We bought a foreclosed house. There is a mold on a carpet in the basement. We called mold expert just to make sure it is not poisonous. The results came negative, and when we asked how we are suppose to remove it, he suggested to remove the carpet, put the chemicals and sanitize the area, and we would be fine. We also asked a professional how much he would ask for, he said $2000. We do not know what to do because it is a lot of money, but at the other hand we are afraid we’d not be able to remove it as good as him? Does anyone have any suggestion, and how hard is it to do it, and is there a recommended chemical brand or type that could be purchased at the home improvement store, or the professional brands are far better?

cut the rug in 2ft strips and take up and throw away mix 20% bleach to 80% water buy a 2gal sprayer spray the mixture on the affected area wait 24hrs should be gone if not reapply

Mold has become one of the hot topics in real estate. Recently mold in homes has been significantly linked to ailments of the respiratory system and allergies. Mold is also a bit of a tricky customer as it can be difficult to detect and hard to get rid of as well. Mold is commonly mistaken with common mildew which does not have the same health concerns, but can outwardly appear much the same. Mold comes in a number of different varieties, usually with differing health effects so in determining whether or not there is mold in a home requires a trained professional. Home inspectors are sometimes able to identify mold in the home. When buying a home and arranging the inspection, try to find an inspector that is familiar with mold and ensure that they look for it.

One of the reasons that mold is so hard to detect is the fact that it usually grows unseen in hidden corners and recesses inside the walls or foundations of a home. Mold requires a dark moist area in which to grow, and some sort of organic material on which to thrive. Wood and wood products in particular are common areas for mold growth. The growth is typically stimulated by a water leak from the home’s exterior that leaks onto the wood and the growth begins. If left for a significant time the growth can be quite large as a constant leak can feed the growth. Removing mold is a difficult process. Typically it is simply easier to remove the affected area and replace it with new materials. This ensures the removal and closing off the leak will ensure that the growth does not start again. It is essential when removing mold to be sure that it is removed in its entirety. If any is left behind the growth can continue and spread to the newly installed materials or freshly cleaned areas. If you are purchasing a home and mold is found, it would be a good idea to list the fixing of the problem as a subject of the sale.

Lane Hornung
http://www.articlesbase.com/real-estate-articles/keeping-the-mold-out-140244.html

Alright I want to buy a house, but it has mold from a busted pipe that is shared by two bathrooms and two closets. I know how dangerous mold is and in all my searching i have found some pretty scary stories about how you can’t "kill" black mold and how it causes brain damage. However we are very DIY people and we know we can re build it, and redo the piping ourselves. the area effected is in total 30 ft of wall, in different rooms and closets. It is mostly the bottom half of the wall that is effected, not the top.
My questions:

1. Can we just remove the drywall, and leave the studs even if they have mold? I was thinking use bleach and a dehumidifier.

2. How dangerous is this stuff if you do treat it with bleach and scrub it off? I live in Florida and I KNOW almost every home has mold, but if i get most of it out is there still an abnormally high risk?

3. How much would it cost, JUST for removal? i don’t want them to fix the pipes or re drywall, just get rid of the mold we’ll do the rest.

another tips for black mold removal or advice from people who have experience.

Thanks!

I know what living with a mold problem is like. My basement gets wet during periods of heavy rain, mostly shop vac, but once we had 14" of water in the basement. Over time, mold developed. It cost a total of $5500 to get rid of the mold. This involved removing sheetrock in a small finished room (about /12 way up from the floor), and spraying a mold killer/retardant solution over the entire basement. Note that the cost didn’t include replacing the sheetrock! $1500 of this expense was for a Sani-Dri unit, a super dehumidifier that really, really has kept the basement dry. I would strongly suggest leaving this to the pros. I got very sick trying to clean this up myself, and I didn’t have black mold. The folks doing the work were dressed in hazmat suits and we were out of the house during this process. Clorox isn’t as effective as you might think. According to the experts, it doesn’t get to the spores roots, so using it creates a temporary solution. Having said that, whenever I do get any water now, I dry it up and use a garden sprayer to spray a Clorox/water solution. I then crank up the Sani Dri unit and let it dry things out. So far so good. Good luck to you, and please be careful.

