*
A quickie job for a good client involves the removal of an enclosed porch which contains some sort of mold in the walls. The owners moved out complaining of memory loss, nausea, etc. and asked if I would go in and demo the one wall. The clients have a toxology report which rates the mold as non-toxic. But the fact that the owners had to move out of the house scares me a bit. Whaddya think, respirator, suits, gloves, taped wrists and go for it? Or pass and loose the confidence of a good client?
searoom
Discussion Forum
Discussion Forum
Up Next
Video Shorts
Featured Story
By considering things like energy-efficient mechanicals, window orientation, and renewable energy sources, homes can be evaluated to meet the energy codes. Here's what the IRC has to say.
Featured Video
Video: Build a Fireplace, Brick by BrickHighlights
"I have learned so much thanks to the searchable articles on the FHB website. I can confidently say that I expect to be a life-long subscriber." - M.K.
Replies
*
Let's see...the clients get sick from being in the same house as the mold and they want you to demolish the wall, stirring up the spores into a dense, permeating cloud...gee, that's a tough one.
*There are quite a few different ways to demo or remove a wall. Sledge hammers wailing, or slow and bagging-hazmat style. On the face of it I can see how the scenario of a cloud of spores would obscure your vision of the question at hand, is there a reliable way to test and quantify the toxicity of mold. Is the micro-environment of one wall on the weather side of the house which spawned the initial problem similar enough to the opposite and shaded side of the house going to provide a new residency for airborn spores. Discussion being the input of people who perhaps have encountered this situation and could offer usefull help.
*Those symptoms could also indicate carbon monoxide poisoning and probably some other IAQ problems. From what I've read, CO is a more likely cause of memory loss than mold, but there's no certainty in this area at this point.Don't assume its whatever the latest "60 Minutes" exposee was on.Have the combustion appliances checked by a qualified technician. The b onlyreliable way to check for CO is with a co meter used in the flue gases. (If it does turn out to be CO, there are diagnosis and treatments available, but it can be very hard to find help in medical community. Send me an email and I'll send info on where to get more info and help for them. Victims of CO poisoning need treatment, the symptoms don't always go away by themselves (especially neurologic damage.)Be aware that mold has gotten a lot of attention now, including among the legal community. Be sure to CYA. Talk to local public health officials, find and follow some sort of government type protocol (NYC has one on the web) have the client sign a contract which you've had a lawyer review for CYA on this subject.What were the qualifications of whoever did the testing and toxicology report? A lot of quickie course have sprung up offering to produce "1 day wonders" for "mold testing." There is a b lotof debate in the home inspection industry as to how good these courses are. Be skeptical in this area.There are some experts in IAQ issues. After checking stuff out, I'd say suit up, treat the wall as if it contained something toxic, consider where you'll dump it and what the consequences there are (!!!) and CYA.Don't forget, mold needs moisture, be sure to find and correct the leak.
*The situation you speak of does not scare me at all. It sounds like a water leak somewhere on the porch, and some mold grew where the moisture built up.I have done many, many bathroom remodels where I tore into a wall and found some VERY disgusting mold and who knows what growing. Some of it was bad enough to make a dog puke. In all those years, and all those situations, not once did I ever get sick or have any ill effects from this type of situation. I use a respirator (not a dust mask) whenever I demo anything. I also wear gloves, and when I get into some real nasty lokking stuff, I put on a pair of surgical type gloves under my leather gloves. I cover as much of my exposed skin as I can, and I go about tearing out walls as usual. I dispose of the gloves, and wash my clothes separate from the rest of the laundry. Since I do not know the particulars of your specific situation, I would recommend taking a sample of the mold and having it tested. If it turns out to actually be non-toxic as the report suggests, I wouldn't hesitate to do the job. Just wear breathing protection, and cover yourself with protective clothing. Bag it all up and dispose of properly.James DuHamel
*James:"The situation you speak of does not scare me at all. ....I use a respirator (not a dust mask) whenever I demo anything. I also wear gloves, and when I get into some real nasty lokking stuff, I put on a pair of surgical type gloves under my leather gloves. I cover as much of my exposed skin as I can, and I go about tearing out walls as usual. I dispose of the gloves, and wash my clothes separate from the rest of the laundry."OK, so being sensible maybe isn't being scared, but .... I crawl through some pretty creepy crawlspaces on a regular basis.I ilaugh at mold. bHa Ha ha!Nope, it's the damn lawyers that scare me! You need top add some good contractual pest deterrents!There's a lawyer not too far from me that's starting to brag about her mold cases brought against contractors and home inspectors!
*Any thoughts on trying to kill the mold first by spraying it with something, perhaps bleach or vinegar? How about keeping the stuff from becoming airborne by first spraying it with an oil based paint or some such thing to stick it all together?-- J.S.
*If the mold is on the outside, I just spray it down with a bleach solution. However, most times the mold is on the inside, and you have to demo to get to it all.James DuHamel
*
A quickie job for a good client involves the removal of an enclosed porch which contains some sort of mold in the walls. The owners moved out complaining of memory loss, nausea, etc. and asked if I would go in and demo the one wall. The clients have a toxology report which rates the mold as non-toxic. But the fact that the owners had to move out of the house scares me a bit. Whaddya think, respirator, suits, gloves, taped wrists and go for it? Or pass and loose the confidence of a good client?
searoom