Mold Estimate (foreclosure, how much, house)

[mprhoades]

I've put a bid on a foreclosure that has a small amount of mold. Everyone we've talked to that has looked at it says it's nothing to worry about but we think we should have an expert inspect it. Does anyone know of a trustworthy mold expert in the NoVA area?

[typical guy]

Is it the black mold or green mold? I'm assuming it's black since you're worried about clean up. Okay, well I know it costs a good bit to clean up but if you are "handy" you can probably do it yourself. I'm assuming it's in the basement since that's where it usually is. You'll have to get a sledge hammer, some breathing masks, and some bleach and spray bottles. Put on the mask. Turn off the circuit breaker to the power in the basement. Beat the living crap out of the walls with the sledge and rip out the dry wall. Bag it in trash bags and take it to the dump (all the dry wall in the basement). Rip out any carpeting that exists and take it to the dump also. Use the bleach on the concrete floors and the walls. Clean the studs with the bleach. You want to do all this before moving in. Then inspect the rest of the house for evidence of mold and destroy it anywhere it exists. You can also buy fungicide at The Home Depot or Lowes and use that instead of or after the bleach.

You can now move in and put new drywall/floors in at your leisure.

I have no idea how much it costs to hire someone to do it. I would hazzard to guess 20k and that would probably cover replacing the drywall. They're basically going to do what I just told you to do. They might go as far as to replace the actual wood studs too but I'm not sure.



Another thing to worry about, water. Is the house at a low level in the neighborhood? If so, make sure you get a backup sump pump because there's a reason the basement floods.

[jasony]

Check out www.iaqcouncil.org, www.iaqa.org, or www.aiha.org for one of the following: CIEC, CIE or CIH. The Council-certified Indoor Environmental Consultant, Council-certified Indoor Environmentalist, or Certified Industrial Hygienist. For the difference between these professionals check out IAQ acronyms. The very top that discusses the organizations and the very bottom that discusses the differences between a CIEC and a CIH will be of particular interest to you I think.

[VRE332]

You can get one of those mold test kits at Home Depot or Lowe's

[mprhoades]

Here is a picture. It's only in the unfinished section of the basement.

[Margery]

Do you know the cause of the mold? If the power has been turned off and the sump pump can not function, that is one thing and cured by turning the electricity back on. Also check the gutters, if they are full the rain water will run down the side of the house into the basement. You also may have a drainage problem depending on the type of soil and will have to install French drains along the sides of the house. An experienced home inspector should have a good idea of the cause and suggestions for remediation. Have the inspection done before the contract is ratified by all parties and you can withdraw your offer if the problem is not fixable.

[typical guy]

It looks like the mold has been painted over. Is that true? If so, then it may be a lot worse. If I were you, I'd buy a ton of bleach and fungicide and use it down there constantly every day for a month or two. I will save you thousands and thousands of dollars.

[flrnova]

Stay away. Mold is a nightmare. Do you have a good sense of smell? Does it smell earthy or musty in the upstairs part of the house?

If the house is neglected then chances are that you can have it in the walls and rafters. It's just not worth the trouble unless you are looking to buy a teardown.

[mprhoades]

We could not smell anything musty or earthy at all, even in the room with the mold. The house has been sitting empty for six months also, so we were surprised.

There are french drains installed along the base of this room. We couldn't tell if they were in the finished part of the basement but didn't really investigate it yet.

It doesn't appear that the mold was painted over. It looks at though they may have tried to get rid of it by sanding it off of the cement wall.

[jasony]

In most cases of mold and moisture intrusion there are solutions to remove and remedy the causes. I would look into those websites I posted earlier and find a professional that will help you define the condition of the structure and write a scope of work that you and the seller can take to professionals for estimates. Make sure you look for those that I listed before and make sure they do not perform any construction or remediation services, as that would be a conflict of interest. Having them do so will help you determine if the investment in the home is worth it. Best wishes!