Mold Remediation in Phoenix (real estate, foreclosure, insurance) - Arizona (AZ) - City-Data Forum

TransatPhD · 07-29-2013, 08:46 AM

So we closed on our new house last Tuesday. Yay.

In preparation to put in new floors, we took up the baseboards and Pergo and found (in addition to asbestos glue) a bunch of mold and some evidence of a flood of some sort (of course nothing was mentioned on the SPDS or CLUE).

It's black in color and sent out out a musty, yucky smell when the baseboards were removed. None of the drywall is wet, but some is crumbly.

So in short, does anyone know a maintenance/handyman company/handyman who can cut out the "infected" drywall or a mold remediation firm that is affordable?

I mean, we just bought our first house, and with the new floors, we are cutting it close financially. (This isn't to say we have NO savings right now, just that we can't afford to WASTE it by overpaying for anything.) We had figured, going into closing, that anything that happened that was wrong could be fixed by making the seller fix it due to non-disclosure, using the home warranty we bought, or asking our homeowner's insurance. But we can't prove the sellers knew about this mold (the house did NOT smell of mold and there were no real signs before taking up the baseboards), we hear from our agent that homeowner's insurance won't tackle an ongoing problem, and mold isn't covered on the home warranty.

Nothing came up in the home inspection. Our current theory is that the grading of the lot is wrong and allowed water from the irrigation system to leak in through cracks in the foundation (cracks the home inspector said not to worry about). We may eventually have a case the sellers knew about it. We're re-interpreting the "oddities" of the house through the lens of mold: a random square cut out of the drywall, a trench around the house exterior that shifts dirt away from the house, the irrigation system covered up, dead grass, 2 trees recently taken out of the yard. But the difficulty is that it looks like the flipper who sold it to the previous owners had gotten the house out of foreclosure, so there's a missing link in the SPDS/CLUE chain. We do know based on the records of its old MLS listings that the flipper meant to cover the whole house in hardwood but for some reason stopped doing nice renovations in the house and began using cheap crap (Pergo, Ikea) at some point. Maybe it was a flood?

My husband is doing a lot of "I told you so" right now, so I'd love to come in and have the perfect solution.

AZgarden · 07-29-2013, 09:24 AM

OMG. That is a nightmare for sure. You should have had some protection from this somewhere. Your realtor won't help you determine who is at fault here? It certainly isn't you. The home inspector should have done a more thorough inspection in my opinion. I feel for you and hope that someone will pay for this, since it should not be your problem.

Zippyman · 07-29-2013, 09:43 AM

Flooding isnt really common in Phoenix, aside from wonky swamp coolers or broken water lines, and I'd question the theory that water was coming up through slab cracks, unless is was pressurized water from a broken pipe. A malfunctioning /poorly aimed sprinkler could soak a section of wall, but I wouldnt expect more than a sheet of drywall would be damaged..

If it were me, and cost were an issue, I'd hire out the demo and the haul off of the stuff they remove (lots of guys on Craigslist who will do that) - the masks they should be wearing anyway would provide protection from both mold and mouse-doo. Have any "crumbly" drywall removed (don't be bashful, if it's suspect, cut it out, drywall isnt expensive). There are products that can be applied with a sprayer to remediate any remaining mold/mildew from the depot & they arent expensive either.

then, get your drywall repaired, paint & have your flooring installed.. new baseboards go on last..

mold remediation is a business filled with sharks and junk science, i wouldnt assume you need a crew in bunny suits just because you found some funky flooring.

Zippyman · 07-29-2013, 09:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PhxBarb

OMG. That is a nightmare for sure. You should have had some protection from this somewhere. Your realtor won't help you determine who is at fault here? It certainly isn't you. The home inspector should have done a more thorough inspection in my opinion. I feel for you and hope that someone will pay for this, since it should not be your problem.

oh please.. home inspectors dont pull up floorboards, they had no way to know..

KurtAZ · 07-29-2013, 11:48 AM

The homeowner may not know either. Per the CDC website....make sure you kill the source of moisture, remove all the mold using a 10:1 mixture of Water to Bleach (they sell the Germicidal Bleach at Home Depot). Let everything dry out, make your repairs (removing drywall, subflooring, and replacing, etc.) and move on. Without a water source, any unseen or remaining mold will die. I know there was a huge thing about Mold a few years ago but from what I understand it is not really that big of a deal except to people with asthma, breathing issues or the elderly. If you are really worried about it...my Home Inspector gave me these guys:
• Restoration after Flood, Mold, Fire, Trauma, etc.: Cook Bros (Jordan Cook) (602) 748-4311

I have not used them but the inspector is a family friend so I trust his judgement. Good Luck.

TransatPhD · 07-29-2013, 01:59 PM

My in-laws just came up to bat and said they'd help us, so PHEW, now money isn't as much of an issue. I probably should have waited a few hours before posting!

@PhxBarb, thanks for the sympathy!

@Zippyman, thanks for the advice. It really helps to think in terms of it not being a flooding issue. As I've just moved here, I really don't know about what is par for the course in AZ, so that really helps me a lot. Looking back over everything, it may be a leak from the water line in the laundry room. There appears to be corrosion at the cold/hot water valves in the laundry, and the damage seems worst around there.

@KurtAZ, thanks for the rec. Our agent finally was able to get back with us, so I think we may start off by getting an estimate with her source first. The drywall was totally dry, so hopefully it's just the spores (crossing fingers) but the bad thing is, my husband is extremely sensitive to mold and felt a little trouble breathing. Could be psychosomatic, but once we get this tested, we'll know.

caryberry · 07-29-2013, 11:52 PM

Please do not do anything until you consult an attorney. Begin documenting, taking pictures, dates & times, etc.

What may seem a little thing now could be of vital importance later. Four years ago, we bought a house and the toilet backed. It turned out that the house is sinking and the seller failed to disclose that! If you suspect there is a problem with the grading - get an geo-technical engineer. If there is a leak or evidence of a leak - the home inspector would be at fault. Check your inspection agreement.

You can not be too suspicious or paranoid as you investigate your concerns - really. Been there - still going through that.

Zippyman · 07-30-2013, 12:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by caryberry

You can not be too suspicious or paranoid as you investigate your concerns - really. Been there - still going through that.

umm.. yeah. ;-)

AZgarden · 07-30-2013, 10:02 AM

So, Zippy you seem to be an expert on home inspectors? I also had a nightmare house, which was a real headache and made me totally miserable. The home inspector, which was recommended by the homeowner (my first mistake) took the homeowner into the back yard during the inspection to talk (my second mistake) and in the report stated the buyer should check on the integrity of the piping in the house cause "it could be polybutylene" possibly. Never heard of this. Bought the house. No realtor. (the homeowner was a realtor.) (my third mistake) A few months later major leak in bathroom wall. Mold. Mildew. Total house needed repipe cause all of it was polybutylene. Partially paid for with major lawsuit in effect at that time. But, major major headache. SOOOO my point is: there are home inspectors and then there are home inspectors. Some are good and some are not. "I didn't know" is not a defense.

TransatPhD · 07-30-2013, 11:37 AM

@caryberry - I think this is where we are going, so I'm glad to hear you say it too. Our agent has her go-to real estate lawyer that she wants us to consult with. There is a chance the flood came from the bathrooms and that the bathrooms may have to be gutted. $$$$$$

@PhxBarb - we are starting to hear that liability isn't always tied to knowledge, as you say in your last sentence. This is getting nuts. Thank you for sharing your experience. We know the plumbing was totally redone, so I wonder if something similar happened.