Melting snows and spring rains bring mold to Colorado homes

March 20, 2013

Melting snows and spring rains bring mold to Colorado homes

Article provided by The Nelson Law Firm, L.L.C.
Visit us at http://www.nelsonlawfirm.net/

Mold can be good or bad. When it is adding flavor to cheese or being used to make medications like penicillin, it's fabulous. When it is in your home, not so much. To grow, mold needs a combination of warmth and moisture. This time of year, the perfect environment arises in countless homes around Colorado as snowmelt and spring rains lead to water creeping in through roofs and around windows.

What damage canmoldcause?

In addition to the obvious "ick" factor of having mold growing in your home, there are dangers associated with excessive mold. Mold can aggravate existing respiratory conditions like asthma or bronchitis, leaving sufferers gasping for air, wheezing or coughing uncontrollably. Mold often causes allergic reactions like rashes, hives or other skin irritation and sneezing, along with a feeling of being "stuffed up." It can also aggravate cardiac conditions, putting additional strain on the heart and lungs.

Many mold-related symptoms affect the nervous system, though, and are common enough that they might not readily be connected with a mold infestation. These include:
-Headaches
-Shortened attention span
-Memory loss
-Dizziness/trouble with balance
-Inability to concentrate


Clearing the air

Some people assume that once any visible mold is cleared, then their home (or business) is clean, and their mold problem is behind them. That is rarely the case. Mold can infiltrate deep into drywall, wood studs, floor joists, ceiling beams and pipes, places that most occupants would never think to look. If mold is close enough to an air conditioner/furnace intake, then it can easily spread throughout the entire structure.

The federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) offers several resources for people dealing with mold issues in either residential or commercial properties. These include cleaning tips (like cleaning visible mold on non-porous surfaces with products containing bleach and tossing porous material like carpet once it has been exposed, since mold is hard to eradicate from deep in the fibers) and advice to prevent mold from returning (like fixing leaks around windows, from missing roof shingles or loose pipe fittings as soon as possible to prevent water intrusion that could lead to mold growth).

Oftentimes mold infestations are so large-scale as to be beyond the average building dweller's efforts and require commercial cleaning in order make the property habitable again. Because the process of finding and remediating mold is so invasive, it can be a very expensive and time-consuming process.

Footing the bill

Since mold is so difficult to clean, particularly in public structures like schools or multi-family dwellings (condos or apartments), the costs for remediation quickly add up. When costs soar like that, there comes a fevered attempt to "pass the buck" of responsibility from party to party. Insurers might deny claims related to mold by saying that a contractor was responsible for the damage; contractors will blame building material manufacturers/suppliers, saying that they were given tainted building supplies; and manufacturers can put the blame at the feet of the building's occupant, saying that the materials weren't tainted until some interceding action.

If you are dealing with a large-scale mold issue, you likely have questions. You want to know how the mold got there in the first place, how it can be repaired, if there will be any lasting effects to your health, etc. Know who has the answers to those questions? An experienced construction law attorney in your area will have the knowledge and resources to help you get the answers you need.