Mold Removal Blog » Mold Facts

Mold Causes Child Permanent Brain Damage

Michael Davis — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 14:42:24 +0000

It sounds like something people would joke about: “10 million for a little mold? I should take my landlord to court and make millions!” But the details here reveal a far more grim picture that no amount of money could make up for.

Ebony Gage was once a typical 12-year old girl. But after her property owner refused to use a mold removal service to remove mold in her Section 8 home, her conditioned worsened. It started with asthma, but gradually got worse. Four years later, Ebony is 16 years old and confined to a hospital bed. She suffers from permanent brain damage and can no longer speak or walk, requiring 24-hour care – possibly for the rest of her life.

Although the Philadelphia Housing Authority settled just before opening statements in court, I wonder what defense they would have gone with. Either the damage was caused by something else, or blame the mold on somebody else. After seeing the footage of Ebony strapped to a hospital bed with machines helping her breathe, I’m not surprised they settled so quickly once it went to court – although there were years of prior legal wrangling.

The Philadelphia Housing Authority is taking the brunt of the blame here since their housing inspectors were not trained as mold removers or even to identify or recognize mold problems in Section 8 homes. And yet, PHA applied for and received a million dollar grant to train inspectors do to train them as mold removal specialists.

Even so, the PHA admits no wrong doing and is diverting blame to the property owner who has a history of not repairing water leaks and not using mold removal contractors. The property landlord and management company agreed to pay at least $2 million of the settlement.

Ebony Gage and her mother tried to escape the building earlier, but the Philadelphia Housing Authority made them give 30 days notice before they could move out. Ebony’s medical bills already exceed several million dollars, so the settlement will go to paying that money back and paying for her ongoing medical treatments as a result of toxic mold exposure.

Ebony joins the ranks of many others who have had permanent damage as a result of failed remediation of mold. Yet, despite these examples, there is still a large public consensus that does not believe mold can do anything more than irritate allergies. For this reason, building owners will not even seek a mold removal estimate.

For a full list of possible health effects that result from mold exposure, check out mold removal company Guardian Preservation’s page on mold health.There is a thorough description of how mold can harm the body and who is most susceptible.

Duplex Family Wins Victory Over Negligent Government Neighbor

Michael Davis — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 15:15:22 +0000

Everyone has a story about an annoying neighbor. The one who disregards their home and property, like overgrown grass or an unkempt lawn, to the detraction of your quality of life. The Johannsen family had such a problem with their most negligent neighbor of their adjoining townhome – the federal government’s Department of Housing and Urban Development.

The home that was connected to the home where the Johannsen family lived was unoccupied, so there was no one to take care of a roof leak. Leaks and other unexpected water intrusions require immediate action before they create long-term, expensive, and dangerous mold problems. But since no one lived in this home, no one was there to care to fix it.

The Johannsen family was at the mercy of their nonexistent neighbors. The leak created a mold problem that eventually grew into their side of the duplex. Phone call after phone call led nowhere as bureaucratic red-tape and a pass-the-buck attitude left the issue unresolved, while the mold problem grew.

Eventually, the Johannsen family had to abandon their home or risk serious and possibly permanent illness. They finally got HUD’s attention by bringing their story to the local news and getting the right people involved.

It wasn’t an entirely happy ending. The Johannsens had to drop their case against HUD to reach a settlement. HUD fixed the leak, removed the mold, and repaired the Johannsen’s home. The family was not awarded anything to compensate for their inconvenience or frustration. It took almost a year for the issue to be resolved. I believe that if the Johannsens were dealing with a business entity rather than the government, it could have lasted much longer and became much uglier.

If the roof leak had occurred on the Johannsen side of the duplex, it would have been fixed immediately with no lingering issues. But because there was no one living in the townhome where the leak occurred, it went unresolved and spun out of control until it cost thousands of dollars to fix and harmed an innocent family. Banks, governments, and other organizations that own unoccupied property need to be aware of the expensive problems that neglect can cause.

