I've got mold...now what?

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[ARCHIVED THREAD] - I've got mold...now what?

Posted: 10/27/2013 4:13:03 PM EDT

I need some direction here, because I'm not sure what to do. A few weeks ago, I noticed a wet spot in the ceiling of the room below our main bathroom. My wife said that the kids dumped a bunch of water on the floor and that is probably what caused it. Fast forward to just a few minutes ago. I found black mold and a squishy ceiling in the linen closet adjacent to the room with the wet spot on the ceiling. This all leads me to believe that it was not a one time bath time accident, but the possibility that I have a leaking pipe inside the wall.

If I do have a leaking pipe, and it is causing mold and damage inside multiple walls, is this something that I can claim against my home owner's insurance? I've never had to make a claim before, but after all of the bad news about black mold over the years, its got me worried about my kids' health.

Thanks,
Mike

Posted: 10/27/2013 4:16:34 PM EDT

[#1]

Get a dehumidifier and a hygrometer. I have to run mine all spring through fall to keep the humidiy below the levels that mold thrives at.

Posted: 10/27/2013 4:17:11 PM EDT

[#2]

I would say yes, you can file a claim with your insurance comp a ny. That is going to be expensive to fix.

Posted: 10/27/2013 4:22:12 PM EDT

[#3]

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Quoted:
I would say yes, you can file a claim with your insurance comp a ny. That is going to be expensive to fix.

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And hire your own public adjuster to work for you. They are worth it.

Posted: 10/27/2013 4:34:27 PM EDT

[#4]

Sounds like you're just gonna have to burn it down

Posted: 10/27/2013 4:37:06 PM EDT

[#5]

Have you seen a doctor?

Posted: 10/27/2013 4:39:22 PM EDT

[#6]

Go to the CDC website and see how many kinds of 'black mold' there is, then see how many are listed as bad..come back here and lets us know what you find.

Kill the moisture source and increase ventilation..

Posted: 10/27/2013 4:40:26 PM EDT

[#7]

You can get a mold testing kit at Lowe's to see if it's the bad kind. The kit is around $10.00 and it cost $40.00 send off and get tested.

Posted: 10/27/2013 4:41:28 PM EDT

[#8]

Dehumidifier and cut a hole so you can assess the problem before you call in the insurance company.

Posted: 10/27/2013 4:42:48 PM EDT

[#9]

Insurance will pay for damaged caused by the leak, but not to fix the actual leak.

Posted: 10/27/2013 4:44:27 PM EDT

[#10]

Mold remediation is a scam.

Posted: 10/27/2013 4:46:10 PM EDT

[#11]

Just spray any moldy spots with bleach....done!

Posted: 10/27/2013 4:46:29 PM EDT

[#12]

Several points:

1. Mold is everywhere, especially if you live in the Pacific Northwest or east of the Mississippi. You're exposed to it constantly. A test kit will tell you nothing of significance.

2. Mold is an allergen, so it can trigger asthma attacks or other respiratory symptoms if you are allergic to it. If not, environmental molds are pretty much harmless to the average healthy adult; the only time you would have to worry about infection is if you have a compromised immune system (HIV, organ transplants, very old or already very sick).

3. There are two surefire ways to get rid of mold: Get rid of the moisture source, and properly ventilate the house. You'll probably have to get rid of the damaged drywall and start over, but once you eliminate the source of moisture the mold should go away on its own (disclaimer: This works a lot quicker in the desert than in the forest).

Posted: 10/27/2013 4:52:15 PM EDT

[#13]

FYI: Spraying mold with Hydrogen Peroxide is better than bleach.

Posted: 10/27/2013 4:53:11 PM EDT

[#14]

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Quoted:

And hire your own public adjuster to work for you. They are worth it.

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Quoted:

Quoted:

I would say yes, you can file a claim with your insurance comp a ny. That is going to be expensive to fix.

And hire your own public adjuster to work for you. They are worth it.

PAs are a joke.

Posted: 10/27/2013 5:03:44 PM EDT

[#15]

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Mold remediation is a scam.

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This - Stop the moisture, then the mold will not grow. Fix the problem. - THAT SIMPLE.

Replace any porous materials that have visible mold. Then, you're DONE.

Posted: 10/27/2013 5:05:15 PM EDT

[#16]

Quote History

Quoted:

This - Stop the moisture, then the mold will not grow. Fix the problem. - THAT SIMPLE.

Replace any porous materials that have visible mold. Then, you're DONE.

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Quote History

Quoted:

Quoted:
Mold remediation is a scam.

This - Stop the moisture, then the mold will not grow. Fix the problem. - THAT SIMPLE.

