Mold Can be a Silent Contagion

By Krasi Henkel, Broker

This is the season when we spend more time indoors and our doors and windows remain closed for longer periods.

I am deathly allergic and toxic to mold. A three second exposure can make me ill for weeks and even months. I often laugh with my buyer clients that I am the official “mold meter” when we look at houses. There have been times that I detected mold even before opening the front door. I share my experience with my clients, and we leave as quickly as possible. Sick houses can be cleaned. My clients need not be the ones to do that.  

Not everyone smells or reacts to mold. I believe that educating my clients is paramount. No sale is worth illness and maladies. I would rather walk away than knowingly let my clients buy into malaise, illness, and even life-threatening accidents. A mold reaction caused me to fall from my horse, breaking my ankle. My life changed. I have not been the same ever since.

While everyone has varying levels of reaction, if any, to mold in a property, it is important to understand how mold develops and where it can grow. It is not always the old basement, although it quite possibly can be. With weather changes and moisture changes, below is a list (not comprehensive but suggestive) where mold can grow:

• Window casings and drywall around them
• Doors – under sill plates and around the frames on the drywall
• Under sink base cabinets
• Under dishwashers
• Under washing machines
• Under HVAC condensate lines
• Inside HVAC air handlers
• Behind and under refrigerators (even those without water sources)
• Bathrooms
• Basements – under floors, wall bases, even ceilings
• Your car!!

What can you do to prevent mold from taking root in your home or car?

• Inspect window caulking regularly – recaulk as needed
• Check door sill plates – especially at decks and patios
• Look under sinks – look for evidence of moisture – attack and remediate
• Look under your dishwasher for evidence of water and mold signs
• Look under and behind washing machines
• Have your HVAC serviced and inspected semi-annually – ask your tech to look for evidence of leakage and mold
• Pull your refrigerator out – inspect the floor
• Run the exhaust fan in your bathrooms while showering to prevent condensation build-up
• Confirm that bathroom exhaust fans are operating properly
• Change the air filter in your car
• Keep all HVAC filters clean

Here are a few unsettling facts that I recently discovered:

• Drywall in its manufacturing process has imbedded mold spores
• Mold loves drywall. That is why after a water incursion event, mold grows on drywall very quickly.
• New home construction can “build-in” mold during the construction process by allowing materials to get wet.
• Your car’s trunk gasket can be allowing water incursion and harboring mold
• Your car’s air filter can get damaged by mice – their deposits can sprout mold
• Your car’s AC can leak into your dash – mold can sprout

These lists are just a few of the mold issues that can develop over time or quickly.

Mold has been associated with chronic fatigue syndrome, headaches, upper respiratory ailments, even ‘colds’ could be reactions to mold.  Do not be lulled into security by a ‘new house.’

Last year, I walked through our basement bedroom for a split second. That was long enough for me to get sick. It lasted through January. Where was the mold? Our basement bath exhaust fan had stopped exhausting but sounded to be running just fine. My husband likes the shower there. The moisture from the shower traveled to the far corner of the room, settled on the cold tile floor under a night table, and sprouted a quarter-sized spot of mold.

As a precaution – I had the exterior walls’ drywall removed – luckily – all was dry including studs and base framing. The tile was dry with no evidence of water. I called a waterproofing company – they tried to sell me a $50,000 remediation system.

I decided to call on the home inspector who inspects my clients’ home purchases. He came armed with a moisture meter. He found none. Then, he suggested laying down and sealing a vapor barrier plastic sheet like that of a crawl space. He told us to leave it down for 7-10 days. If at the end of the period, there was moisture under the barrier – there is a water problem. If none, then it was a condensation problem. Luckily, it was the latter.

Our brilliant contractor figured out that the exhaust fan was not extracting the condensation. In with a new fan and lots of cleaning – all is well.

However, this episode required that I discard the entire contents of the room. I had my brand new furnace thoroughly cleaned and disinfected. Mold spores are airborne and had certainly settled on all fabrics and furnishings. All because an exhaust fan had malfunctioned. On that note – ask questions about the history of any resale furnishings that you are considering buying. Have you ever smelled mustiness in antique drawers . . . ?

Mold is toxic and for those who are sensitive, each episode increases that sensitivity and the reactions.  While I am not a mold expert, here is a link to mold and its remediation on YouTube.  The mold conversation begins around the 3 minute mark. It is a little long but could save you years of misery.

If you have questions or need resources, contact Krasi Henkel – TEXT – 703-624-8333. If you are planning to buy your next home, Text Krasi.