Bau-Biologie: Mold Inspection and Remediation

[This article continues the results of my Bau-Biologie Home Inspection.]

Even if you don't think you have a mold problem, please read this. This expensive bathroom problem could happen to you.

After our Bau-Biologie Home Inspection found evidence of mold and inspection and removal of the mold by a certified mold remediation contractor was recommended, my husband, Larry, and I considered the options. Clearly, we needed to do something about the mold.

First, Larry went down under the bathroom and sprayed the visible mold with straight 35% hydrogen peroxide (this is very caustic and should only be used with proper protective gear). That killed the visible mold, but it didn't handle the mold problem. We could still smell the mold and still had sinus irritations. We knew that if we didn't take care of the mold NOW, that it would get worse and eventually contaminate the whole house. That would be even more expensive to clean up.

But we were faced with having to rip out and rebuild our entire bathroom. Pipes had been leaking in the walls, and the floor was saturated to the point where visible mold was growing underneath the floor. While we knew we would need to remodel the bathroom eventually, the funds to do so were not in our immediate budget.

We considered whether or not we could do the clean-up ourselves. But then we found out that proper mold removal required containing the space so that the mold spores wouldn't infiltrate the rest of the house when they were moved, and that all the mold-contaminated material needed to be taken away in plastic bags. We really wanted to make sure that this was done right, so we finally called two certified mold remediation contractors.

The first contractor was very helpful and friendly. He gave us an estimate of $1500. He also suggested we call our homeowner's insurance and see if they would cover it. He only did the mold removal, but referred us to several contractors who could rebuild the bathroom. They were also friendly and helpful.

The second contractor did both the mold removal and the rebuild of the bathroom. Evidentally, this problem of mold from leaking pipes is very common. This contractor's whole business was just removing mold and rebuilding bathrooms from leaking pipes. He said they would deal with my insurance company directly. The only catch was, if the insurance company didn't pay, WE had to pay the contractor $250 for writing up the estimate.

So we called our insurance company. They sent out a pipe inspector and an appraiser, who both agreed our pipes were leaking and we needed a new bathroom. The appraiser made an estimate, the insurance company subtracted our deductable, and a week later a check arrived in the mail. Now, it's not going to cover the entire cost of a new bathroom, since in their opinion we could re-use our tacky old vanity and tub (which the mold remediators couldn't remove from the bathroom without breaking it up), but it's a start. At least we don't have to pay for the entire bathroom ourselves, and we can make another claim once we finish the bathroom and have the real costs.

We hired the first contractor, and they did an excellent job.

First, they put up a 10 millimeter plastic sheet with a zipper, to contain the dust and mold. And they brought in 6 millimeter plastic bags to contain all the debris that was removed.

Then they cut a hole in the bottom corner of the plastic sheet and inserted the hose of a sealed true HEPA vacuum. This created negative air pressure against the containment wall, so when it was opened, the air was pulled into the room instead of flowing out. The HEPA vacuum stayed on continuously during the entire two-day demolition.

After the tub, shower tile, and toilet were removed, we could see the extent of the damage. The post in the corner by the shower fixture was badly rotted, and the water had seeped through the plywood subfloor for the entire length of the tub and almost all the way across to the other wall, four feet away. Under the toilet, there was also water damage.

Once the subfloor was removed, we could see that some of the floorboards below were also saturated and needed to be removed.

When we looked at the plumbing, the problem became clear. Two of the galvanized pipes in the bathroom had corroded and were leaking: one to the toilet, and another in the shower. It would have been cost less in the long run to have installed copper pipes in the first place. Copper pipes cost much less than an entire new bathroom.

Where there was mold on wood that hadn't been damaged, the mold was removed with a wire brush and HEPA vacuum. Then they wanted to apply a fungicide paint called Fiberlock IAQ 6000. "Oh, no," I said. But I had to weigh the toxic exposure with the possibility of a house entirely contaminated with mold. I took a look at the Material Safety Data Sheet, found that the health risk was rated very low, and let them apply it. It was more than I could tolerate. We ended up leaving the house for the afternoon and spent the night in a hotel, but once it dried, it was completely odor-free. Not something I would apply myself, though.

Though the whole process of mold removal has been disruptive to our routine, and we are without a shower (we have a second toilet in the house), both Larry and I can breathe better already and are glad we took this step. Now we get to have the fun of building a new bathroom (more on that to come...).