Recently, a local couple was surprised to find one of their bathrooms infected with mold. In addition to the shiny black area on the floor, stringy looking, plant-like tentacles were growing through the wall.

They were later told these were filaments of mold called “fruiting heads” Thus began an unwanted, but interesting, learning process about mold and the seemingly innocent ways it can occur.

These homeowners had read that some molds, especially with high spore counts, can be extremely dangerous to health. They had heard of a number of Cleveland area infant deaths in the late 90s that were suspected of being mold-related. With this in mind, they immediately made an appointment with an experienced mold remediation contractor who came the same day.

The inspector took an air sample from outside, where he was parked. After looking at the mold and substantiating that the owners had been smart to act quickly, the inspector took another air sample from their bedroom, next to the moldy bathroom.

In the bathroom, he made a small hole in the sheetrock and placed a stainless steel wand, with a light on one end, into the opening. The inspector quickly evaluated the situation and declared that the mold inside the wall was worse than what could be seen outside.

He gave a ballpark bid of $2000 to remediate the mold after removing the sink, toilet and about four feet of sheetrock from the rear wall. He warned that the price could be higher if the contamination was more extensive than it initially appeared. Returning the bathroom to its original condition was extra. It was agreed that the work would begin two days later.

Next, the couple called their insurance company and made an appointment with an adjuster for the following day. They were told this must be done before the work began.

The adjuster explained that their policy covered only “sudden, accidental occurrences,” like a bursting pipe. Plumbing leaks and slow, unattended drips that cause problems, including mold, were their responsibility.

Fortunately, the homeowners had just returned from a three-week vacation. They stressed to the adjuster that there had been no mold in the bathroom before they left. He told them that, under the right conditions, mold may begin growing in as little as 12 hours. Based on this, the adjuster said they were covered, except for the deductible and plumbing repairs.

As they subsequently learned, mold coverage by insurance companies may disappear. Last month, State Farm Insurance announced they are no longer writing new California homeowners’ policies, partly because of mold claims.

The following day, the inspector and two helpers erected a heavy, plastic containment around the bathroom. Once this was done, they climbed into “space suits” with thick, rubber masks, and gloves taped to their uniform.

For the next three hours, the crew removed numerous, large, sealed trash bags full of contaminated materials. They sprayed and re-sprayed the mold-infected areas with chlorine and other fungicides, and placed a huge heater/blower in the bathroom window. Then they left to let it dry.

The mold contractors came back the next day to spray again and to scrub down all the infected wood framing. Luckily, because the mold was not in place for long, the fungus did not damage the framing,

The cause of the mold infection was a broken sink valve that had allowed water to back into the wall cavity. This moisture was absorbed like a sponge by the wall insulation and sheetrock. As there was no water under the sink from this leak, it was not visible to the owners.

Not surprisingly, what was supposed to be a two-day job stretched into a week. When it was over, a new air sample was taken to make sure that the spore count inside approximated the original outside sample of 2000.

About a week later, the owners received a “clearance report” in the mail. The initial sample, taken on the mold inspector’s first visit, indicated a very unhealthy spore count of 68,292. The final test, done after the mold had been removed and the bathroom reassembled, was a healthy reading of 399. Thus, after the cleanup, the indoor air in the bedroom had an even lower spore count than the ambient air sample.

Even if you do not now have mold, pay attention and periodically check for damp areas caused by plumbing, sewer line or roof leaks, or inadequate drainage.

If you think you have a serious mold problem, do not touch or disturb the mold; it could make the situation worse. When mold strikes home, act with alacrity and hire a professional to inspect.

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