Mold Problem? (insurance, appliances, house)

[chiseh]

I am thinking about moving to either Oregon or Washington, but the thing that has been bothering me is not the rain itself, but the mold that can be caused by the excessive humidity. Do all homes up there pretty much have mold problem? Is it even preventable under that type of climate? If I were to purchase a house, is it possible to find one without any mold issues? How do you guys take care of your properties during the cold and wet winter season? I am worried that I might be fooled to buy a home with toxic black mold buried under new wallpaper or something.

[tiffela74]

Hi. Ive lived all over Oregon, and only 2x did we have mold issues. One, the entire house was carpeted and no air flow. You can imagine what happens in a bathroom w/no windows, and no air flow when its carpeted?!?! What dummy did that, i dunno...
the other one, was right on the bay. The house was old, the windows along the entire front were sealed shut so you couldnt open em, but they had settled and there was a gap along the tops, where the moisture kept flowing in. It was built down, w/no flow under the house, and we were so dumb, we were trying to keep heating costs down and never ran the heaters. add it all up, we ended up w/a horrific mold problem. sigh. Oh, and dont put things flush against the wall. Air flow is very very important!
anyhow, we bought and older house about a year ago, still here at the beach, and havent had any mold issues at all. I know many people who havent had to deal w/mold in their homes, ever. So yup, its more than possible to get a home in the PacNW w/o mold issues.
best of luck to you!
Tiffany

[Silverfall]

Most homes DON'T have mold problems. Not sure why you think they do. Mold is caused by spores and moisture. There are many types of mold that exist naturally in our environment and I guarantee where you live now there are mold spores flying around.

The presence of mold is not the problem, but excessive mold is. If you are worried about it get a mold inspection done (costs about $600). They will do a lot of sampling and tell you what kinds of mold and what levels exist in the house.

If you buy a house out here, make sure it has good PNW products on it like Hardiplank or cedar siding. It really is not an issue out here. The Environmental Protection Agency has some information about mold on their website. It might help to ease your fears.

By the way, Oregon and Washinton are NOT humid.

[chiseh]

Originally Posted by tiffela74

Hi. Ive lived all over Oregon, and only 2x did we have mold issues. One, the entire house was carpeted and no air flow. You can imagine what happens in a bathroom w/no windows, and no air flow when its carpeted?!?! What dummy did that, i dunno...
the other one, was right on the bay. The house was old, the windows along the entire front were sealed shut so you couldnt open em, but they had settled and there was a gap along the tops, where the moisture kept flowing in. It was built down, w/no flow under the house, and we were so dumb, we were trying to keep heating costs down and never ran the heaters. add it all up, we ended up w/a horrific mold problem. sigh. Oh, and dont put things flush against the wall. Air flow is very very important!
anyhow, we bought and older house about a year ago, still here at the beach, and havent had any mold issues at all. I know many people who havent had to deal w/mold in their homes, ever. So yup, its more than possible to get a home in the PacNW w/o mold issues.
best of luck to you!
Tiffany

Thanks Tiffany,
I am relieved to know that it is possible to keep the mold away.

[chiseh]

Originally Posted by Silverfall

Most homes DON'T have mold problems. Not sure why you think they do. Mold is caused by spores and moisture. There are many types of mold that exist naturally in our environment and I guarantee where you live now there are mold spores flying around.

The presence of mold is not the problem, but excessive mold is. If you are worried about it get a mold inspection done (costs about $600). They will do a lot of sampling and tell you what kinds of mold and what levels exist in the house.

If you buy a house out here, make sure it has good PNW products on it like Hardiplank or cedar siding. It really is not an issue out here. The Environmental Protection Agency has some information about mold on their website. It might help to ease your fears.

By the way, Oregon and Washinton are NOT humid.

Thanks Silverfall,
Again, this is really nice to know that all my worries were for nothing.
But, I wonder, where does the water disappear to if it rains so hard during winter and it does not dry up because the weather is so cold? I could only imagine it will only keep everything wet and hence create the mold.

