Restoration Environmental Contractors (Environmental cleanups, pcb removal, soil remediation, mould and fungus remediation, lead abatement, asbestos removal, infectious disease control, etc.)

Consulting
Engineers of
Ontario

Markham Waxers

Environmental
Abatement Council
of Ontario

When Mold Takes Hold

FOR JIM SEALY, A DALLAS ARCHITECT and expert witness in mold cases, die mold issue hit home hard.

Sealy owns a 47-year-old, 2,400-sq-ft ranch house in nearby Lancaster. The pier and beam ranch, which has a 30- in. crawlspace, in September 2001 developed a pinhole leak in the kitchen water line, causing a fine mist to be sprayed into the crawlspace. Oak flooring was set on a particle-board subfloor in a remodeling job in 1978 and the water and particle board played host to a very aggressive mold called trichoderma. It is not toxic to humans or animals, but very aggressively consumes cellulose. "The particle board became like wet shredded wheat in a matter of days," says Sealy.

"We called a contractor friend and when he opened the crawl space and saw the mold, he closed it up and had us evacuate the house."

Sealy discovered the mold problem after he noticed the floors were becoming spongy. "We couldn't walk on the floors. It was like being on a roller coaster because we had elevation changes anywhere from 8 to 10 inches," he says.

Sealy and his family ended up spending 357 nights in a motel while his house was condemned, remediated and reconstructed. Over 1,500 sq ft of flooring was removed, the wood frame sandblasted and drywall up to 4 ft high removed.

"The insurance company was the biggest problem," Sealy says. "After four months, we had to sue to get them to remediate the mold."

Sealy's contractor estimated the job would cost $86,000, while State Farm Insurance Co. estimated $13,000. In the end, State Farm paid $78,000 for the work, plus another $24,000 for cleaning and storage and $90 per night for the motel. "They would not negotiate so we sued and a judge forced them into mediation," says Sealy.

“What you see today is buildings being constructed improperly, without adequate flashing and built way too tight, "Sealy says.

By William J. Angela