re: seeking a mold free, non toxic house

[Guest guest]

,

Here is a link to a newspaper article about our toxic mold house experience in Sept. 2001.http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4179/is_20011216/ai_n11775641/ The toxic mold was found under every window of our house. Every house in our neighborhood that had the same brand of windows had the same problem. Several different kinds of mold were found. Fortunately our insurance company paid most of the costs for testing and remediation and the cost of renting an apartment for 6 months. But after that, the Insurance Industry in our state changed rules for compensation. We were the last to have those benefits. The cost was high. We would not have been able to have afforded it with out the insurance. Every window was replaced. The drywall, insulation and outside paneling on our house was replaced. We threw out mattresses, couches & upholstered chairs. The insurance covered their replacement. We were fortunate.

Since this experience, my husband & I have commented about what we see as a problem in building houses. In our area we have seen houses built during times of rain. Often the wood is stacked outside on the ground waiting to be used for construction. Other times the frame is up, the rain comes and before everything can dry the house is enclosed. It does not take leaky windows to bring mold into the home's environment. How can a person know when they rent or buy a house that it is free from mold? This is a huge problem! We know from our own experience that testing was expensive. Not only that but not all of the places where mold existed was it found the first time around. And not all testing companies are good. In fact in 2001 there were no regulations in that profession. I don't know what it is today. We had testing done 3 times. And it turned out that one of the most extensive mold locations -- under our sliding glass door -- was not found by testing. It was found as the walls in the house were taken out. Below the sliding glass door are 2 bedroom closets in the basement. The mold was black and such a large amount. We decided to pay for having it tested. It was stachybotrys. The children who had those bedrooms could not eat breakfast in the morning with out throwing up. They had constant upper respiratory infections.

So, what would I recommend. I think a house that has been built inside -- Yes, a modular house may be the best way to go. Have it built for you.

One more thing that we learned was that not everyone reacts to living in a toxic mold environment. There are some families in our neighborhood that are still living in their homes that have never been remediated. These families have not been sick while others were. And even among those of us who were sick, the range of our symptoms is wide and varied. Even within the same house the reactions were widely varied. But if you are sick and you think toxic mold is a factor, I would encourage leaving for a cleaner place to live.

Jan

seeking mold free, non toxic house

Posted by: "personalcargo1" personalcargo@... personalcargo1

Wed Dec 30, 2009 9:32 pm (PST)

what would you guys do to find a safe haven in regards to mold, emf's ETC.

in particular the mold...i'm almost thinking of tearing down and getting a modular but hubby snubbed that saying that i'd react to all the glue and paint...i kinda think that this is the least of our worries as we can shop that one around....but what about mold testing? ERMI on every house? walk around with tape? or even more expensive...hire a guy to do the testing. i do have a guy that i will use for inspection and he knows mold and is now testing to make sure houses weren't crack cookeries...which spells big trouble.

lisa