Black mold? What would you do?

5 years ago

We have been working with a general contractor to build our new home and it is taking an extremely long time. The framing and decking were completed in June and they started the roof last week. They worked for 5 days, ran out of shingles and now no work has been done since last Wednesday. My big concern is that the OSB subfloor has been rained on numerous times since it was installed and I think this is black mold in one of our rooms. Would you recommend getting the OSB and sill torn out, or should we call in a remediation company to clean it up? Needless to say, we are really a bit frustrated with our GC at this point. Thank you.

Featured Answer

bry911

5 years ago

last modified: 5 years ago

I am going to copy this from an earlier post on the same subject...

I really don't want to get into the mold discussion, but it is one of those areas where there is a lot more misinformation than good information. Indoor molds are simply not that bad for you. The single study that found a connection between indoor mold and health problems was rescinded by the CDC when errors were found in the study. Since then hundreds of peer reviewed scientific studies have found no connection between indoor mold and health problems. The mycotoxins in indoor home environments simply don't approach harmful levels, and have really only been found in agricultural areas and buildings. In most of the country, indoor air tends to have fewer mold spores and mycotoxins than outdoor air. Feel free to look further into it, you can start here - http://users.physics.harvard.edu/~wilson/soundscience/mold/gots1.html

Mostly, news and litigators exaggerated this story. This is not to say that mold should never be addressed, but it shouldn't always be addressed. Indoor molds may be problematic to those who already have a sensitivity to it, such as those allergic to mold and those with asthma, as an asthma sufferer I want to add, indoor environments are still better than outdoor, but you want your home to be as comfortable as possible, mold isn't really a problem for me personally, but dust and pollen can be.

Good luck.

ETA: It is just mold, clean it with vinegar and be done with it...

Comments (14)

PRO
Mark Bischak, Architect
5 years ago
last modified: 5 years ago
Have it tested to give you direction on how to handle it and/or put your mind to rest.
User
5 years ago
Not all black mold is dangerous(unless there is an allergy situation). Use a mold cleaner(spray areas) and get the roof finished and the windows/doors installed.
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rrah
5 years ago
It's black and it's probably mold, but it doesn't mean that it's the "toxic" type of black mold. Lot's of molds are black and are not the toxic type. The type people typically are most concerned about is actually a greenish black color.

This is what the CDC has to say about it: https://www.cdc.gov/mold/stachy.htm#Q4

I think you need to clean it, and let it dry out. I don't see the need to pull it all out. In our last house a neighbor had just started building. They were not yet under roof. We had a 1000 year rain (18 or more inches in less than 24 hours). They never had a mold problem. The framing and flooring all dried out.
robin0919
5 years ago
What does the inspector say?
Lina Gimble
5 years ago
Here is another link about mold. Luckily I'd read this so when a "mold professional" delivered quotes of 14-27 Thousand $ to demo our basement (without rebuilding a thing) I knew they were full of crap.

Incidentally, when it was demoed by an honest and hardworking contractor, he found NO mold. But that is another story...

Mold info

Also: I found this link here. That Home Site, saving my butt again!
ulisdone
5 years ago
Get a small pump sprayer and Spray with bleach. If it is mold it will change color when it dies. If house is that open it will dry out.
Louise McCarthy
5 years ago
I had mold. Spent a bit of money getting rid of it. When I talked to my dad in Ireland, he chuckled and said "none of died from mold". We live with damp in Ireland, lol.
nanj
5 years ago
I would be way more worried about the contractor and his lack of progress on your home than the mold. If he can't get the subs to work on your house that is a red flag in my opinion. We are in a hot construction market and trades may be delayed by several days but they do come and complete the work. We've also had delays due to a rainy spring and summer but the work is progressing with only a 3-4 week delay from early estimates.
Mule Meat
5 years ago
I would be more concerned with a contractor using the wrong type of OSB for sub-flooring than mold. Looking at the photos it appears to be swelling and separating already. Should have used something like AdvanTech Flooring, I have saw water stand on it for over a month and not hurt it.

Speaking of mold. I wish I still had the photos.. Bought a 40lb bucket of USG Top Coat sheet rock mud. Used approx 1/3 of it on a job. Two weeks later went to use the same bucket of mud and the entire top of it was cover in a thick layer of Black Mold. Makes me wonder if dry wall mud can form black mold in a sealed container in just two weeks, What are we putting on our walls?
hemina
5 years ago
Thanks a lot, Mule Meat...now I’ll never sleep.
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Joseph Corlett, LLC
5 years ago
When your house is under roof and dried out, that mold is screwed.
PRO
Mark Bischak, Architect
2 years ago
By now, the OP is moved in and living happily ever after.
JJ
2 years ago
Burn it with fire.

Black mold? What would you do?

bry911

Comments (14)

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