found mold everywhere after closing (foreclosure, clause, investment, property)

[snorkey]

what do you do if you found mold all over the inside wall after the closing? it is foreclosure and as is.

[Rakin]

How long ago was the inspection, did you pay for it and did you attend the inspection ? When you say inside wall, is that inside the house or inside a wall where you would not see it ?

There has to be a water leak causing the mold. Do you know where the moisture is coming from ?

A little more info on the situation might help.

[chet everett]

Originally Posted by snorkey

what do you do if you found mold all over the inside wall after the closing? it is foreclosure and as is.

Now I am really not trying to be overly critical, but "as is" & "foreclosure" kinda mean that there is pretty much no way that the lender even knew about the situation.

It is "after closing" which means this is NOW YOUR PROPERTY. If you are smart you will not waste any time and IMMEDIATELY GET TO WORK REMEDIATING THE MOLD! It is March, and unless you are in the southern hemisphere that means warmer weather and more moisture and that will mean the MOLD WILL RAPIDLY SPREAD.

In most cases a strong cleaner will address surface mold, if the situation has penetrated into the insulation you need to rip that out.

Mold generally goes along with something that is leaking or some failure of the weatherization. FIX THAT NOW!!

If you don't have the money to fix this you can learn about how to do it yourself on the interwebs, at a public library or even some county extension offices. If you don't make the time to do this you will regret any delay and the problems will make you investment in this property worthless very quickly.

[Silverfall]

If you bought a foreclosure then you signed the bazillion page addendum that has a mold clause in it as well. This is now your problem, so I agree with Chet that you better get cracking and remove the drywall if it more extensive than surface mold.

Did you not see the house before you bought it or do a final walk through? Mold takes a while to grow all over a wall.

[Ohiogirl81]

I'd get some bleach and some Kilz, and get to work.

[landlocked60]

Originally Posted by Ohiogirl81

I'd get some bleach and some Kilz, and get to work.

Bleach and Kilz does not work on mold. I learned the hard way after trying to get rid of mold in my bathroom and basement.I have repainted my bathroom 3 times, and cleaned the wall's with bleach about once a month, only to see it come back. UGH. Bleach is just a temporary fix. It doesn't get rid of mild, because it is water based it actually helps the mold grow in porous areas. After a lot of research I found a product called Shockwave. This is an EPA-registered disinfectant, sanitizer and cleaner designed specifically for mold remediation contractors. ShockWave is strong enough to be used as a hospital grade disinfectant, and has been specifically formulated to be used on both porous and nonporous materials. I found it on ebay, and it really does work!

[eric#1]

Originally Posted by landlocked60

Bleach and Kilz does not work on mold. I learned the hard way after trying to get rid of mold in my bathroom and basement.I have repainted my bathroom 3 times, and cleaned the wall's with bleach about once a month, only to see it come back. UGH. Bleach is just a temporary fix. It doesn't get rid of mild, because it is water based it actually helps the mold grow in porous areas. After a lot of research I found a product called Shockwave. This is an EPA-registered disinfectant, sanitizer and cleaner designed specifically for mold remediation contractors. ShockWave is strong enough to be used as a hospital grade disinfectant, and has been specifically formulated to be used on both porous and nonporous materials. I found it on ebay, and it really does work!

It will not come back if you rid the surface of the moisture that mold needs to survive. One can not stop the existence of spores they exist everywhere - if one wants more just add water. I don't doubt some cleaners may be better than others, but convincing me one is a cure all ... nope.

[keeperk]

I sold property to a guy who is a scientist. I mentioned to him one time about a mold issue on a property and he told me about a product that his company invented by accident trying to invent something else that ended up killing mold and I think he said Target sells it. He said just spray it on and it kills it. He works at Sandia Labs or Los Alamos labs, I can't remember which one. But I would say a pretty reputable outfit.

I'll send him an email and ask him about it again and get back to you.

[KonaKat]

Originally Posted by Ohiogirl81

I'd get some bleach and some Kilz, and get to work.

Ditto. And be sure to find the source.

I've seen mold on eaves here where there was no leak, no negligence nothing; it's just the climate. You pressure wash with a mildewicide once or twice a year and keep the paint in good shape.

[chet everett]

Originally Posted by KonaKat

Ditto. And be sure to find the source.

I've seen mold on eaves here where there was no leak, no negligence nothing; it's just the climate. You pressure wash with a mildewicide once or twice a year and keep the paint in good shape.

I suppose if you have relatives in Chicago you put on your flip flops when it is 20 below here and call 'em up and sorta sigh when it is 85 and say "Ya bra I had rough day, had to powerwash away the mold with mildewicide , so tell me again how your snow thrower got frozen to your hand, I should put a shirt of something..."

But seriously in your tropical climate I imagine you could get mold growing on the wall just from having the house closed up for too long, right?