Help - mold, lots of problems and ?s

[Beandippy]

I know this is long, and I apologize. Last winter my toddler started coughing, and hasn't stopped. After lots of doc visits and time between, an allergist finally diagnosed a mold allergy. He's currently on a bunch of meds. So for the last few months, we've been remodeling and trying to find any sources of mold in the house to remove them. Very small areas in the kitchen and bathroom - just a few inches. Then we did his room and when we pulled up the carpet, there was a musty smell along the exterior wall, between the floor and the baseboard. Since the carpet was very old, I just assumed it was from some problem that was resolved long ago, and we bleached the area. There are also asbestos tiles that were under the rug, but they were firm and not budging, so we left them and put the padding and carpet over them. He's still coughing worse than ever - the next room to be done is our bedroom. When we got to our closet, which is on the same exterior wall as his room, there is a big problem. A really strong odor, and the same asbestos tiles are there, but they are all loose and the floor seems to have shifted away from the baseboard somehow. We haven't lifted the tiles or cut into the wall to inspect yet - we want to wait until we can have our son out of the house for that, but I can tell there's a very bad moisture problem. Our house is on a slab. I looked outside, and found some tiny hairline cracks. Now for the interesting part. A couple years ago, we noticed water seeping out of the edge of our driveway, where it meets the sidewalk, right in front of the street. We called the water dept. out to take a look, and they told my husband it was nothing to worry about. Well, we had our driveway redone this summer, and now the water is seeping from a spot at the bottom of our yard onto the sidewalk (our yard slopes down away from our house toward the street, with just the sidewalk in between). We noticed quite a bit this weekend, and it hasn't rained in about a week, so I called the village this morning, and asked them to come look. I guess they're gonna dig, because they spray painted "Julie" on the lawn. Could a water main have been leaking all this time, possibly near the house, and caused moisture to seep in through the slab? If so, what is the next step? I rent a house from my mom, so it's my problem as well as hers. Insurance doesn't cover the mold, or asbestos for that matter, but they are sending an inspector regarding the cracks in the slab. I know we will have to dig into the floor and walls to see the extent of the problem. I'm afraid to hire a company, because of cost, and possible inability to sell in the future (we want to move soon), but I'm afraid to do the work ourselves. I honestly don't think we can afford a pro. If it is found that the damage was from a water main break, is there any way to have things fixed at the expense of the village (I'm sure I'll probably be out of luck there, too.) Sorry for the long post, it's just that things are really complicated, and I was hoping to find some clues as to how to proceed next. I know I could just patch it and run, but I just couldn't do that to another family. I need to fix this! Help!

 

[Furd]

I'm not sure why you posted this in the section on wells.

I am not any kind of expert on mold but when you state that you cannot afford a professional yet your child is always sick and on medications I think that you cannot afford NOT to have a professional look into the matter.

My suggestion is that you first have air sampling done in the child's room and in your closet to determine if it is an air quality problem. Then I strongly suggest that you remove ALL of the carpeting and pad in any room that has the slightest mustiness to the air. The asbestos-containing floor tile is NOT a problem as long as it is intact and not crumbling. The mold is a far worse problem than is the asbestos-containing-material (ACM) at this point.

ANY wallboard that is wet or crumbling needs to be removed and the interior wall cavity examined for any signs of mold or other problem.

It is unfortunate that the cold weather will soon be upon us as the thing that your house needs the most right now is a thorough ventilating.

I am not a lawyer but I think that it is highly unlikely that you would prevail in a claim against your local government. You may be able to find some kind of financial aid to help in the mold abatement.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Cookie]

I have been there and done that with mold. I would suggest calling again your insurance agent and explaining this time your child is sick and explain the nature of it and that he has been to the doctor. Maybe your mother should call since she is the property owner.

I did exactly that. My insurance company paid for most of the claim. They also provided restoration at no charge.

Right now you need to do exactly what you are doing---looking for it. Mine was behind the walls and under the floor in the bath. It was from a roof leak.

Sometimes with insurance companies you have to put the claim in. Period. Then see what happens. Sometimes you have to be alittle noisy, too, depending on your insurance company. If you don't have a particular agent I would call and talk with different people because sometimes one will be helpful while another could care less.