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Lawrence

wrote:
I believe I have mold in my house and it's spreading.
1) How can I determine if I have a leak in draining? I checked the
water meter and it doesn't seem like water coming in the house is
leaking but I don't know about the drain leak and how to determine that
2) I called the mold inspector and he said that he would charge $500
for test and then charge @ $125 for mold mitigation plan. Is it worth
spending this money?
3) All I care about it to get rid of mold and the source of the mold.
Do you think I need to replace the carpet? I am planning to do that in
future anyway. But I just don't want to replace it, I want to make sure
it's not underneath the carpet and it is easy to find that out? Same
thing with the tile and sheet rock...do I need to replace them or just
clean it with some bleach or chemicals??

You must find the source of the moisture before any repairs can be
made. Water can get into the house either from the roof, from the
ground, or from the plumbing. make sure your roof is sound and that
rainwater is being directed away from the house with gutters. If you
don't have gutters, get them. If you do have them, check them to see
they are draining properly. Check the grade around the base of the
house to make sure water drains away not toward the house. I don't
think your problem is the plumbing. If it were, then you would notice
the highest concentration of mold near some plumbing. Take a close
look at the plumbing. however, if you suspect it. A de-humidifier may
help.

Mold is bad. How much you do is ultimately up to you. Really bad
problems can be really bad. There have been cases where the cost of
mold repairs exceeds the value of the house. If it was me I would pull
up any suspect carpet immediatly. This will allow you to inspect the
floor underneath for mold and to get it fixed. Rather than carpet I
would install a solid surface flooring. Hopefully yu don't have to
replace or repair the walls but it does happen. Lots of bleach and a
strong fan can sometimes do the trick. If they are actively harboring
mold then you may have to bite the bullet.