Ask the Experts Archive

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	09/05/07	How do I create the negative pressure you described and/or how do I assure proper ventilation to best reduce moisture?
	08/30/07	How do I tell a builder that I need to have my home inspected for a potential mold problem?
	07/31/07	How can I tell whether black mold is dead or not?
	06/22/07	Is a little mold normal?
	05/31/07	We have a musty odor that comes out of our vents and have been told to replace all of the ductwork. Is there any other solution?
	04/11/07	Would you recommend a complete eradication of mold by opening walls or will sealing walls closed be enough?
	02/06/07	How can we prevent molds from appearing on a painted exterior veneer ceiling?
	11/07/06	A customer claims work done by our roofing crew led to mold throughout her house. How can we know the mold resulted from our recent work?
	10/26/06	Some of the wood being used by the contractor framing our home addition has black mold on it. He says that this is okay. Do I need to be concerned?
	08/31/06	We have a condo on the water in Florida and have recently seen mold growing out of the vent. Also when we go to the closet where the unit is placed there is a mold smell. We have had mold people out who want to tear down the wall. Could it be solved in a simpler way?
	06/06/06	A leaky pipe caused six months of kitchen sink waste to drain into a crawlspace in my basement. Because of the organic content of the waste, the area which was covered by water is now covered by white and gray mold. What should my next steps be?
	04/27/06	Can you tell me anything about a new method of combatting mold by raising the temperature of a space to critically high levels?
	03/22/06	Do you know of any alternative drywall products that could be used on wood-framed homes? This is to help Hands On USA in their work rebuilding mold-free homes along the Gulf Coast.
	01/19/06	My contractor says the industry now prefers OSB over plywood and that there is no need for building wrap on my new home. Should I be more concerned about mold and allergies penetrating the house?
	01/05/06	How should I interpret results from an air sample petri dish growth test and what should I do about mold in duct work?
	12/15/05	What can you tell me about special lights used to treat mold?
	12/01/05	Is mold detectable by casual inspection or must I hire a professional to inspect my home?
	09/22/05	When building our condo in Ala., the roof went up six months atfer the frame was built. Now the floors are wet with standing water, mushy sawdust, etc. Do we need to be concerned about mold?
	09/08/05	What exactly is dry rot and how can I tell if it is present?
	08/25/05	Are the mold-resisting properties of such resistant paints purely chemical or also physical in nature? If chemical, how long will the these properties last and when should I paint my bathroom again?
	08/11/05	The air coming through some vents in our house smells clean, but in other parts the vents blow a faint mildew smell. If mold were in the a/c unit wouldn't the smell come out of every vent?
	07/14/05	Can garage mold be remediated just by opening the doors, so as to avoid the cost of all the wipe-down, containment, and filtration?
	07/07/05	The contractor building our new sunroom thinks we can dry out a wet subfloor through ventilation with luan panels already in place. I think we should pull up the luan first. What is the correct approach?
	06/23/05	My environmental company has a client that has noticed mold growth on the exterior of their building, and are wondering how it can be cleaned. It is an EIFS (Exterior Insulation and Finish Systems) building. Do you have any recommendations on a proper cleaning method?
	06/09/05	I am buying a house that previously had water damage and, subsequently, mold. Supposedly the problem has been corrected, but I want to be sure. How can I find out who should pay for it, and would my homeowners insurance pay for it if a problem occurred?
	04/27/05	I live in a senior citizens' apartment complex (HUD). Many of us seniors are concerned about mold. Management/owners downplay any concern. Many of the carpets are 10 to 12 years old and many water leaks have occurred in the past years. I sent a mold test to a lab and was advised that Cladosporium and Rhizopus/Mucor is present. Should we be concerned?
	04/14/05	How do I find a local inspector to come and test my home for mold?
	03/25/05	An air test found Aspergillus-Pennicillum 1200/m3 in the interior air of the home we are buying. A mold remediator proposes one solution to remove the source of the mold, but don't we need to do another air test on the interior? Then do we need some interior cleanup as well?
	03/04/05	We live in a 90-year-old house with a remodeled bathroom. No exhaust fan was ever installed and the ceiling over our shower has become covered with black mold. The mold does not appear to have spread onto the vertical wall surfaces. We want to repair this damage, but how? And should we have the mold tested to determine the type before remediating?
