This morning I met with Rob Plachy of American Environmental Solutions at a home a couple of my buyers had inspected last Saturday. During the home inspection, mold was discovered in the attic and it appeared that mold remediation had already been attempted.
Rob determined that the mold encapsulant used by the mold remediation company had failed in two places in the attic. According to Dr. Michael Pinto and David Janke, “Encapsulants are materials that are applied in a liquid state to a surface, where they dry and form a barrier. This barrier can be used to keep things out, such as water, or to keep things in, such as mold spores or asbestos fibers.”
Mold is a symptom of excess moisture in a home. On Monday, I’ll be meeting with a contractor who will be looking at the probable causes of the excess moisture in the home’s attic.
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Fran Bailey shows, previews and tracks downtown Chicago homes for sale giving her the insights needed to help her clients negotiate the best price and terms. Fran has been quoted in numerous Chicago and national publications. To schedule showings of listings regardless of broker or to contact Fran email her at fran.bailey@bairdwarner.com or call 773.793.4516. Learn More
Fran Bailey, Realtor
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
As a real estate agent whose family was made very ill from a botched mold remediation within our home, I have very strong opinions on the merits of encapselating as a remedy for mold growth. Don’t do it.
While there is debate as to whether mold left within the walls poses a health threat, there is no debate that removing the mold and the original source of moisture is an effective way to address the problem.
Since the science is not clear on the safety of mold left within the walls, the logical thing to do is go with what is provably safe and remove it.
No agent wants to see their buyers’ families become ill because something that is a possible safe remedy, such as encapselating, turned out to not be safe. Don’t let your clients be penny wise and pound foolish on this one.
The precautionary principle should be used and the mold/moisture source should be removed. Their children’s future health may depend on it.
I agree with Sharon, but my experience with mold came from rental property where the landlord was concerned with the bottom line rather than the well-being of his property or his tenants. He simply failed to properly address the problem or inform prospective tenants even though he knew the problem existed. Mr. Selleck, God love him, was an upright member of the community and his response was to evict me and ignore the laboratory results in order to cast aspersions upon my character.
In that 4 plex, everyone was sick and one died. Litigation proved futile at the time as no one “believed” that mold could cause such serious problems and landlords have a strangle hold on tenants’ rights issues in this state, Louisiana.
Today, there is too much news out there for landlords to simply paint over the problem figuring that what their tenants don’t know can’t hurt them. It can, does, and can kill.