Mold in my house: What recourse do I have with the builder?

Question

Approximately 3 years ago, we purchase a brand new spec home. The house is a tri-level house, with the basement portion approximately 1/2 below grade. When we purchased the house, the basement was completely finished, and only one room (the furnace room) has exposed 2x4's with insulation and plastic covering the exterior walls. Recently when a Satelite Dish installer pulled back some of the insulation to pass the cable wire through, he noticed that there was ice and moisture on the wall. Pulling back the insulation revealed that the entire wall was infected with mold. I contacted the builder and they are currently working to remove the mold and reseal the room, but I am wondering if I need to have them do more than that. Do I need to have the rest of the house inspected (difficult because it is all behind finished sheet rock)? They are removing mold from the inside, will there also be mold on the outside? Once they do clean it will the be permanent damage to my house? Thnks 4 ne help.

Answer 1

I would have the whole house inspected BEFORE the builder does any thing! Although it is past any required warranty the builder is doing you quite a favor to do any thing after living there for 3 years. Try to talk them into supplying you with a dehumidifier for the basement. This will reduce the moisture level and if you do not have one get a sump pump installed. Also you need to have that plastic removed, it is holding the moisture in and not circulating dry air. Between roll plastic and house wrap alone last year I had 10 rot and mold remodels. It is not working!
Good luck with yours

Answer 2

You need to have your home professionally inspected by a liscensed mold abatement contractor. Do not rely on your builder to remove all of anything. Your state should have a web site that will have information for you and trustworthy help. If any removal of materials is going on, there should be protective barriers between the work and the rest of the house (including you). Air exchanges should be sealed and heat reduced to prevent spreading the mold spores throughout the house. It probable would be a good idea to have your ducts cleaned also.

Any health issues such as broncitis, asthma, or other respiratory ailments should clearly communicate to your health professional the state of your home.

It is not difficult to remove the bottom 4' of your walls to determine a problem. Proper drainage is a must around a home such as yours and I would recommend a waterproof exterior barrier be applied.

It could simply be a stress crack that caused all the problems in the first place and everything is fine, but you REALLY cant afford to take that kind of gamble with your families health.

You may have very limited legal action against the builder, it depends on your state and your insurance company. Some insurance policies now have exclusions for mold. Your attorney generals' office will be able to assist you in providing information on legal particulars.

Best of luck to you, I made it and so can you.