[One Thousand]

Originally Posted by chiseh

I am thinking about moving to either Oregon or Washington, but the thing that has been bothering me is not the rain itself, but the mold that can be caused by the excessive humidity. Do all homes up there pretty much have mold problem? Is it even preventable under that type of climate? If I were to purchase a house, is it possible to find one without any mold issues? How do you guys take care of your properties during the cold and wet winter season? I am worried that I might be fooled to buy a home with toxic black mold buried under new wallpaper or something.

For myself, and everyone I knew, mold was an issue that required you to keep the heat low and to go around with a mild bleach/water solution wiping down everything.

Once I bought a dehumidifier, everything was fine though.

I think the biggest issue, as has been alluded, is contruction practices.

[silverfox]

Chiseh,

Since the problem is so prevelent here in the NW, if it were me I would find a good home inspector with experience in mold problems and have any house you are really serious about totally inspected.
One thousand ....is right about the construction practices. I am researching the most up to date residential construction info right now in preperation to build my final home, and it is incredible all the confussion out there about the mold problems.
It would take me a solid week of typing just to state all the info and data I have read and discussed with the so called experts in all field of residential consruction.
Even the local building Dept. can not come up with proper info.
I woudn't let it deter you. I would just be very determined and careful in who you deal with and make sure you are comfortable before you sign on the dotted line.
You should also check with several insurance Companies in the new area to see if they have any requirements before issuing you a home owners policy. Very important to do this before your purchase.

Good Luck,

Silverfox

[Silverfall]

Originally Posted by chiseh

Thanks Silverfall,
Again, this is really nice to know that all my worries were for nothing.
But, I wonder, where does the water disappear to if it rains so hard during winter and it does not dry up because the weather is so cold? I could only imagine it will only keep everything wet and hence create the mold.

Well hopefully it isn't raining inside your house!

Okay Mold 101...

Molds are spores that all necessary for breaking down organic matter (such as leaves, trees, etc). There are many types of mold and they all need water to grow. Mold spores are floating around in the air as we speak, but will not grow without moisture present.

If you control the moisture level in your home then you don't have a mold problem, as they can't grow without it. So, for the person having to bleach their home they have a WATER problem that HAS to be cleaned in order to fix the mold problem. Just cleaning up the mold does nothing. A new spore will come along and find the water and start a new growth.

Mold is common problem in older homes in bathrooms as they tend to not have fans in them. Mechanical fans are a required code item in Oregon bathrooms in order to facilitate the evaporation of the moisture from showers, etc. If the bathroom does not have a fan, you will have to be diligent about bleaching to kill mold spores, or just install a fan (much better for the environment to just have a fan).

So in order to control mold in your home, you need to control the moisture. You can install a dehumidifier, but it really shouldn't be necessary for most homes. You should 1) Keep your roof and gutters in good condition. Mold growth can occur from leaking. 2) Make sure the ground slopes away from the house. You don't want water being funneled towards the house. 3) Keep AC drop pans clean; 4) Make sure your appliances are vented the the outside. Sometimes in older homes they are vented into the attic but not outside. 5) Open your windows occasionally. We build homes so tight now that moisture can't escape once it's inside.

People get mold when they ignore water problems.

I'd have to refer you to a meteorologist to explain your other questions. You can still have evaporation in cold months. Not sure where you are located, but we don't get particularly cold here (coming from a Mid-west perspective).

[seashelly]

Originally Posted by chiseh

Thanks Silverfall,
Again, this is really nice to know that all my worries were for nothing.
But, I wonder, where does the water disappear to if it rains so hard during winter and it does not dry up because the weather is so cold? I could only imagine it will only keep everything wet and hence create the mold.

Our rainwater doesn't really sit long. I think it has something to do with the constant breezes we get. It can downpour rain and then within the same hour, the pavement is already dry.

[tiffela74]

great post SilverFall!!
our New To Us house didnt have a very good fan in the bathroom when we moved in. That was one of the first replacements we made! Dont want any mold problems, been there, done that, dont want em again!
We actually had the mold specialists come out, adn they said DONT go around spaying mold w/bleach/water solutions. That it can actually amplify the problem. Not to mention, can give a false security...