	02/17/05	While remodeling a house, the roof was partially exposed, causing a brief rainwater intrusion in some walls. A test revealed mold on the bottom 2 ft. of some exterior walls. Exterior and interior walls are plaster where mold does not grow. However, the wood structure inside the wall may be susceptible to mold, although there's no moisture present now. Is there a way to destroy the mold by means other than breaking the plaster? Will mold stop growing in the absence of moisture in the walls and eventually disintegrate, or will it destroy the wood? The molds are Aspergillus, Basidiospores, Cladosporium and Stachybotrys, all small quantities. And, what level of encapsulated mold is acceptable, if any?
	02/03/05	We bought a 50-year-old house last year. The bathtub is along the outside cinder block wall, which has a glass block window. The problem is that where the window sill meets the window, there is a gap that goes behind the wall, which was never caulked. During showers (the previous owner took baths), water goes behind the ceramic tile. I've tried a do-it-yourself mold test, which did not show any abnormal readings, but I've had two mushrooms grow out of the wall. We're going to remodel this bathroom and I'm worried that there's mold in there. What do we do if it's there?
	01/21/05	We are building a custom home and much of the wood used in framing it had a black fuzzy surface on it. I brought it to my contractor's attention and he said not to worry, that it's the way the wood comes from the mill. I believe about 80% of the wood used in our 3000-sq.-ft. home has this on it. I took a sample and sent it to a lab and it was determined to be cladosporium, penicillium and rhizopus/mucor. Should I be worried?
	01/13/05	I have a new home, and used a composite decking on all of our exterior decks, and porches. The brand is [a certain one]. The first spring we began to see black splotches all over the deck surface. The lumber supplier told us they were handling claims, and gave me a high-strength deck cleaner to use. I used the cleaner, and the decks looked great. But it didn't last. It seems I would have to clean the decks every other month to keep down the spotting. Is there anything happening with this manufacturer ? Thanks for your help.
	11/23/04	We just built a new home and moved into it in August. Two days after moving in, we found a considerable amount of mold growing on the wood joists and subflooring in the basement. It was spread throughout the entire basement. The contractor insisted this was a common problem and easily cleaned with bleach. We asked for an expert in mold remediation, but they refused. They bleached the wood and "guaranteed" us that the mold would not return. Within two months not only did the mold return, but it spread. It is growing on the joists where they meet the subflooring. We are not sure how to proceed. Our Board Certified Industrial Hygienist insists that all the contaminated wood be removed. Their "expert" says that if the wood is cleaned (soda) and encapsulated we should not have any more problems. There is no source of moisture...we have dehumidifiers running constantly (the air humidity is under 60%). This is a brand new home! We are afraid of the mold returning after remediation; and also know that if we need to resell the home it might be difficult after we disclose the mold problem.
	10/28/04	I live in San Diego, Calif., near the ocean. The house next door is under reconstruction. There has been a constant flow of red dust and sawdust, combined with several days of heavy fog. I now see that sections of our tile roof are now green with a type of mold that looks like cauliflower-shaped circles. I have since developed a very bad case of laryngitis because of a mold allergy. I am not intending to sue my neighbor. He is aware of the problem and wants to have the carpenters use a blower on our roof but I feel that will spread the spores. I think they should use some sort of solution that will kill the spores. What do you suggest?
	09/21/04	This is not about mold, but a very destructive fungus we have in new wood used to rebuild porches in an historical building. None of the old wood has been affected. For example, a 2 x 2-inch upright post, before it broke apart, appeared to have what resembled a clean saw cut all the way through. We have attempted to file a claim with our insurance company, hoping they would investigate lumber mills that supplied this wood, but they say it is from water damage, which it is not. The wood appears to have been sold to the carpenter with this fungus already active within the interior structures of the wood. What would you suggest?
	09/02/04	I just read your reply concerning mold contamination and blueprints. I was involved in a similar situation. Initially a HEPA filter system was used to remove the airborne spores but this was only effective for the perimeter of the room. Every time someone retrieved an item from the room, it still had signs of mold contamination. We then switched to an active O3 system that kills mold, mildew and bacteria. This worked and did not damage the paper. Comments?
	08/17/04	I work with blueprints that have been stored away for decades. Unfortunately, a large percentage of them have become moldy. I have safety concerns about being in contact with such mold, and is there a way to reduce or eliminate the mold and its odor while retaining the integrity of the blueprints?
