Mold

My first home, supposed to be the American dream. Five months into living there, I found black mold. It was everywhere – above the refrigerator, in the master bedroom, in the crawl space, in the living room, by the air return, in the air vents… I was getting sick, my pets were very sick. My Dad, who was recovering after several chemo treatments for his liver cancer stayed with me….Then I had the mold analyzed. Black Toxic Mold (Stachybotrys chartarum). Pictures say a thousand words:

Black mold above the fridge.

Black mold above the fridge.

Black mold above the fridge.

faulty a/c system causing condensation causing black mold above fridge

Toxic Black Mold in the sheetrock caused by leaky roof.

Toxic Black Mold in the sheetrock caused by leaky roof.

Toxic Black Mold in the sheetrock caused by leaky roof.

Toxic Black Mold in the sheetrock caused by leaky roof.

Toxic Black Mold in the sheetrock caused by leaky roof.

Water running down the wall in a storm.

Water running down the wall in a storm.

Water running down the wall in a storm.

Water running down the wall in a storm.

Toxic black mold in sheetrock caused by leaky roof.

Toxic black mold in sheetrock caused by leaky roof.

Toxic black mold on wood caused by leaky roof.

Toxic black mold on wood caused by leaky roof.

Toxic black mold on living room wall.

Toxic black mold on living room wall.

Toxic black mold on living room wall.

Toxic black mold on living room wall.

Toxic black mold on living room wall.

Toxic black mold on living room wall.

Toxic black mold on living room wall.

Toxic black mold on living room wall.

Toxic black mold on living room wall.

Toxic black mold on living room wall NEXT TO AIR RETURN

Faulty A/C system causing condensation and mold around vents.

Faulty A/C system causing condensation and mold around vents.

Faulty A/C system causing condensation and mold around vents.

The “repaired” bedroom wall and leak.

The “repaired” bedroom wall and leak.

The “repaired” bedroom wall and leak.

The “repaired” bedroom wall and leak.

The “repaired” bedroom wall and leak.

Black toxic mold growing through paint in living room.

Black toxic mold growing through paint in living room.

Black Toxic Mold after being “cleaned” with bleach.

Black Toxic Mold after being “cleaned” with bleach.

Fungus spots growing and coming through paint.

Fungus spots growing and coming through paint.

Fungus spots growing and coming through paint.

Fungus spots growing and coming through paint.

Fungus spots growing and coming through paint.

More Toxic Black Mold.

More Toxic Black Mold.

More Toxic Black Mold.

More Toxic Black Mold.

More Toxic Black Mold.

Wet wood and mold under sheetrock.

Wet wood and mold under sheetrock.

Wet wood and mold under sheetrock.

Wet wood and mold under sheetrock.

Wet wood and mold under sheetrock.

Wet wood and mold under sheetrock.

Wet wood and mold under sheetrock.

Wet wood and mold under sheetrock.

Wet wood and mold under sheetrock.

Wet wood and mold under sheetrock.

And as if all this mold wasn’t enough…there were leaks in the roof!  The leaky roof was part of what caused the mold.  I had man who installed the “new roof” came out several times to fix it.  He had no truck – he drove a mustang convertible with the roofing and construction supplies in the trunk. He had no ladder or even utility knives.  And when it rained, all I could do was watch and cry, horrified, as the water poured in from the  outside….

The HVAC system was the other cause…Five HVAC professionals said the same thing: The system is no good. Takes no humidity out of the house, will cause mold issues, needs to be replaced ASAP. The furnace was over 20 years old, was taken from another house, installed incorrectly and had no place for an air filter.

Below are more pictures of water pouring in on a rainy day.

The original leak in the roof.

The original leak in the roof.

damage from leaky roof.

Black mold in sheetrock and water running down walls.

Black mold in sheetrock and water running down walls.

Black mold in sheetrock and water running down walls.

Black mold in sheetrock and water running down walls.

Black mold in sheetrock and water running down walls.

Water running down walls when raining. I was sobbing at this point.

Water running down walls when raining. I was sobbing at this point.

Water running down walls when raining. I was sobbing at this point.

Water running down walls when raining. I was sobbing at this point.

Water running down walls when raining. I was sobbing at this point.

More black mold…

More black mold…

Water running down walls during another rain.

Water running down walls during another rain.

Water running down walls during another rain.

Water running down walls during another rain.

Water running down walls during another rain.

Water running down walls during another rain.

Water running down walls during another rain.

Water running down walls during another rain.

Water running down walls during another rain.

Water running down walls during another rain.

Water running down walls during another rain.

Water running down walls during another rain.

Water running down walls during another rain.

Water running down walls during another rain.

Water running down walls during another rain.

Water running down walls during another rain.

Water running down walls during another rain.

Water running down walls during another rain.

Water running down walls during another rain.

Wet wood and mold under sheetrock.

Wet wood and mold under sheetrock.

Wet wood and mold under sheetrock.

Wet wood and mold under sheetrock.

Wet wood and mold under sheetrock.

Wet wood and mold under sheetrock.

Wet wood and mold under sheetrock.

Wet wood and mold under sheetrock.

As The Mold Turns

Buying your first home is supposed to be a wonderful, exciting, slightly scary experience.  And it was for me…until…until about a week after I moved in when it rained and the roof started leaking. That was just the beginning. In the short span of time I have been in the house, there have many problems, the latest f which is toxic mold. Yes, THE toxic Mold. As in Stachybotrys. And several other molds that are considered toxic, but Stachybotrys is the really bad one.

And I have it. Which would explain all the health problems I have been having. And it would explain the huge vets bills because my cats have been so sick.

When you move into a newly purchased home, you assume that it’s safe – for you, your friends, your family, your pets. Never did I think I, we, were not safe…because of mold. The home inspection was done, nothing was found…because everything had been freshly painted over.

And now mold is growing, fungus is multiplying, at an alarming rate (well, the fast growing mold, the others…grow slow). And now, I cannot live in my wonderful, beautiful, amazing new home, that I just bought and moved into this past March. It is not safe for my pets and I to be there, we are all sick.

My parents, my sweet elderly sick parents also stayed at my house. My father stayed to recuperate after chemo for his liver cancer(and his immune system was low after that). My mother spent 10 straight days with me, waiting for Dad to recover.

And now, moving forward, I must determine what to do,  how to do it, and do it quickly. So many mold inspections and tests to be done. So much expense and the estimates of remediation and cost of repair come in. So many hopes, dreams and aspirations gone.  My first home.

And many times in life, you must laugh to keep from crying.To find a little humor in the situation, if you will. So my house has been named Mold Manner, Sir Mold-a-Lot and The House of Mold. My new nickname is Moldilocks. As friends get updates it is called As the Mold Turns, Days of our Mold, The Mold and the Beautiful. I laugh….and drink a lot of wine.

And as I sip some wine, in a place that is not my home, I wonder, where will I put my Christmas tree this year?

Tune is for the next episode of As the Mold Turns…