Mold in basement Dh doesnt care

amother

Wed, Aug 14 2019, 7:54 am

Hi
There has been mold all over my basement ( the bottom of the walls) for a few months now. Dh doesnt want to call someone to get rid of it. He doesnt think its a big deal. We just spent a lot of money renovating it, and he just doesnt care. We have little kids and that was their play-room, I only let them in the basement on Shabbos now. I want to call a mold company myself but he doesnt want me to do anything. Does home insurance cover mold removal? I feel helpless and I am upset that nothing is being done and its spreading throughout the basement.

OOTforlife

Wed, Aug 14 2019, 7:59 am

Would your husband take it more seriously if your pediatrician told him it was an issue?

If you have a well visit coming up soon, you could send your husband and have him ask the pediatrician.

If not, you should be able to call the pediatrician's office and ask the question generally. My pediatrician's office will answer general questions like this (that don't require examining a specific child) over the phone.

amother

Rose

Wed, Aug 14 2019, 8:50 am

Um that’s kind of a big deal. Very unhealthy for your children to be inhaling. Also it can keep spreading and get even harder to get rid of. Take care of it ASAP!

ectomorph

Wed, Aug 14 2019, 8:58 am

He doesn't care, or he feels frustrated and overwhelmed after spending time and money renovating it?

Get a large dehumidifier which will slow the spread.

teachkids

Wed, Aug 14 2019, 9:42 am

Temporary measures are to buy a dehumidifier and spray the mold with bleach spray. That should significantly slow it. Depending whether it's surface or in the walls you might be able to deal with it yourself

Amarante

Wed, Aug 14 2019, 10:13 am

There are two problems that need to be addressed

Mold indicates that there is some kind of water intrusion issue. This can impact the structural integrity of your home and so the source of the water intrusion needs to be located and stopped.

Not all mold is "toxic" but obviously having large amounts of mold in an area where your children live is not healthy. However, if you just clean the mold 'cosmetically" so that you can't see it, you have not necessarily alleviated the issue. The mold is growing because there is moisture somewhere. Also the spores from the mold will still be around and there is probably mold growing inside the wall.

groovy1224

Wed, Aug 14 2019, 10:55 am

I would encourage you not to care that he doesn't care.

Besides the obvious health concerns, as Amarante pointed out, the mold came from somewhere and it needs to be addressed. Also, it will spread so it's in your best interest to get it fixed ASAP because the longer you wait the bigger a problem it will be.

If you just had it renovated, and then the mold showed up, I would assume the two issues are related, so see if you can get the original contractor to take a look at it.

livinginisrael

Wed, Aug 14 2019, 11:10 am

most insurance companies do not cover mold . I do not suggest putting in a claim. (insurance broker over here)

normal1

Wed, Aug 14 2019, 1:57 pm

Mold is a serious issue and must be addressed, for both structural issues and health. If your dh is unwilling to address the issue you have to do to the best you can to alleviate the issue. Firstly you can spray the mold with concentrated bleach in windex bottle and wipe off( be careful not to breath it in for long period). If finances and dh allow buy a 1) dehumidifier to remove moisture 2) air purifier to remove allergens. This should work to keep the basement healthy for kids to play in till the underlying issue is resolved. Dh is in construction

amother

Lilac

Thu, Aug 15 2019, 8:12 am

Btdt. Call. You must fix the water seepage.

1)Cut out the affected sheetrock. Inexpensive to redo later.

2)put a dehumidifier

3) waterproof the basement = expensive

4) put back new sheetrock, not very expensive

If genetically prone, can cause major health issues in some of you. If not prone, lucky.

Signs of mold illness:

Flu like symptoms that ease when out of the home
Brain fog or headaches , vertigo, fatigue
Light sensitivity
Muscle aches, joint pain, numbness/tingling
Asthma, sinus, cough, shortness of breath
Digestive complaints
Metallic taste in mouth
Excessive thirst
Night sweats, temperature regulation

FranticFrummie

Thu, Aug 15 2019, 10:09 am

https://www.medicalnewstoday.c.....9.php

Professionally treating the mold is going to be a lot cheaper than treating your children's medical conditions.

Would he be so dismissive if there were lead paint chips laying around the house? He's probably not worried about gas leaks or radon, either. Either that, or he's being too cheap to deal with it.

ra_mom

Thu, Aug 15 2019, 12:52 pm

amother [ Lilac ] wrote:

This.
But find the source of the water before blindly waterproofing. Maybe you the problem is lack of waterproofing, maybe something else entirely.

amother

Ruby

Thu, Aug 15 2019, 12:55 pm

amother [ OP ] wrote:

Hate to tell u this but mold remediation companies are notoriously dishonest. You can remove the mold yourself by washing down thoroughly with bleach.