingle can be described as the "I'm going to take a bunch of your money sensation".

3. Have it tested. From an indoor air quality perspective, you need to have an air quality test performed in your house as soon as anyone starts complaining about mold, or possible health concerns regarding mold. Mold "problems" are identified and quantified by looking at the indoor air in relation to the natural outside environment, and if your indoor air quality is consistent with the outside environment you can quash any lawsuit business right then and there, regardless of the physical presence of a small quantity of mold.

4. Don't use bleach. Bleach is NOT 100% EFFECTIVE in the remediation of mold spores. It is, however, 100% incompatible with many proper EPA-registered disinfectants used in mold remediation, and very effective in cleaning up visible evidence of mold while not actually removing the problem. Bleaching mold just makes it invisible, and therefore harder to properly address and remediate.

5. Follow a professional remediation protocol. Like it or not, a landlord is considered to be a professional, and therefore not capable of using the "I didn't know better" legal defense. Your IEP that conducts your air test can give you a professional protocol to follow that is both effective and (more or less) litigation-proof.

6. Protect your tenants. Mold reactions in humans are very similar to other environmental allergic reactions. If you are allergic to cats what should you do? Get away from cats! Give a great tenant an opportunity to stay elsewhere for a week while you fix the problem, give not-great tenants the opportunity to get out of the lease, etc. Avoid even the slight appearance that you are forcing the helpless tenant to stay in an environment that could be harmful to them (even if it is just in their mind). 

7. Mold is a symptom of a greater problem. If you don't correct the problem which led to the mold, IT WILL COME BACK. You will want to get advice from a knowledgeable professional who can visit your property and help you identify the issues which led to mold growth. Based on your post, I'll guess that you'll find the following:

- concrete is a permeable, hygroscopic material. It doesn't matter how old it is or how many years it takes to cure, the fact is that moisture can - and does - travel through it.

- the high humidity is likely caused by a combination of factors: moisture transmission through concrete walls and slab floor, lack of air circulation due to no forced air heating, lack of dehumidifier, cyclical air temperature changes in the home.

- the condensation on the walls or windows is primarily due to inadequate insulation and dew point problems caused by cyclical air temperature changes in the home.

These problems can be solved with the installation of a proper dehumidifier, improvements to insulation and properly utilized vapor barriers, increased air circulation through the use of ceiling fans, proper furniture placement (not right up against exterior walls), etc.

it sounds like the time and money required to finish your education is already mostly spent. if this is true, I'd consider you to be pot committed.

 in terms of risk vs reward: 

 if you quit now, you will save some time and money. However, the time and money you already have invested will not have produced as good a return as you should expect. Also, if you decide later to complete this education, you will likely spend even more time and money to get back to the point where you are right now.

 if you finish now, the additional time and money you invest will increase the value of the time and money that you have already put into your education... and you will have a nice credential which will lend you credibility in your real estate endeavors.

 I don't know at which age time really starts to fly,but from my 36 year old perspective 7 months is but a passing moment - a flash in the pan.I'm pretty sure that your future self will agree with me when I tell you that you should definitely finish your education now; IMO quitting now, in hindsight, will prove to be a foolish youthful mistake.

Best of luck.

it looks like you have received every bit of good advice that you've been looking for. 

my best guess is that the bill is accurate. I figure they have probably been estimating your bill for months now, and finally took an actual reading this month. I'll bet that you're being charged for current usage and the difference between estimated and actual usage for prior months.

I'll be interested to see what turns out to be, please let us know!