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I purchased a
home 3 months ago, with a crawlspace, and it is built on a lot I have
discovered has poor drainage. At the time of the home inspection I
asked the building inspector about it and he said it was fine. I have
water coming in the back of the house crawlspace and streaming out of
the front through the brick.
My older son
has developed a persistent cough he can’t get rid of, any my younger son
has a lot of nasal congestion and tiredness. I have experienced
headaches and hives. I believe this house has a mold problem. I think
my steps I need to take are to see my attorney, get someone to see if
there is structural damage not detected by the first home inspector, get
the drainage problem fixed, replace the moisture barrier in the crawl
space, clean off the floor joists replace the insulation, clean the air
ducts. This is going to take some time and a lot of money. What do I
do in the meantime is ensure our health does not deteriorate further.-Ann,
Virginia
The persistent cough and nasal
congestion are suggestive of exposure to some type of inhalant
allergen. Based on what you have indicated, that allergen(s) is likely
to be mold. The fact that you have water streaming through the
crawlspace would suggest that it is highly probable that the timbers in
the crawlspace are heavily infested by a variety of mold species. Those
timbers may also be undergoing structural deterioration.
Mold in a crawlspace can easily pass
into living spaces through heating/air-conditioning duct work. If the
cold air return ducts are present in the crawlspace, mold spores are
rapidly transported into living spaces when the blower fan is on. On
the other hand, if only supply ducts are present, mold entry into living
spaces occurs only when the blower fan is off. In such cases crawlspace
air enters living spaces by upward movement of air through ductwork by
convective currents.
One assumes that if one
hires a home inspector that the inspector will do a good job for you.
Though there are many competent, reputable home inspectors, the quality
of inspections varies widely. Most home inspectors are self taught,
that is they have no specific training that qualifies them as home
inspectors. This is true in most states.
Home inspectors like many
other professionals are subject to a variety of forces that can affect
the quality of work that they do. Many depend on referrals from realty
firms. A good relationship with realty firms can provide a strong
client base to support one’s business.
In real estate the goal
is to move property and move it quickly. A good inspection can identify
problems that can slow down transactions and even to cause them to fall
through. A very conscientious home inspector risks losing future jobs
if he/she is too “picky”. On the other hand they risk being sued if
they do not identify problems that a prospective home buyer needs to
know about.
The evolution of house
mold problems in the past four years has greatly increased the risk of
litigation for home inspectors that do not recognize and report mold
problems or are indifferent to them. I suspect that in the next few
years that the quality of home inspections is going to increase
dramatically (it already has in some states). Interestingly the
“mold problem” is likely to have had and will have increased the
demand for home inspections. As such it is good for the home inspection
industry because it generates business. On the other hand it is likely
to have increased legal risks as well.
What do you do in the
short term is reduce health risks to your family? That is not an easy
question to answer, given your circumstances. Historically, I have
recommended that a homeowner crack windows even in cold weather in the
rooms of affected family members, especially at night. The outdoor air
will dilute indoor mold concentrations. I would also seriously
recommend installing a multi-pleated filter (MPF) module in the cold air
return just before your heating/cooling and operate it 24 hours per
day. In cases where mold spores are entering living spaces by
convection, the flowing air will maintain the ducts under positive
pressure. The filter module will of course remove mold spores that have
already entered building spaces.
January 15, 2004
Indoor
Environmental Quality (2000), Thad Godish Ph.D., C.I.H
Direct E-mail
00tjgodish@bsu.edu
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