Topic: mold-pretty sure i'm gonna have to live with it for awhile
lpkayak
Honored Contributor (10K+ posts)
Member # 5230
posted
so-a week ago i found out my new house has mold in all floors and attic-it is build on a slab with fiber board subfloor-no vapor baarrier-and not enough insulation in attic so condensation has caused major mold growth in the 2 places. the sellers covered it up but deny they knew it was there. i cant fight it leagally. insurance wont pay. i have no money and am maxed out on credit. i put everythign into buying this"ready to move in" house.
i have a second house in an area that is hard for me to live in. very cold, steep mts, but i am unable to sell this house cuz of economy. i have it rented to cover 1/2 the expenses-i would take what i owe the bank just to get rid of it...
and i have a little camper i could sell but then i couldnt live in it like now when dealing with the mold
i think i will have to take rugs and mold food out of a part of the living area. seal the slab with paint to cut the dust. seal off the other rooms. use masks, air cleaners and dehumidifyers and just live there.
i have a history with mold. used to need 10 meds to breathe. but if its contained maybe i can stay there while finding $ to fix it. or stay in camper in yard a lot and just come in to cook.
has anyone had to do this??? any tips?
i used to tell people you cant live with mold. you have to get away.
but now that it is happening to me i see it isnt so easy.
the house is worth saving at this time. good location and values going up. even after reno i would owe less than appraised value. but still. i cant find 20k
any info appreciated
-------------------- Lyme? Its complicated. Educate yourself. Posts: 13712 | From new england | Registered: Feb 2004
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nonna05
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 33557
posted
my Lord..What a shame..How did you find this now..
Didn't you're home inspector ,before you bought it ,suggest it?
I'm in a small townhouse...I have a friend that kept asking if I was getting sick here..So far don't think so
BUT
I've NOT muscle tested for mold or parasites. Yet
My husband won't check,even by setting out dishes,
Say's it's a waste of time.
you can't see any mold..
So wondering if you just ran across it or what?
Posts: 2563 | From Denver,CO | Registered: Aug 2011
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feelfit
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 12770
posted
lpkayak- I am going through the same thing. I have a lovely lake home in MI. and my lower floor is on a cement slab without a vapor barrier.
the most important thing is ventilation. You can run box fans out your windows with the fans pointing outward. Use dehumidifier(s). Is your roof vented well? Have you identified your mold type?
Unfortunately, once you hire someone to help you, or make your mold issue common knowledge, you will have to disclose the problem if you ever intend to sell.
I am posting a link to a very reputable air quality/remediation person located in Maine. I do not know which State you are located in, but she will be able to help you with resources. IF she is near you, I would trust her to help. She has helped me a great deal with advice/resources. http://www.gottmold.net/Posts: 3975 | From usa | Registered: Aug 2007
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posted
Can you just walk away from it and let it be foreclosed on? Or sell it? If you start tearing things out, you'll never be able to sell it because it can't be fixed, no matter how much money you throw at it.
Can you find out who did the floor? Maybe they warned the owners that the vapor barrier was done wrong? Then you'd have a case.
My husband is in the cold storage business .... he said you can't paint the slab because of moisture that needs to come through due to improper vapor variables, but you can stain it.
Maybe move into the trailer?
I'm sorry to hear this. Based on my experience, you do need to get away from the mold to heal.
-------------------- sixgoofykids.blogspot.com Posts: 13449 | From Ohio | Registered: Feb 2007
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Can you find out who did the floor? Maybe they warned the owners that the vapor barrier was done wrong? Then you'd have a case.
[/QB]
- That's what I think. There are ways to find out "what they knew and when they knew it!!" Find out who put the carpet in, or painted their house in the past few years.
-------------------- --Lymetutu-- Opinions, not medical advice! Posts: 96222 | From Texas | Registered: Feb 2001
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lpkayak
Honored Contributor (10K+ posts)
Member # 5230
posted
the house wwas built in 57. the subfloors were done then. i cant go back to them. the sellers and their mom lived here since 67. i am sure they knew there were problems but were covering them up but i dont know if i can prove it.
the hardware store guy, carpenter and mold inspector said i could paint the floor with this special paint. it is half done. it needs to cure 7 days then i can paint the rest. it does seem to keep the dust down.
this house is worth saving. for 20,000. it could be done right. (i dont have the 20k but that is beside the point) if i put 20k into it i would have 137,000. into it. a few years ago it was worth 250k and the values in town are now going up cuz 2 big businesses are coming. except for the mold the place is perfect for me in so many ways.
id like to let them foreclose on my other house but if i do i was told the bank would put a lien on this house.
