hvsteve wrote:
The basement is about 50 by 30. The estimator says the black mold on
the wallboard is the toxic type. I don't recall the scientific name.
The wallboard is black about a third of the way up. There is also mold
in a number of places around the basement.There are shelves of things
that were stored down there. He claims anything we want to keep has to
be cleaned and wood or paper items should just go. The previous owner
built a room in the basement and,rather than replace the
walls,flooring and,possibly studs,I would as soon tear it out and use
the space for other things. He says the cinder block,painted walls
show water damage and should be cleaned and have sealer,not
waterproofing,sprayed on them. He made a big deal out of the process
of bagging and removing everything so as not to spread the mold. The
flood happened earlier this year but I did not put in an insurance
claim as I figured I would collect for cleanup only and don't like to
have a record as a "problem". Now,with the mold,I have contacted the
claims department and am waiting to hear if they are going to send an
adjuster. With the amount of money involved,I may also spring for a
service that does mold and water damage inspections but not repairs.

While I would not be certain that they told you true about the kind of
mold it is possible that it may be dangerous. I suspect you are going to
have a problem selling the house any time in the future if you don't have
the problem professionally corrected. The insurance company should help
you verify the first report.

--
Joseph Meehan

26 + 6 = 1 It's Irish Math