	07/15/04	I withdrew from a home purchasing contract because the inspector determined visible mold and structural damage on 40% of the home's joists/main girder. A few years ago, the homeowners disclosed structural damage from "white rot" and repairs were made. Now, evidence shows that the moisture problem is still there as well as futher damaged wood. The engineer says mold problems are bogus and that the rotten wood will not contaminate other wood. Because of this, I lose my deposit, have to pay for the engineer's report, the survey and the home appraisal. Any info or suggestions are greatly appreciated.
	07/08/04	One of our McGraw-Hill Construction mold experts, Mark Goldberg, would like to turn the tables and pose a question to others in the construction industry. He says, �When constructing a building below grade in a hot, humid environment and prior to the HVAC system being completed, what steps can be taken to prevent moisture from condensing on gypsum board and carpeted surfaces? Dehumidification often creates a dry, hot environment that is difficult to perform construction work in, and if you seal the area to minimize humid air entry, then construction dust and vapors are not exhausted. Does anyone have other ideas?� Please send responses to judys@mcgraw-hill.com and we will post them for everyone. Thanks!
	06/17/04	I own a townhouse condo with Spanish-style roof tiles. I had a significant leak from the roof, which caused the air conditioning unit inside the house to overflow, thus creating mold in the roof, a/c and adjoining bathrooms. The mold inspector said it was clearly evident that the roof leak caused a cascade event. However, the condo insurance company said...
	04/22/04	In our geographic area, we experience a lot of damage from expansive soils, so a trend has developed to install structural basement floors made of precast prestressed concrete, built several inches above the ground, so that some degree of expansion can be tolerated without excessive damage. We are also experiencing the usual mold damage. Almost everything I read about mold damage involves wood construction, so my question is, will concrete be less susceptible to the growth of mold?
	03/25/04	Our basement was flooded last year due to excessive rain. Because it was also very humid, it was prime for mold and mildew growth. We had extensive mildew on old cabinets and on beams. Now that the basement is cold and dry, it appears that the mildew is gone. Do we still need to remediate or are the mildew spores dead? I'm concerned that it will just reappear every summer when the weather becomes humid.
	03/03/04	What kind of mold issues are incurred in EIFS? What are some of the causes of moisture/mold in EIFS? Is it primarily due to improper installation, or is EIFS truly flawed?
	02/19/04	How do I find someone to document potential mold-related health problems in my apartment so I have a defense against breaking the lease?
	01/29/04	We had a new roof installed last September. It rained during construction and the roofers covered the exposed areas of the roof incorrectly so the rain came directly into the kitchen. The problem wasn't fixed immediately and mold grew. The roofer has since addressed the situation by hiring a certified industrial hygienist (CIH), dropping the ceilings, removing the affected kitchen cabinetry and remediating the mold in the house with chemicals. Results from an air test after the mold remediation showed the mold has been abated. Should the roofer install brand new cabinets instead of reinstalling the old, warped, mold-infected ones? The roofer wants to "poly" the back surface of those cabinets and reinstall them. Since mold had grown on the back side of the cabinets and the wall they were on in the kitchen, I do not want them reinstalled.
	01/08/04	We have just discovered a severe mold problem at our church. The church sanctuary is directly above a basement with a wet weather spring in it. The basement has not been used for years but we recently found that the mold has contaminated the sanctuary above. The air has been tested and it grew five colonies of mold. We have moved all meetings to another building and no one is allowed inside the sanctuary until we know exactly what we are dealing with regarding decontamination. We left everything inside the sanctuary including the piano, organ and hymnals. The building is over 40 years old. What is your advice on our best, most cost-effective, course of action?
	12/17/03	We suffered a late-night pipe break that saturated drywall, plywood, insulation and doors that had just been delivered. Our insurance company estimates we lost $15,000 worth of materials. How should we respond to these �events� when they happen?
	12/11/03	The use of vinyl wallpaper on the inside of perimeter walls has been eliminated by many designers because mold sometimes grows under the vinyl. But clients anxious for a cleanable wall surface still ask us about its installation. Is there some practical replacement?
	11/12/03	I’ve heard that “mold is everywhere.” If that’s so, how can I avoid it in my construction projects?
	09/19/03	Why are we seeing so many mold-related insurance claims?
	If you have a question for a mold expert, please send it to Judy Schriener, editor-in-chief of construction.com at judys@mcgraw-hill.com.

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