2/4/08 – Iowa Supreme Court votes in favor of homeowners going back to the original home builder for toxic black mold growth in the home.

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Say you buy a foreclosed home in bad condition listed at say $20,000. Can you get a mortgage for say $45,000 dollars to cover mold removal, rewiring, just general improvements? I’ve tried to find information on-line and someone suggested an FHA streamlined loan but after reading more about the streamlined loan it doesn’t seem like that’s what a streamlined loan is really for.

Yes, they are called 203K loans. If you purchase a house for $100,000 and it needs $25,000 worth of work you can get the loan for $125,000. BUT, the house will need to appraise for $125,000, the appraiser will appraise the house at the "repaired" amount instead of the as-is amount. They take a little longer and you will need to have a couple of bids from contractors (I have never seen anyone get a loan based on doing the work themselves, but it may be possible)

A lot of lenders don’t like doing them because of the added paperwork but check around, you’ll find one that will do it, make sure they have done them before.

Good Luck!!

My daughter is thinking about buying a home that has some mold. It was a house that was once used as a grow house. She is not quite sure how much mold there is but there is some on base boards and over a door in from the garage there is no flooring to be removed. Can a mold inspector remove a portion of the wall to inspect if the house is bank owned. The house to me is priced to high for the damages in the home. Will the bank take offers on homes and will an insurance company insure a house that had mold (after removal of course). Does anyone know if in the walls, what has to be done and how costly. Thank for help or advice.

Here are mold-related symptoms, including death…

https://moldrx4u.com/Symptoms.asp

Look in yellow pages for something like environmental professional, environmental engineer, industrial hygienist, or indoor air quality specialist. They can tell you, with air samples, exactly what you are dealing with. If toxic mold, bank should come down dramatically on price and they may be held liable if they don’t disclose to others.

At that point, it’s an interesting decision…

Check out the remarkable research on toxic mold removal done by environmental expert Dr Ed Close. Simply diffusing Thieves essential oil regularly will likely result in an environment very hostile to mold.

http://www.secretofthieves.com/mold.cfm

Cost of the Thieves Household Cleaner, a diffuser and a couple bottles of the Thieves oil that Dr Close recommends to his remediation clients: about $250.

I’ve always felt this knowledge would open a huge opportunity for investors that can stomach the risk. Buy homes at remediation-required prices, see if the Thieves trick will solve the problem before traditional remediation techniques, make a huge and honest profit because you know something that is not yet common knowledge.

Molds are a type of fungi that help in decomposing the leaves. But when they enter our homes after flood, hurricane or after sewage overflow, etc., then they can pose serious threat to our health. They develop on various surfaces like wood, tiles, wallpaper, wet carpets, sheet rock, paints, and others. Especially after water damage, mold growth is much faster. Some molds do not harm people, but there are that have the tendency to develop toxins known as “my co toxins”. These are really harmful and can trigger allergies also. People who are asthmatic or small children are an easy victim of mold growth effects. In addition to this those exposed to soaring level of my co toxins can suffer from effects by witnessing irritation in eyes & lungs, nausea, headaches, fatigue, etc. This makes it important to get the water damage clean up immediately.

For extracting the water at home and cleaning it, usually the individuals / homeowners hire a water damage restoration company. This sound to be a sensible option as they take the necessary steps for water damage removal & water damage clean up. Once they are through with the process, it becomes necessary to remove the mold as well. Then and there get the necessary treatment done this will help you in leading a healthy life.

Natural calamities cannot be perverted but at home we need to take certain precautionary measures in a house to prevent the mold growth:

* Check for water leaks from taps, pipes, roofs, if any get them repaired immediately.

