Plumber out of his league with mold issue
Q: Our plumber says we have mold in the crawl space beneath our home. This is surprising because the house is only two years old. According to the plumber, the mold is caused by the black plastic sheets that are on the wet soil beneath the building. He suggested removing the plastic, drying out the dirt, and running a fan to circulate the air. There are six vents in the foundation and all of them are open. There is also a sump pump to remove excess ground water. Do you agree with the plumber's evaluation? If not, what do you recommend?
A: Plumbers are experts in water supply, gas supply, and waste water systems, not issues that involve mold or ground water drainage. Covering wet soil beneath a building is an accepted method for reducing humidity and condensation that could lead to mold or fungus infection. If moisture is causing mold, removing the plastic could make the condition worse by increasing the humidity under the building.
A better course of action is to leave the plastic where it is, while increasing the number of vents around the building. These vents should be located on opposing sides of the building, if possible, to promote cross ventilation. If the vents are not sufficient to prevent condensation, vent fans should then be added. These fans could be wired to a humidistat so that the fans will only operate when needed.
It would also be advisable to have the property evaluated by a geotechnical engineer to determine the cause of ground moisture beneath the building and to determine how best to reduce this moisture.
Q: One of my neighbors is preparing his home for sale, but I don't like what he's doing. Yesterday he asked me how to conceal some severe cracks in the laundry room and bathroom walls. His house is built on a hillside and the foundation is cracked. He also wanted to know if there was any way to redirect water runoff that drains into his garage. It seems to me that he is hiding problems, rather than repairing or disclosing them. I feel bad knowing that some buyer (my future neighbor) will get stuck with some expensive problems. Should I inform his Realtor to make sure all these defects are disclosed?
A: What your neighbor is contemplating is illegal, besides being unethical. State laws require disclosure of all conditions that could be of concern to a buyer. If he does not fully and honestly disclose these defects, he will be signing a state-mandated disclosure form, knowing that the statements therein are fraudulent.
I share your concern for unsuspecting buyers and have received emails from many who have been damaged in this way. The consequences for some of these buyers have been severe.
Informing the listing agent of these concerns may avert problems for the next owner, as long as the agent is more inclined to ethical disclosure than the seller.
• Email Barry Stone, certified building inspector, at barry@housedetective.com.
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