[JetLee380]

Just found a house to rent and the agent sent me a Mold Disclosure document today.

The subject property has been treated to remediate harmful mold found growing on surface or sub surface structural components.

There is a spores count fact sheet attached:

Pre remediation it was:

Basidiospores count: Basement 39, Kitchen 39, Outdoors 7840!

Cladosporium: Basement 195, Kitchen 429, Outdoors 533

Pen/Aspergillus (potential toxic mold, potential water indicator mold) : basement 3080 !, kitchen 1740 !

Epicoccum: Basement 26

Smuts: Basement 13

Stachybotrys (again toxic): Basement 39

Rusts: oudoors 13

Ascospores (toxic): Basement 26, Kitchen 78, Outdoors 767

Hyphal fragments: basement 221, kitchen 52, outdoors 65

TOTAL: basement 3,420 s/m3 Kitchen: 2,290 s/m3. Outdoors: 9,150 s/m3


It was treated in July and now there remains

Cladosporium: Basement: 21, Kitchen 70

Pen/Aspergillus (toxic): Basement 21, Kitchen : 441

Smuts: Basement: 7

Curvularia: kitchen: 7

Pollen: Basement 14


Total: basement: 84 s/m3. Kitchen: 515 s/m3


Please can any of you make sense of these figures?

Why were the outdoor spores so high? This is in Norwalk, Cranbury.

There still seem to be quite a few in the kitchen.

My middle. Child has neurodermitis, would that make it worse for her?

I am hesitant to sign on this now.

The document states that remediation clearance standards have been successfully met and airborne spore levels have been significantly reduced to acceptable levels.

Any thoughts? Thank you so much!

[JetLee380]

Company treating it was BIG EAST LLC and Aerotech Labs

[LINative]

JetLee, I cannot answer your question because I do not even know what a normal house mold count is! I think it is great you are checking it out because you would be amazed how many people do not bother to think about things like this ahead of time. But for people with asthma or allergies like me, mold is a major problem.

One thing you can look into is why the house had such a big mold problem in the first place. Was this a one time thing, like leaky pipes not being fixed? Or is it something that may happen again and again - like is the house not graded properly? In other words, is the rainwater running away from the house (good) or toward the house (bad). Also is the house near a river or stream that may occasionally flood the basement?

[JetLee380]

Thank you LINative. Appreciate your thoughts.

I will put it towards the agent and inquire. My worry is as you said that there is a fundamental poblem with the structure of the house and 'painting over it' did not address the underlying issue.

Can anyone else on this forum comment on mold and if a treatment such as this is enough to eradicate the spores? I mean some re still there, the level in the kitchen should be under 230 but it higher.

I wonder if this affects the drinking wter?

[Hollytree]

Is this what you're looking for? These are normal mold levels.

Mold Species & Spore Levels

[mels]

Originally Posted by LINative

One thing you can look into is why the house had such a big mold problem in the first place. Was this a one time thing, like leaky pipes not being fixed? Or is it something that may happen again and again - like is the house not graded properly? In other words, is the rainwater running away from the house (good) or toward the house (bad). Also is the house near a river or stream that may occasionally flood the basement?

I agree. Mold doesn't randomly occur, so unless you know what the underlying problem was, I wouldn't sign. It could be something as simple as a one time flood of the basement caused the issues...or it could be an ongoing drainage issue that you will always be battling.

[Meglion]

I, too, would consider looking elsewhere, unless you can get some assurance that the problem has been eradicated. The Cranbury/Old Hill area has a lot of high water tables, creating wet basements that cause mold. We almost bought a house there until we discovered that our neighbors had 3 sump pumps in their basement, and their home still flooded during Sandy because the power went out and the pumps weren't on battery/generator backup.

[JetLee380]

Thank you for the link Hollytree. That will be a great reference for me.

Thanks Mels, yes that is my worry. There is a $150,- co-pay clause in the rental agreement that requires me (tenant) to pay 150 for every repair that needs doing. Is that standard?

Thank you Meglion, I have asked the agent but had no response as of yet so won't sign anything for the time being. Thank you for letting me know about the water table situation of that community. None of the houses there seemed to have taken a direct hit by Sandy but it is on a donward slope in a cul de sac so probably a structural/ongoing issue.

Will update when I have news. Studying the link Hollytree posted.

[yankees28]

Run. We walked away from a great house because it had a persistent mold problem and the tests proved it.

[Stylo]

This might be a good opportunity to consider another town and save on private school (Fairfield? Ridgefield?).

I agree with the others on the mold. It's nothing you want to mess around with.