* Regularly open windows & doors to improve the airflow within the home. You can use fans to circulate the fresh air within home.

* Further move the heavy and large objects few inches away from the interior of home. This will help in increasing the air circulation.

* In your kitchen, laundry rooms and bathroom, install & use exhaust fans.

* Proper ventilation and insulation is necessary at crawl space and attics. It is advisable to use good quality heavy plastic sheet to cover floor on the crawl space.

* If you have carpets, then clean and dry them. Remove, wash, clean and dry the bedding, clothing, & upholstery properly to prevent mold growth as their fabric has tendency to attract molds.

* On regular basis, vacuum and clean home regularly to remove mold spores from roots.

* During humid or cold weather, it becomes necessary to clean the water droplets & signs of condensation. This will help in curbing the growth of mold.

These steps will help you in controlling water damage mold. In case mold growth is severe, then it is wiser to contact a mold remediation company, at the earliest.

vivek
http://www.articlesbase.com/home-improvement-articles/water-damage-mold-689638.html

Bought a hud home and needs all this done. What is the best order to do this so it’s clean in the end?

Out with the old carpet & mold remeditation at once, duct cleaning & then furnace check.

http://www.askthecharlotteinspector.com That musty smell was your first clue but now its confirmed: Youve got mold! Whether your house has been thoroughly invaded by the mold monsters or you have mold in a localized area such as the bathroom or basement, dealing with the mess can be overwhelming. Where do you begin? And should you even attempt to do it by yourself?

First, assess the damage. A small patch of mold in the bathroom and mold that has infiltrated the carpets, wallpaper, and drywall are two different beasts. One you can deal with on your own; the other requires professional help.

Next, consider the source of the mold. It wont do you any good to clean up the mold and ignore its source. Sure, the mold will be gone, but soon enough the mold will return. In short: mold needs moisture. The mold didnt just randomly decide to grow in your home. It sought out, and found, a delightfully moist environment and colonized it. Not only will you need to clean up the mold, you will need to make sure the water source is controlled, too. This may mean installing an exhaust vent, repairing plumbing leaks, caulking windows, and other repairs. Again, depending on the extent of the repairs, you may need professional help.

Before you begin, consider whether the mold has contaminated the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system. If so, do not run these systems as you could spread mold further! This is a case where you will need a pro. Another instance where a professional is an absolute must is if the mold damage involves contaminated water, such as sewage or floodwaters. If you have health issues, cleaning up mold is not for you. Do yourself a favor and let a mold contractor handle the job.

Do-it-Yourself Steps for Small Mold Infestations

Once youve determined that the mold problem is mild enough to handle on your own, take care of the water problem. If you have a leaking washing machine hose, replace the hose. If a window is leaking, caulk and repair it. Next, don protective clothing including goggles, gloves, and protective mask (preferably an N-95 respirator). For mold on hard surfaces, such as a bathroom counter, scrub with detergent and water and allow it to dry completely.

Mold on porous and absorbent materials like drywall, carpet, and ceiling tiles may require that the material be removed and replaced. Mold spores are microscopic and can easily infiltrate these porous materials. While you may be able to remove the surface mold, those residing deep within the material are impossible to clean and the growth will continue.

Getting Help for Major Mold Problems

Job too big? Mold can quickly become too big to handle, especially when its hot and humid. The sooner you get help, the better! Look for a dry out professional who is experienced in mold remediation and water damage repairs. You need someone who will address the underlying problem while taking care of the mess and preventing future occurrences.
For more information on mold or Home Inspections go to http://www.homeinspectioncarolina.com

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Let’s call it extensive Mold in basement (concrete foundation) of a 3br home…. any ideas on what mold inspectors and mold removal would cost? Is it a do-it-yourself job with the proper precautions and safety measures in place?

Hi Peter,
Do not touch toxic mold. Since you mentioned extenisve you might wnat to leave this up to the pros. Toxic mold can kill oyu! Is anyone in your home sick now?