Mold in the bathroom

[jay trotta]

Mold / Mildew - dunno we're not the experts, we know it isn't "clean" like the balance of the house, so this is why an expert in that Field is being requested, init ? Putting a name on it just draws attention to the fact that something is not right and we need a definition from an expert in the field.

Attempting to play a "name game" is always questionable, but some bright lite somewhere decided this was also part of Our Job description. Any Real Estate Agent involved should have already had the inspection completed (in our State-it's a Law) if they had any doubts, they become just as Liable.

cheers

 

[Ray Miller]

You checked box four you did your job. No 442 needed by you.

Hang them high and hang them long time.

Tell the lender and reator just to enclosed the results of the inspection with the paper work and appraisal.

Just love it when the pull this crap. Had septic take that had a siphon running out of the top of the lift station for the mound system. Call for a inspection. They called me back and as me to reinspect. Sure, right away. Just have the spetic man there when I am out there. All the did was pull the siphon out and wanted me to take new pictures and say all was well in the well. Just got to love them.

 

[Otis Key]

Actually, I think I described as a mold appearing substance and I made it subject to an inspection by a qualified and licensed professional. I guess the Realtor qualifies, que no?

I don't screw around with this moldy looking stuff. If there is any nasty looking stuff I include it and call for inspections. I was watching one of those Home Makeover shows recently. The father was a healthy 30 something fireman that took ill and died in about 30 days. They traced it to a mold infestation in the basement.

Not me.

UH NO! Since you say you worded it that way, then I can only assume that you CB3'd the report instead of CB4. In that case, they want a 442. If you had correctly worded the CB4 then you could just tell them to go pound sand someplace away from you.

When they get you that "report", who determines if that person that performed the inspection is qualified?

 

[Peter LeQuire]

Pre-holiday crabbiness creeping in, but, the word games we try to play sometimes leave me scratching my head. We won't call something it plainly is: we note the appearance of a ".......(color) mold or mildew-like substance on interior surfaces of the bathroom" and insert some other verbiage that we don't know what it is but that the client better not make a decision about the property until they find out.

Balderdash, to paraphrase. If we find something green or black growing on the yogurt in the fridge, we call it mold and throw it out; we'll see the green and white stuff growing on the bread and throw it out; we'll note the green color of the ground beef and throw it out. But when we see the stuff growing in a house we're appraising, we suddenly don't know how to identify it.

I suggest that it's laziness to not accurately describe what we see. As in, "Looks like mold to me: the client better darn sure determine what it is and whether it poses a risk to anyone coming in contact with it, and, by the way, this appraisal assumes that it isn't or that if it is, it's remediated." (As is CB4.) We may not be qualified to determine what variety of mold or mildew it is, but we sure ought to be able to identify whatever it is in broad terms. We staunchly defend our other observations, and sidle away from this one - doesn't make sense to me.

 

[Jim Bearden]

More of an aside Richmond settled a mold case in some new homes for $50 mil. Here in some areas as long as the new home has a window that opens in the bathroom no fan is needed. I always no matter the age always warn about the possibility of mold with no fan. In fact I just rented an apartment for just me, one shower a day no other moisture aroud except boiling water. I haven't moved in yet and I just had a fan, strong one, put in at my expense. Overkill yes, better to be safe than sorry.

BTW mold over the last number of years has become the lawsuit du jour and my understanding is that the issue is serious and justified (I do mostly defense work which means it is a real problem).

 

[Renee Healion]

...I just rented an apartment for just me, one shower a day no other moisture aroud except boiling water...

I like a hot shower too but...

 

[Jeffery Hall]

Who should inspect?

I'v posted before about mold. Used to be a part owner of a company that remediated mold. Took course work in OSHA aproved methods & procedures to remediate (stop the damage) and repair mold, sewage, and water damage. (Also did smoke, fire, pet odor, etc.)

Couple of (3) things...

There is no such organism as "mildew". What causes the "mildew" smell is mold.

The proper person to sign off is NOT a contractor. We were contractors. We NEVER accepted responisbility for what appeared to be mold until a specialist tested and said it was mold.

Contractors are licensed to build stuff. They are not licensed to know what caused the need for repair (what organism caused the problem). Never call on a contractor to assess whether a mold problem exists, or was successfully abated.

An Industrial Hygienist is the right person to call for clearance and determines if it has been cleaned successfully. Surface and/or air testing is necessary to determine existence of mold.

The contractor and industrial hygienist work in tandem to clear the house/structure of problems.

I wonder if the Realitore Estate Agent/Broker is also a licensed contractor and/or industrial hygienist?

 

[Jim Bearden]

Thanks Jeffery this is now part of my favorites until I get my new computer (still having programs put on hard drive so will pick up in the next couple weeks) and can save it to a reference file.

 

[Renee Healion]

But what does an Industrial Hygienist cost? I am wondering about what happens after we call for an inspection that motivates the heroic DIY realtor-hygienists. For a patch of mold in one bathroom, what does it cost to have an qualified pro come out, sample and test, not even treat?

I know about our liability. I am just seeing and hearing of agents and homeowners trying everything to avoid doing what we specify for our own and our clients benefit. There is general agent resistance to the Checkbox Options we now have. And specific objection to the costs.

 

[Otis Key]

Pre-holiday crabbiness creeping in, but, the word games we try to play sometimes leave me scratching my head. We won't call something it plainly is: we note the appearance of a ".......(color) mold or mildew-like substance on interior surfaces of the bathroom" and insert some other verbiage that we don't know what it is but that the client better not make a decision about the property until they find out.

Balderdash, to paraphrase. If we find something green or black growing on the yogurt in the fridge, we call it mold and throw it out; we'll see the green and white stuff growing on the bread and throw it out; we'll note the green color of the ground beef and throw it out. But when we see the stuff growing in a house we're appraising, we suddenly don't know how to identify it.

I suggest that it's laziness to not accurately describe what we see. As in, "Looks like mold to me: the client better darn sure determine what it is and whether it poses a risk to anyone coming in contact with it, and, by the way, this appraisal assumes that it isn't or that if it is, it's remediated." (As is CB4.) We may not be qualified to determine what variety of mold or mildew it is, but we sure ought to be able to identify whatever it is in broad terms. We staunchly defend our other observations, and sidle away from this one - doesn't make sense to me.

While I understand and agree with you Peter, I'm also a realist about this thing. The first time I specifically call it mold and it's not, I get sued! So I'll "pass" the buck just like everyone else to keep being sued over something that I thought was a safety concern. I'm not qualified to determine if it really is mold, even though I know it is, and don't want to throw any more liability onto myself than has already been shoved there.