Tennessee Floods Teach New Lessons on Mold

Michael Davis — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 15:24:10 +0000

With a fresh round of floods in Tennessee, I am reminded of the common mistakes and misunderstandings that take place in post-flood remediation. After reading some information put out to flooded homeowners and business owners by FEMA, the CDC, EPA, mold removal specialists and water cleanup contractors, I get the sense that they are becoming swifter at getting the correct information to the public.

Water damage is something that needs to be addressed immediately after a flood. Toxic mold will start growing within 24 and 48 hours. Open windows and doors and use fans to dry out the building. Use wet vacs to remove water from surfaces and dehumidifiers to take it out of the air. You must also remove baseboards and wet drywall. Anything that has been wet for more than 48 hours needs to be discarded if it cannot be thoroughly cleaned and dried. This includes carpets, padding, furniture, drywall, tiles, insulation and wood.

The problem here is that many people are tied down with inaction because they have flood insurance. Having flood insurance seems to cause more damage than it saves. They are forbidden to start removing damp materials until an adjuster can come and assess the damage. Unfortunately, during floods that affect hundreds of people, these adjusters are in short supply. It can take weeks before an adjuster will show up. By this time, it’s too late. Your insurance may cover the flood damage, but the mold damage that results is usually not covered by insurance.

This is an enormous and consistent problem whenever it floods and it usually ends up with business owners going to court with their insurance providers to force them to pay for the mold remediation. Floods are not like fires, where only one structure may be affected. When it floods, too few adjusters must venture to too many buildings while the mold clock is ticking down. My recommendation is to find out if your adjuster can arrive within 24 hours. If they cannot, you should consider stripping the wet walls yourself, even if it may void your insurance. Toxic mold removal is expensive and a mold remediation estimate from a commercial mold removal company can be much more than the cost of the flood damage.

Water damage cleanup professionals and mold prevention companies are stressing the ineffectiveness of bleach as a mold remover. Because bleach uses so much water, it has a short “kill life.” This means that it will only kill surface level mold and provide mold growing in porous material with more water, causing it to reappear days later. Instead mold removal specialists are recommending hospital-strength disinfectants that can be found at cleaning supply stores. The EPA reminded Tennessee homeowners that it does not approve the use of bleach in home mold removal.

Learn more effective ways of killing mold. If you have a mold problem as a result of water intrusion, I suggest you check out organic products to remove mold from reputable mold remediation companies.

Advice for Moldy Georgia LEC

Michael Davis — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 14:45:52 +0000

I just saw a piece on the news about a moldy Law Enforcement Center in Augusta, Georgia, and didn’t quite agree with some statements made by doctors regarding the situation.

Six years ago, a study showed 17 different types of mold growing inside the LEC. I don’t think that is too abnormal since there are tens of thousands of types of mold. But the study did find Aspergillus and Stachybotrys – known to be pathogenic and toxic types of mold. Employees are not sick, but they are concerned about this mold. The city is planning on moving the hundreds of employees that work at the LEC, but it will take at least a year.

The video showed damp spots on the ceiling, water leaks, and visible mold. I’m surprised no one is sick yet.

While infectious disease specialist, Dr. Jack Austin, says that the mold in the LEC could make some people sick he also states that “If they aren’t already having problems, then they aren’t going to have problems.”

He’s pointing out that only certain may have a weak immune system, either genetically or as a result of health issues, that make them susceptible to mold. And if such an employee was working at the LEC, then they would already be sick in the six years since the study.

This needs some clarification as Dr. Austin forgets a few caveats to his claim.

Since the LEC employs hundreds of people, there will obviously be some turnover at some point. Isn’t it highly possible that someone with a suppressed immune system or a mold allergy could start working in the building?

Cancer treatments, organ transplants, and other medical procedures suppress the immune system. Surely with so many people working at the LEC, sooner or later someone will have a health issue that requires their immune system to be suppressed.