Replace any porous materials that have visible mold. Then, you're DONE.

Posted: 10/27/2013 5:09:33 PM EDT

[#17]

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Quoted:

Sounds like you're just gonna have to burn it down

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Have you called Vanilla Ice yet

Posted: 10/27/2013 5:41:26 PM EDT

[#18]

Basically the only way to do it is physically remove the mold and everything it was growing on, and everything within a couple feet.

Proper PPE, p-100 full mask, tyvek suit, rubber gloves, etc
Seal off work area with plastic sheeting (if you want to be anal retentive you could make it negative pressure inside with a fan).
All the affected material has to be ripped out and bagged up (mist it with biocide to avoid spreading dust/spores in the air)
Mold scrubbed off the studs
Clean up with a hepa vac (small job you could probably buy a home depot shop vac, hepa filter and extra long hose to hook to the exhaust and output through a window)
Spray everything with a biocide
Fix the leak
Let everything dry out and check the leak is fixed
Make sure there's no humidity problems, but if the drywall is spongy it's a big leak.
Replace drywall/insulation/trim/etc

If it's a smallish area you could probably do it yourself with about $300 of gear, or pay remidiators about $3000/day. I've heard if you claim on your house insurance you house can be kind of black listed as a mold house. Also if you get a mold test your supposed to disclose it if you sell the house.

Posted: 10/27/2013 5:45:21 PM EDT

[#19]

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Quoted:

And hire your own public adjuster to work for you. They are worth it.

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Quoted:

Quoted:

I would say yes, you can file a claim with your insurance comp a ny. That is going to be expensive to fix.

And hire your own public adjuster to work for you. They are worth it.

I don't think so.

Posted: 10/27/2013 5:50:10 PM EDT

[#20]

The last person I know that turned in a mold claim to ins was very sorry. The ins paid the claim but he couldn't sell the house because no Ins company would ins the house for a new owner because of a mold issue in the past.

Posted: 10/27/2013 5:50:28 PM EDT

[#21]

I hate it when that happens

Posted: 10/27/2013 5:52:05 PM EDT

[#22]

Before people knew that occasional mold was "dangerous", most people could give a crap about it and I don't recall anyone claiming to be sick from mold in their homes. Now, every housewife and renter is paralyzed by it and filing claims to get money. Spray some peroxide on it, paint killz on it, stop the water source, and move on.

Posted: 10/27/2013 5:53:18 PM EDT

[#23]

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Quoted:
Insurance will pay for damaged caused by the leak, but not to fix the actual leak.

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True in some respects. Also, mold is often excluded so check your policy. Typically insurance companies also look at the "occurrence" not the recurrence. They are not in the business to pay claims stemming from an ongoing issue.

Posted: 10/27/2013 5:57:47 PM EDT

[#24]

why dont you knock a hole in the veiling and see whats going on... no pipes no leak no problem...
if you have a pipe and its leaking call a plumber and get it fixed if you cant do it yourself... hydrogen peroxide will kill it real good but more than that once the water is gone it will solve itself...

either way knocking a lil hole in the ceiling is an easy fix... hell homedepot does "how to patch drywall" classes like once or twice a month...

Posted: 10/27/2013 5:58:01 PM EDT

[#25]

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Mold remediation is a scam.

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x1000

We have lived with molds and fungi for 10's of thousands of years.

The chance that a single leaky pipe has unleashed the hidden uber-killer mold spores just waiting to kill your ass is not likely.

Wear an N-95 mask. Open the windows. Cut out all the damaged drywall. If there is mold of some kind in there just spray a weak bleach solution and hit as much of it as you can. Fix the leak. Vent the area for a couple weeks. Patch the drywall.

Done.

Posted: 10/27/2013 5:58:57 PM EDT

[#26]

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Quoted:
Before people knew that occasional mold was "dangerous", most people could give a crap about it and I don't recall anyone claiming to be sick from mold in their homes. Now, every housewife and renter is paralyzed by it and filing claims to get money. Spray some peroxide on it, paint killz on it, stop the water source, and move on.

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They just died from unknown lung problems. My wife developed severe allergies to mold and almost died from it. You are saying that she and her doctors are full of shit? Kiss my ass.

Posted: 10/27/2013 6:02:27 PM EDT

[#27]

Oh my God! It's mold! Run for your lives!

Mold is everywhere. Fix the leak. Repair the damage and move on.

Posted: 10/27/2013 6:05:09 PM EDT

[#28]

I don't know your wife or what issues she has, but I do know a few doctors and an insurance investigator who tells me there is rampant fraud in relation to this growing field of mold remediation. Nobody said "your wife" was faking it, don't take it personal. But a lot of people are.