NONNA-i found it cuz 2 weeks after i moved in we had a rain storm and the whole house smelled like mold. it didnt before the rain. then my sons started pulling up carpet to check and found sopping pad and fiber board falling apart from water.
ummm so many questions you guys. i dont have a trailer. i have a 17' camper...im in it now. but it gets squishy after a while-the dog goes crazy and runs in circles on the bed. and jan and feb wouldnt work around here.
feelfit-thank you for that. i am trying to make a plan using those kinds of ideas. i now have 2 ac, 2 dehumidifyers, 2 air cleaners and 3 fans.
i was kinda happy when the mold lady said we can test it if you want ...but she didnt push me. she smells it. i smell it and react. i know its mold. she said if a person reacts to it it is just as bad no matter what kind it is. i would get so i needed 10 meds and not be able to be in the area. im glad she is trying to help me find ways to save money. i thinkshe will insist on testing after to prove they did it right.
im tired . what a day. my daughter wants me to go to the DA. she has a friend who is a RE atty and he says so many things are either illegal or conflict of interest i should get away from all those involved and see what my options are. she doesnt want me to talk to the bank til i understand where i am legally. so i will try-dont know if i will get an answer.
thank you so much for your time answering
-------------------- Lyme? Its complicated. Educate yourself. Posts: 13712 | From new england | Registered: Feb 2004
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lpkayak
Honored Contributor (10K+ posts)
Member # 5230
posted
no help with the legal stuff.
i could probably get the realtors lisence taken away but that wont help me.
i need a place to live safe...i'm running out of options.
-------------------- Lyme? Its complicated. Educate yourself. Posts: 13712 | From new england | Registered: Feb 2004
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TerryK
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 8552
posted
I can't guarantee this will work for you but these are some of the things that I've used that have helped.
I would get Dr. Closes book and read it and do what you can to alleviate the mold. http://www.moldrx4u.com/
I would remove everything I could that is moldy - carpets, particle board ect.. I would get a high volume thieves oil nebulizer and use it regularly with theives oil to bring spores out of the air.
I would clean hard surfaces with a mixture of thieves essential oil and thieves oil cleaner as detailed in the book.
I would look to rent a device that can do shock ozone treatments. They cost about $500 to buy. You have to be very careful with them as they can be dangerous but if used properly they can be very helpful with killing mold etc..
This is not medical advice, just some of the things I've used that have been helpful.
Terry I'm not a doctor
Posts: 6286 | From Oregon | Registered: Jan 2006
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posted
im tired . what a day. my daughter wants me to go to the DA. she has a friend who is a RE atty and he says so many things are either illegal or conflict of interest i should get away from all those involved and see what my options are. she doesnt want me to talk to the bank til i understand where i am legally. so i will try-dont know if i will get an answer.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Take her advice!
-------------------- --Lymetutu-- Opinions, not medical advice! Posts: 96222 | From Texas | Registered: Feb 2001
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Tammy N.
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 26835
posted
lpkayak - Oh dear, I am so sorry. What a dangerous situation you are in.
I think Terry has some very good suggestions.
I think you should remove everything moldy, ozone blast like Terry suggested. Then I think everything should be washed down with 50/50 ammonia and water. This will not only kill the mold but it will also neutralized the mycotoxins. (You need a special mask in order to tolerate the toxic vapor.) Then I would continuously run the thieves nebulizer.
Anything that is in the house all has to be hepa vacuumed and washed with ammonia and water. Momlyme has done more research on this than anyone I know. This is what she recommends. Its given her son his life back.
This is a big big project, but it is imperative you take aggressive steps. So sorry for your struggles with this. Will be thinking of you.
Posts: 2238 | From East Coast | Registered: Jul 2010
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Tammy N.
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I wonder if the home inspector could be held responsible somehow. Such a major problem like yours should not have been overlooked.
Did you do specific tests for mold? Air samples, etc.
Posts: 2238 | From East Coast | Registered: Jul 2010
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lpkayak
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posted
tutu-i did take her advice and it turned into a 2 hr circus of calls and at the end ---no help
the DA told me to call the cops!
-------------------- Lyme? Its complicated. Educate yourself. Posts: 13712 | From new england | Registered: Feb 2004
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lpkayak
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Member # 5230
posted
terry-thank you. the mold remediators want to use a big ozone thing but it will cost 300 for 24 hrs...
they gave me an estimate of 9500 to remove all the moldy building stuff...but then i have to pay for new floors
i also have to pay to move every thing out and back in . i didnt think of cleaning it and they didnt menstion that...maybe they planned on the ozone machine killing mold on the furniture. they also talk about spraying with something antimicrobial made of thyme
i dont have any money.. im pretty sure i cant hold anyone responsible. i have lost every legal thing i have ever done. but thanks...i will ask about cleaning the stuff that is out now. alot is still packed in totes
-------------------- Lyme? Its complicated. Educate yourself. Posts: 13712 | From new england | Registered: Feb 2004
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lpkayak
Honored Contributor (10K+ posts)
Member # 5230
posted
any one else have ideas? im waiting for call backs and working on all issues. still need info
-------------------- Lyme? Its complicated. Educate yourself. Posts: 13712 | From new england | Registered: Feb 2004
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quote:Originally posted by Tammy N.: I wonder if the home inspector could be held responsible somehow. Such a major problem like yours should not have been overlooked.
- Sounds good to me.
-------------------- --Lymetutu-- Opinions, not medical advice! Posts: 96222 | From Texas | Registered: Feb 2001
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