The elderly also have weak immune systems and are susceptible to mold infections. We know that the workers at the LEC are at least six years older since the mold was discovered. While the mold may not affect them now, it’s only a matter of time before it does.

Additionally, I haven’t found any information about the source of the water intrusion. If this problem is not found and corrected, the mold problem will only worsen. Even employees not affected by the current mold levels in the building will eventually succumb to sickness if the mold problem gets worse.

I point these things out because every employer and employee needs to keep these things in mind when considering mold in their building. Remember, just because no one is obviously sick doesn’t mean the mold isn’t a problem.

Water Hose Replacement Tips

Michael Davis — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 15:36:21 +0000

It costs about $20,000 on average to remodel a kitchen. Compare this with the cost of a new water hose for $14. Which would you rather pay?

Water hoses are one of the most common sources for water leaks. Typical household dishwasher and washing machine use these hoses and, for the most part, they are pretty durable.

Water leaks from water hoses usually don’t result in massive and immediate flooding but can trickle water in a hidden area over a long period of time. In some ways, this can be worse than a major leak because it may go unnoticed or unworried about for too long. These kinds of leaks also do not usually result in mold outbreaks that destroy homes.

Still, a leak on your dishwasher hose can be enough to destroy your kitchen where a lot of organic material exists for mold food. Homeowners who ignore dishwasher leaks find themselves replacing kitchen cabinets and cupboards where mold grows and is hard to remove. Wooden material like this has pores where mold can hide even if it appears to be scrubbed clean.

Most laundry rooms don’t contain a lot of organic material, but mold can still grow here if there is water. Like porous wood, porous cement also makes a fine place for mold to hide. Also, laundry rooms are visited less frequently and leaks are more often unnoticed or ignored than they would be in the kitchen.

Once again, prevention is the key here. You simply need to develop a maintenance schedule to routinely check these water hoses for leaks. Check for leaks in the hose lining as well as where it is secured to the pipes. This should be done at least once a year, but I recommend you check for leaks on water hoses at the same time as other water leaks that can occur once a month.

A proactive approach can save you thousands. A water hose can be bought for $10-$15 at Home Depot and is not difficult to replace.

Are Mansions More Moldy?

Michael Davis — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 15:45:34 +0000

Back in 2004, actress Sandra Bullock won her case against the builder of her $6.5 million home, Benny Daneshjou of Daneshjou Construction. The victory was celebrated, not just by fans of the actress, but by dozens of other homeowners in the Austin area who had similar complaints against Daneshjou.

Daneshjou Construction was the developer behind many multi-million dollar homes in the Austin area. Unhappy homeowners complained of costs overrun, shocking overcharges, deadlines ignored, and most of all defective construction.

At the trial, expert witness Clark Griffin, an architect from Boston, pointed out some obvious defects in the design that allowed for water intrusion and mold growth. A lack of flashing on the roof, defectively installed rock work, stucco and roofing materials causing damage to the framing, rotting OSB board used as sheathing – the list of shortcuts was a mile long.

You wouldn’t expect this laundry list of egregious mistakes in a three bedroom home, so why do they seem to be so common in multi-million dollar mansions?

One sad possibility is that the rich simply have more money, which allows them to fight their developers in court. So only the rich can afford justice while everyone else has to cut their losses? It seems so. The cost of going to trial is more than the average homeowner can afford. Most big national builders have mandatory arbitration in their contracts so their clients have difficulty suing. This is especially bad in Texas where tort reform and binding arbitration clauses in new home builder contracts have denied many with defective homes their day in court.

Daneshjou’s defense bounced around, at one point passing the blame to subcontractors and finally a vehement argument that despite the construction flaws they met minimum standards.

