In a previous blog, I highlighted some interesting facts about mold. Mold seems to be on the top of the list of the most terrifying things to find in a home these days. There is a LOT of talk about toxic mold, black mold, and all the health issues surrounding mold.

Please note: this blog is not intended to replace professional advice nor should it be considered professional advice on mold. This is my personal experience, and is rather lengthy. At the bottom of this article I have linked some government resources on mold, so if you have no patience to read my story, just skip to the bottom!

Here is my point, in case you're too impatient to read the whole thing (sorry, I can't help it, it's in my blood to ramble):

Mold, in most forms, usually does not have to be the end of the world. Mold is everywhere; and chances are it's in YOUR house. At least, the mold spores are probably there, waiting for the perfect combination of moisture and temperature to germinate.

In 1996, to make a long boring story a little shorter and hopefully less boring, Mr. Rice and I bought a $50,000 fixer upper in Pike County. Thankfully, Mr. Rice is a skilled professional carpenter and fix-it guy, and we weren't worried about the "issues." We didn't even have a home inspection. (gasp. Here is where I must say "Do as I say, not as I do." Get a home inspection!)

Our REALTOR® told us that the house had a new septic and a new roof! Hooray- two of the worst projects were out of the way! So, for $50,000, we got our dream home, in the Wallenpaupack School district, and close to my parents who lived just outside of Hawley. (TIP: Beware of a new roof! Be sure to mention this to your home inspector so he will see if there is any hidden damage not addressed when the roof was replaced!)

Naturally, we cleaned everything before moving in, not really paying attention to the blackish "stuff" on bedroom walls & in the closets.  We hadn't looked in the closets previous to purchasing the home. I was more worried by the avocado & burnt orange shag carpets.

We had no Internet (heck, I didn't get my first computer until 1998, and then, I only had email from Juno!) to find out about all the horrors of mold. To me, the recurring mildew /mold on the walls around the windows was just a minor annoyance.

At some point, our baby daughter developed chronic sinus infections, which kept her from sleeping well. I thought this was crazy - she had so many ear and sinus infections; I couldn't imagine what was making her so sick all the time. The doctor told me to keep giving her antibiotics, and keep a vaporizer going in her bedroom.

After her fourth round of antibiotics, I began to wonder if there was something else causing her issues. I also noticed that within minutes of putting her down for a nap or at bedtime, her symptoms got so much worse...gagging, difficulty breathing, coughing, lots of mucus. Doctor said it was because she was laying down. "Just elevate the crib mattress, Mrs. Rice. That will help keep her passage ways clear."

But when she was lying on the sofa in the living room, she was fine. Hmm.

We had lived here several months, and while I kept the walls clean, it never occurred to me to look in the closet. It wasn't until I noticed that several of Heather's outfits had gotten mildewed. Not always being the brightest bulb in the circuit, I first assumed it was my fault for not getting clothes from the washer to the dryer in time. Hey, I was young. Sometimes I would forget about a load of laundry and have to rewash it.

Then I noticed clothes in the spare bedroom closet were mildewed too - including my wedding dress! Then the light came on and I realized that there was a mold problem in the house (duh.) I was really angry with the doctor when I suggested that my daughter's problems were because of mold. He laughed at me.

Condescendingly he stated: "You just let me be the doctor, Mrs. Rice."

Yes, he was a respected pediatrician, practicing for longer than I was alive (maybe not that long, but close enough), and he laughed at me. He said she was too young to have developed any allergies yet, and that I should give her a NEW antibiotic, and continue running the vaporizer. Put more moisture in a room with an existing mold problem? Give a poor little body more antibiotics when they're obviously not helping? He prescribed a new, stronger antibiotic, which I filled but never gave her.

When I took her to her room for her nap, she struggled against me. Previously I thought it was just because she didn't want to go to sleep. Then I realized...she was trying to tell me she didn't want to go in her room. So, instead of putting her in her crib, I took her upstairs into our bedroom and put her to sleep - and she slept like the proverbial baby. No congestion, no gagging, no coughing.

At first I was triumphant. What did that doctor know? How dare he laugh at me! Once we moved her out of that room, she was fine. Her symptoms disappeared when we moved her out of that awful bedroom. That feeling of triumphant glee was replaced with dread at cleaning up the mess!

This long story does have a happy ending. Yes, the north end of the house was infested with mold. It truly was. When my husband gutted that little bedroom, we were disgusted with the mold we found in the walls. When the roof had been replaced by the previous owner, no thought had been given to the water damage. Being on the north side of the house, in the shadow of the neighbor's large house, it never got direct sunlight. It never had a chance to dry out - so mold took root.

Hubby did everything right though; sealed off the room, wore his respirator, and all that...just so you know, we didn't tear the room apart willy-nilly spreading more mold spores all around the house. His clothes went into the dumpster along with everything else. (Anyone who is married to a carpenter knows how happy it makes a wife to throw some of their clothes in the dumpster!)

We didn't fight with our homeowner insurance provider to try and make them pay for it. We didn't spend waste time trying to make the previous owner of the house pay for it. We didn't sue our real estate agent; how in the world would HE know there was mold in the insulation?

We didn't even sue the doctor (though I did give him an earful, informing him that the mold was indeed the problem and that we would be looking for a new doctor who wouldn't laugh at mother's intuition.) Hopefully, by this time, he has read Indoor Air Pollution: An Introduction for Health Professionals

We just took the bull by the horns and fixed the problem before it got worse. I've read stories online about people with chronic mold in their homes - and a lot of time was spent wasted trying to force someone else to pay for it. Mold + time = disaster.

All that to say - the mold is gone, and our daughter is fine. In fact, she's probably the healthiest one in the house; she rarely, if ever, gets sick.

I realize that not all mold stories have happy endings. My point is this - when you discover you have a mold problem, don't waste time trying to place blame; just get the problem fixed before it gets worse. When it comes to mold, your worst enemy next to moisture is time. While many people have allergic reactions to mold, only a small percentage of the mold found in homes is actually toxic "black mold." And most often, the toxic mold shows up where there has been serious and severe moisture, such as a flood and/or a leak that has not been fixed.

Here's something by Ninah Hunter here on Active Rain that you may not have thought of: Mold in New Construction. 

Important - Please Read More On Mold - EPA Guide To Mold & Moisture in your Home

And Even More Fungus Amongus Info:
Moisture Control in Your Home
Conditions that Promote Mold Growth
Indoor Mold Characteristics

This blog is not intended to present myself as an expert on mold, nor should it take the place of the advice of a mold professional. Always have a home inspection before purchasing a home.

WEICHERT, REALTORS® - Paupack Group Independently Owned and Operated

Karen E. Rice is a real estate agent working in Pike & Wayne County of Northeastern PA in the Pocono Mountains. Lake Wallenpaupack is one of Pennsylvania's most popular destinations for vacations, retirement, and purchasing a home.

 

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