Eek - Mold

Parent Cafe
1

<p>I was exercising in my unfinished basement last night, first time in months due to a shoulder problem that kept me off the rowing machine. I noticed some black spots behind the clear plastic covering the insulation between the studs. Looked closer, and could see spots (some big, baseball sized, many smaller) all the way across the walk out wall of the basement. Cut some plastic and peeled it back, and it appears to be black mold, permeating the insulation (not just on the surface). :eek:</p>

<p>I have a call in to my insurance agent, he hasn’t called back. I have a supplemental rider on my homeowner’s policy for bacteria/fungi, but it has a $10,000 cap. I am worried that the two floors above (where I can’t see behind the wall) have the same issue. The only good news is that it does seem to be confined to that one wall in the basement, not all the way around the house. I have read about houses with such serious mold problems they became uninhabitable. I am sure they will have to check out the walls on the floors above (and, of course, find the source of the moisture, and fix that - - could be the master bath shower 2 stories above which has never been right, and builder has been back to repair 3 times in the 8 years since we built the house). </p>

<p>I have a feeling this is going to be a bad experience… Anyone else been down this path? I know enough not to try to clean it up myself, as it can be dangerous and I am allergic to mold!</p>

2

<p>I am allergic to mold, too. Just wanted to sympathize. Stay away! :eek: Once you get it treated make sure they paint it with the mold killing paint. H had that done in a basement in one of our rentals and no recurrence. Really amazing stuff. I’ll ask him the name when he gets home.</p>

3

<p>That would be great, poetgirl. That would be a good idea for the room(s) upstairs that might be affected, although the basement isn’t painted now. I am thinking it is a good thing it isn’t a finished basement, otherwise I might not have noticed for a much longer time.</p>

<p>I finally reached my insurance agent. He said, “Can’t you just treat it with a little bleach?”. Sigh… Finally convinced him that it was a bigger deal than that, so he is submitting a claim.</p>