The other possibility is that it’s easier and more profitable to take shortcuts on larger projects. Using cheap materials for a small home could save a hundreds of dollars, but in a larger project, the developer is tempted to save thousands per shortcut. Given the size of mansions, it’s harder for occupants to notice problems than homeowners who more frequently visit all their rooms.

If you have mold due to developer or construction negligence and you are not a millionaire, my advice is to join a class action lawsuit. If the developer took advantage of you, it’s likely there are others in similar situations. This raises the stakes and attracts a legal team willing to help you out.

Attic Ventilation Tips

Michael Davis — Tue, 25 May 2010 15:04:46 +0000

Home design is much more complex than I ever realized. You can’t just throw up four walls, slap on a roof, and call it done. Homes need to breathe, and breathe correctly. Pressures, temperatures, conductivity, and other physics principles play a role in how it all works. Proper home designs turn homes into a system with features that work together to keep the home stable against the natural elements. If any one of these parts becomes out of whack, it throws off the whole system.

The attic is where most homes exhale the air they breathe in. Just as if you could not breathe, if the attic cannot exhale properly then it creates problems for the entire house. Attics should ventilate at least one square foot of roof ventilation for every 150-200 square feet of attic space. Air is ventilated out of the attic through soffit and roof vents.

While the more attic ventilation the better, more vents can upset the delicate balance here. I heard of one story where a homeowner tried to increase their ventilation rate by installing two different kinds of outlet vents. This resulted in transforming the weaker outlet vent into an inlet vent. Air simply short circuited between the vents, preventing soffits from drawing in air flow.

During the summer proper attic ventilation keeps your attic from collecting heat. Without ventilation, your attic can turn into a hot box and spill that unwanted heat back into the living area. This increases your energy bill since your air conditioner has to work that much harder. It also destroys your shingles.

During the winter months, mold can result from improper attic ventilation. Hot air rises from the furnace in the living area and coalesces against cold surfaces on the attic roof. Often these are places with nails since iron is a great temperature conductor. When a hot air mass meets a cold surface, the dew point is reached and water droplets begin to form. This moisture results in mold that will create health problems and eat away at your attic and roof.

The best tip I can give you is to inspect your soffit and roof vents on a regular basis. They can easily become blocked and disrupt system flow you have in your home. But this will not help you if your attic is improperly designed in the first place. Check with a reputable home design inspector to determine if this is a cause. An improperly ventilating attic will cost you in energy bills and mold damage.

Even Arizona has Moldy Schools

Michael Davis — Tue, 11 May 2010 14:58:30 +0000

Mold grows best in muggy, humid climates. States like Florida and Texas are especially susceptible to mold. The moisture in the air helps the mold thrive. But that doesn’t mean it can’t grow in dry places like Arizona – as one school has found out.

Officials at Desert Harbor Elementary (see the word “desert” is even in the name) held a meeting to inform parents about mold found in the school. Maintenance workers first noticed a weird smell with the school’s air conditioning last October. They didn’t see mold, but there was a smell. School air conditioners are common culprits when it comes to water intrusion in schools. The district hired outside experts to test the air quality inside the school. Aspergillus Penicillium turned up which air quality experts say is unsafe.

What’s interesting about this story, other than mold in Arizona is the school’s reaction to the issue. Usually parents have to pull teeth to get a school to test for mold, and the test almost always comes back “there is no mold” despite obvious evidence.

Here, the school did the test based on a recommendation from the maintenance crew. The kind of mold found is not even the most dangerous. It is usually found on old bread and potatoes. It’s mostly harmless unless someone is immunosuppressed – which is probable given the age of the students. The report did not seem to mention Stachybotrys or other kinds of black mold. Still, the school decided it was unsafe and took responsible action by sealing off a section of the school and informing parents of the situation.

Frankly, this kind of openness and action is unheard of in other states. Usually the school is working harder to deny the problem for legal reasons rather than fix it. But maybe Arizona’s unfamiliarity with mold has given their system a kind of innocence.

