What Every Home Owner Needs to Know About Mold and What to Do About It

Description

The complete guide to dealing with mold in your home--the asbestos of the new millennium Toxic mold infestations in the home have been brought to the forefront of public awareness. Erin Brockovich's struggle to fight this health crisis and Ed McMahon's experience of this problem in his own home have further publicized the fact that mold has been linked to a host of serious health problems.Yet there are no standards for acceptable indoors mold levels and no laws requiring home sellers to disclose mold problems. Written by award-winning reporter Vicki Lankarge, this is the first complete home owner's/home buyer's guide to dealing with mold. Clearly and concisely, Lankarge acquaints readers with the latest findings about mold infestation and arms them with everything they need to know to: Successfully detect the presence of mold Prevent, control, or eliminate mold Deal with mold-related health problems Understand mold's legal implications Work with insurance companies on mold-related cases

Description Toxic mold infestations in the home have been brought to the forefront of public awareness. Yet there are no standards for acceptable indoors mold levels and no laws requiring home sellers to disclose mold problems. Written by award-winning reporter Vicki Lankarge, this is the first complete home owner's/home buyer's guide to dealing with mold. Clearly and concisely, Lankarge acquaints readers with the latest findings about mold infestation.

>From the Back Cover

Don't let mold destroy your most valuable investment

There's a black cloud looming over your house. It can rob you and your family of your priceless valuables and sentimental heirlooms. It can take complete control over your house, leaving you destitute, homeless, or, worst of all, deathly ill. That black cloud is a toxic mold that could right now be growing at rapid speed behind your baseboards. Learn how to spot toxic mold and get rid of it before it's too late with the help of What Every Home Owner Needs to Know About Mold (and What to Do About It).

Your home is most likely your biggest investment. But once Stachybotrys mold takes over, you can kiss that investment good-bye. Award-winning reporter Vicki Lankarge sheds important light on this highly poisonous infestation-the asbestos of the new millennium-providing the latest findings about mold and how you as a homeowner can protect yourself from its predatory invasion.

Filled with helpful checklists, you'll learn how to combat these microscopic invaders, including:

Telltale signs of mold infestation, including an earthy or musty odor, sunken areas in baseboards or trim, staining, swelling, or crumbling of plaster or sheetrock.

Symptoms of mold exposure, ranging in severity from nosebleeds, chronic cough, wheezing, skin and eye irritations, to vomiting, memory loss, pulmonary hemorrhaging in infants, and death.

Tips to prevent moisture and mold, including plumbing and grout repairs.

Dealing with insurance companies: What to expect from them, what they expect from you, and what to do when a claim goes bad.

Avoiding real estate nightmares: Before buying a home, demand full disclosure from the sellers regarding all prior water damage . . . and make sure it's in your real estate contract! Be prepared to walk away from the deal if they won't sign it.

Tips for home sellers: Repair any damage related to water intrusion and/or mold infestation before you put your home on the market; document all repairs; and disclose everything.

About the Author

Vicki Lankarge is an award-winning reporter and magazine writer with more than twenty years of experience covering consumer issues.

Topics include: mold infestation, mold exposure, home insurer, home insurance policy, about mold, toxic mold, home insurance policies, permanent repairs, pulmonary hemorrhage

Reviews

Alarmist and Unscientific
I didn't like this book; it is alarmist, uninformative and unscientific. It really just serves create fear without providing any real information. For example, it implies that there needs to be a national standard of airborne mold levels -- an idea that make a good sound bite but, the more I read about the issues, doesn't make much sense, since mold is not a chemical but a living, changing thing. I would recommend Jeffrey May's Mold Survival Guide instead. I did give this book 2 stars because it does raise concerns about the insurance and financial ramifications of mold problems, which may be worthwhile angle to consider.

Bad information in the book!
I am a Mold Inspector and work with Remediation firms on a daily basis to remediate molds in homes, offices, etc. I have read this book and it should be revised to correct the FALSE information given about using common household bleach to clean-up mold. Bleach is ONLY good to clean-up mold on smooth, non-porous surfaces such as glass and plastic. It is obvious that the author did NOT due her homework on the best mold remediation products available. To find out what product should be used to remediate mold, buy another book about mold, such as Black Mold - Your Health and Your Home. This book reveals the problems with using bleach products and correctly informs the homeowner on an environmetally safe and readily available product to clean-up minor mold infestations in the home.

Knowledge is power
I wish this book could get into the hands of all Americans! Most people are totally unaware of the range of health problems mold can cause. Many people feel sick and too often do not realize that the cause of their illness stems from mold presence in their own dwelling or workplace. This book shows how insidious mold problems can be. Mold can be growing behind drywall and you don't even know it! Yet you're experiencing health problems as a result. And unless your physician is educated on this topic or knows your home has mold growing, finding a correct diagnosis is challenging. This book arms you with the information you need. Vicki Lankarge's book lists several of the top places in your home that may be harboring mold - and she tells how to get rid of it once and for all! She provides fascinating items of interest throughout the book, one of which explains what the "mummie's curse" means. I'll leave it to you to solve that mystery by buying the book! I highly recommend this helpful book as it accurately covers a topic everyone should be knowledgeable about - since it involves their health and wellbeing.

Great info whether you're having a mold crisis or not!,
We are in the middle of a mold crisis: a contractor's shoddy workmanship has led to a wet basement and a bad growth of mold in our home. The information Vicki has provided is a real Godsend! 60 days ago we were ignorant of the problem of mold; thanks in great part to Vicki's book, we have a plan of action to remediate the mold. And most importantly, we have invaluable insight into protecting our family's health. Whether or not you have a current mold problem in your home, you owe it to yourself to spend a few dollars on this book. Mold problems are going to be the "asbestos of the new millenium." You could be affected and not even know it.

Robert Bruss rated this book a 10
On May 9, 2003, nationally syndicated real estate columnist Robert Bruss wrote: "If you own a house or condo, or are a real estate agent, reading "What Every Homeowner Needs to Know About Mold" by Vicki Lankarge will reveal what you should know about household mold and what you can do about it . . . The book's best chapter is "Mold and Your Insurance Company." It explains which mold claims are insured by homeowners insurance and which are not. . . Without becoming too technical, this book is a superb resource for homeowners and realty agents to learn about household mold. . . On my scale of one to 10, this superb book that should be read by every homeowner and real estate agent rates a solid 10."