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My house was built in 2002 and shortly after moving in, mold starting growing on the sheet rock around the a/c vents in 3 bedrooms and the downstairs dining room. I have constant air moving around the home from the return that gets filtered 24/7. After years trying to figure where the mold was coming from I think I now know. I hired an Engineer and he discovered that both bathrooms upstairs vent into the attic and not out of the house. So all those hot showers and putting the fan on I think created my mold issue. I don't have any leaks or condensation around the a/c vents, so that is ruled out. I called the builder and he said that it is okay to have the bathrooms venting into the attic as long as I have a ridge vent on the roof. Now according to the Engineer and the report, it states that all bathrooms must be vented out of the house.
Can anyone tell me if what the builder said is true, or what the engineer said is true. I am so confused as to what should be properly done. Has anyone had a problem like this?
By the way, the lab test came back and we have Cladosporium and Penicillium mold.
Thank you for your help it is very much appreciated.
Hmmm...My house was built in 2000 and all bathrooms vent outside the house. The only way to get a definitive answer would be to call the township and speak to the person who issues building code violations.
Your engineer is correct, exhaust must be vent to the outside and not the attic. The builder is wrong. The A/C duct downstairs may be a separate issue unless it is adjacent to the bathroom.
I know a honest remediation company I can recommend if needed. Did your engineer do the mold test or a mold removal company?
The Engineer did the test. He did a swab test and the petri dish and sent it to a lab in Florida.
I have someone coming tomorrow to give me an estimate on venting out the bathrooms, removing the sheet rock with mold and replacing with new sheet rock.
Thank you for your offer. If this doesn't work out, I'll let you know so you can give me the name of the company you want to recommend.
Sounds like another example of the lousy construction of newer homes these days. They cut costs on labor, design...everything and charge you a fortune, and the builder takes it all to the bank while the rest of us suffer. Of course if town inspecters were doing their job these violations would be caught.
The statute of limitations on a contract in New York State is 6 years. (You must commence a lawsuit within 6 years of the signing of the contract). If you are wiithin the six years, you should consider fixing the problem yourself (mold cleaning, venting bathrooms through roof), then suing the builder. If the cost to you is $5,000.00 or less, take the builder to small claims court and make sure you have (1) an engineer to testify as to the location and cause of the mold and (2) documented lab results, (3) receipts for the work done to clean the mold and to re-vent the bathrooms.
Please be sure they know how to remediate mold. The area should be sealed off with plastic, and vented properly, and sealed off properly when disposed of or you will get mycotoxins throughout the home, and those don't degrade and can cause health issues.
Quote:
Originally Posted by HappySpring
Hi KB,
The Engineer did the test. He did a swab test and the petri dish and sent it to a lab in Florida.
I have someone coming tomorrow to give me an estimate on venting out the bathrooms, removing the sheet rock with mold and replacing with new sheet rock.
Thank you for your offer. If this doesn't work out, I'll let you know so you can give me the name of the company you want to recommend.
After much replies, I am worried about my guy removing the mold on the sheetrock. Can you advise the name of the honest remediation company. JenBrooks 13 made some comments that have me concerened and I want this handled the right way.
Hi Charles,
I was actually thinking of contacting an attorney to see if I had a way for the builder to pay for this. The engineer also found a support beam installed in the wrong location of the house which is suppose to support the wall and the roof, it's 3 feet from the wall and I have a hump in the floor because of this. Also on the ground level of the home, the beam was set too high and theres a hump in the floor between dining room and living room. Did a marble test. Just awful.
By the way, I called the town to ask about the venting of the bathrooms into the attic and the inspector had no idea about the code...meaning if that's right or wrong. He told me to call an electrician. So much for that.
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Please be careful