Still, some parents are annoyed that it took the school about five months to disclose the results of the tests. Other parents were appreciative that the school was upfront about the problem.

An Isolated Complaint Against a School

Michael Davis — Tue, 04 May 2010 15:17:46 +0000

It’s tough to go against your school because a mold problem is making your child sick. But it’s even tougher when you’re the only one.

Theresa Gay of Hertford, NC, has filed a discrimination complaint against Perquimans County Schools for not providing a “clean learning environment” for her son, who has a disability. Gay’s thirteen-year-old son attends eighth-grade at Perquimans Middle School and the Accelerated Learning Center.

This case is an example of how mold may only affect a single person if they are susceptible to it. Gay claims her son was born without the gene to fight off toxic mold and he is allergic to grass, weeds, dogs, dust mites, as well as mold. Since attending the school he has suffered serious asthma attacks, memory loss, chemical sensitivity, and fatigue. These are serious symptoms of someone who has been neurologically impaired by toxic mold.

Yet, because no one else attending the school has complained, Gay is going to have a difficult time proving that mold is responsible for her son’s symptoms. She has since pulled him out of school and is home schooling him. She says he is now showing signs of improvement.

Does the school really have mold? The school, of course, says no. The middle school was inspected by an industrial hygiene consultant a year ago and no mold was found. Another inspection report found the school “overall in very good repair. Vents are clean and there is no visible mold growth through the school.” Quarterly inspections were performed on all four of the district’s schools and each received grades of between 96 to 99 out of 100.

Sorry for being skeptical, but it doesn’t sound like any of these inspections were actually looking for mold and were simply general inspections on cleanliness. The only report that mentions mold says there was no visible growth. Mold is rarely visible. And even if a school appears to be clean, that doesn’t mean there hasn’t been some untreated leak accumulating moisture in an area that no one can see.

I think a more thorough investigation is needed here, but Perquimans seems to already be in PR spin mode so it’s unlikely this problem will be addressed honestly. Their official responses say “our custodians do a fantastic job in keeping our schools clean,” and “safety remains our top priority (because we realize) students can’t learn until they are in a safe and healthy environment.”

Fortunately, Theresa Gay appears to possess some awareness about toxic mold and the threat it has to her son’s health. Thankfully, she has taken the most appropriate action in this case.

Guardian Preservation Services Receives “National Home Pro of the Year Award”

Michael Davis — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 15:18:54 +0000

If you read my postings you know I am a big advocate of mold education and helping others realize the severity and dangers mold brings to health and property. This same mindset and effort goes into my mold removal company Guardian Preservation Services. Our main goal is to educate the consumer and help them make the most informed decisions in their mold removal process. Because of this, our efforts have been acknowledged by ServiceMagic, the leading website that connects consumers to certified contractor professionals.

I am pleased to announce that Guardian Preservation Services has received the “National Home Pro of the Year Award” by ServiceMagic. Guardian was chosen as the best out of over 70,000 ServiceMagic contractors nationwide. The determining factors included customer ratings, involvement in the community, and voting by other ServiceMagic professionals.

Guardian Preservation Services has customer satisfaction ratings of 4.6 out of 5. Our customers appreciate the fact that we genuinely want to help them. One of our Florida mold removal customers says “An absolutely, very professional, caring, helpful, informative and wonderful company to deal with! They did an exceptional and excellent job, thumbs up for this company!”

We are very honored and excited to be considered the nation’s best by ServiceMagic. Guardian is constantly trying to stay involved with the community and always looks to help those in need. I remember when Guardian found an extreme mold problem in an assisted living community, we knew they could not afford the mold removal cost, but we had to help and we removed the mold at no charge.

It’s nice to know that there is still recognition for not only being the best at implementing your service, but for helping the community and those in need. And I feel that this award will only motivate Guardian to continue to educate the community on mold and provide the best mold removal service.

Mold Removal Blog » Mold Facts

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