Toxic Intruder: Black Mold Panic Has Families Fleeing Their Homes

— Believe it or not, families around the country are fleeing their homes — or having them destroyed — because of an insidious intruder they say is making them sick.

The invader? Black mold. Its technical name is Stachybotrys chartarum — stachy for short — and it's got a lot of people panicked.

In Oregon, the O'Hara family asked their local fire department to burn their $450,000 home to the ground after black mold was found inside. "It's basically just a house that poisoned my family," Mark O'Hara said.

In Hawaii, a $95 million Hilton Hotel tower has been closed since July because black mold was found in some of the rooms.

In a July 2001 story Time magazine said toxic mold is spreading "like some sort of biblical plague." The New York Daily News called it "killer mold."

Whatever you call it, across the country, black mold is causing people to abandon buildings, close schools and leave beautiful homes sitting vacant.

In Seabrook, Texas, the Hammond family lived in tents in their backyard for almost nine months, waiting for their insurance company to settle their claim and clean up black mold they say they discovered in their home.

Beverly and Mike Hammond say a bathroom leak caused the black mold to grow. The Hammonds lived for months with a "potty tent" that served as an outhouse. "As soon as I saw the mold, then we, you know, hightailed it for the tent," Beverly Hammond said.

They say the mold made them sick, causing fatigue and joint pain, and will only go in their house with a respirator.

Melinda Ballard's mansion near Austin, Texas is considered by many to be the "ground zero" of the current mold hysteria. Like Diane Fortner, Ballard once thought of her estate as a dream home. Ballard now refers to it as "Toxic Tara."

Ballard says it all began with a leaky roof and some burst pipes. She claims her insurance company lied to her, delaying her request to have the wet materials in her home replaced. That's when she says the black mold began to grow under the kitchen floorboards and spread to other areas. Finally, she and her family left.

"On April 23rd, 1999, we walked out of that home with nothing more than the clothes on our backs," Ballard said.

Ballard is suing her insurance company because of the black mold. She invited 20/20 to look around her home, but insisted we wear protective suits and respirators.

Ballard's case made news last year when a jury ordered her insurance company to pay her a staggering $32 million for acting in bad faith. The judgment is now being appealed.

In addition to making her house unlivable, Ballard claims, the mold also caused serious health problems.

She said her son, Reese, was gasping to get air into his lungs, coughing up blood and suffering terrible headaches. She said her husband, Ron, had similar symptoms, including what she calls early Alzheimer's.

Ballard said, "I know men forget their anniversaries and they forget things like that, but they don't forget what kind of car they've driven. They don't forget where they live. … He did."

"You can see mucosal bleeding, like bleeding from the nose and the ears, you can see hair loss … and there are some individuals that feel that indeed cognitive dysfunction or the inability to think, is also the result of the inhalation of fungal spores," said David Straus, a microbiologist at Texas Tech.

Straus acknowledged that there is no conclusive proof that these serious illnesses are caused by black mold. However, Straus said, "The data are coming."

Straus even claims his one visit to "Toxic Tara" as a consultant resulted in permanent hearing loss.

"I can't prove that the hearing loss occurred because of my exposure to mold in Melinda's house," but Straus added, "that's exactly the day that it began."

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says there are very few case reports of mold in the home causing internal bleeding or memory loss, and no link has been established. Most scientists say the only proven effects from mold are allergic reactions and possible respiratory problems — including asthma. Some say mold fear is being whipped up by lawyers and mold cleanup companies eager to turn mold into gold.

University of Texas Medical Center immunologist, Dr. Gailen Marshall said some of his patients have been told to leave their homes and that black mold can kill them. But Marshall insists there's no cause for alarm.

"I think it's being blown horrendously out of proportion … All the stories that are out there are based primarily on testimonials and conjecture, not on hard scientific evidence," Marshall said.

The stories of mold panic are so widespread — they're even being spoofed on kids' cartoon shows. The parodies of mold fear ring all too true to Gordon Stewart of the Insurance Information Institute.

"There is no such thing as killer mold," Stewart said. He said mold — including black mold — has been around for centuries, and that people have only become hysterical about mold in the past few years.

Two years ago, there were only 1,000 mold-related insurance claims in Texas. That number soared to 14,000 last year. And now insurers, nationwide, are raising rates or dropping mold coverage altogether.

"There isn't more mold now than there was two years ago. There is more mold fear than there was two years ago, and there may be in some cases, more mold greed," Stewart said.

Marshall said he does believe most of his patients complaining of mold-related illnesses really are sick. "The question is what is the relationship between the presence of mold and their illnesses? … There's really no evidence that the very presence of mold, which is really everywhere in our environment, will by itself create bleeding, will by itself create memory loss or deficit, et cetera," Marshall said.

He believes what may be making some of them sick is not the mold — but the panic that's been created. Marshall insists the greatest danger isn't from the mold but from the panic that's been created.

He said, "There is clear evidence that the chronic anxiety that may result from something like this itself has a negative health consequence."

While there's no evidence toxic mold in the home is deadly — there is increasing debate about how dangerous it might be — and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is funding a study of mold's health effects.

If you see mold in your home, everyone agrees you should get rid of it. But experts say in most cases there is no need to have expensive mold remediation done. They advise homeowners to stop the water intrusion and to simply clean up the mold with a little bleach. If it has spread, experts advise homeowners to replace moldy building materials like Sheetrock. It's also important to note that not all black-colored mold is Stachybotrys chartarum.

For more information on what you should do if you think you have mold in your home, visit the following Web sites:

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY: The EPA Web site includes "A Brief Guide to Mold, Moisture, and Your Home," which provides information and guidance for homeowners and renters on how to clean up residential mold problems and how to prevent mold growth. http://www.epa.gov/iaq/pubs/moldresources.html

CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION: The CDC Web site has information on air pollution and respiratory health, including this question and answer page on Stachybotrys chartarum. http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/airpollution/mold/stachy.htm.

I'm sorry to hear about all the problems you have had since your exposure to mold. (Read my post #105) Lucky for me our house was weekend only or I suspect I would have had more serious problems. Each exposure only took me 36 hours to recover. It took a number of times before I figured out the house was making me sick. It took finding the mold to understand why. I

I've also read that the more tightly constructed, well-insulated modern houses have also contributed to the increasing prevalence of asthma. Any thoughts?

I'm not "restorer",but I'd be willing to bet money on it. It's not just the fact that the houses are so much more airtight today. It's also the more modern materials being used in them that is causing problems. If you don't believe me,all you have to do is go into a new home or office that has all new cabinets,nylon carpets,moulding,etc in it that has been shut up all weekend in warm weather,and the chemical smell is enough to knock you down.

ANYBODY out there who has small children needs to get rid of your nylon carpet NOW. In MY opinion,this is the one thing most responsible for the high number of children today who have respirority diseases such as asthma. Remember the smell I wrote about above? Your children are MUCH closer to this than you are,and are more sensitive to it. There is also the fact that all carpet collects all the moisture and "trash" from the bottom of your shoes when you come in the house,and the carpet will stay moist all day from wet shoes. Get throw rugs you can wash in your washing machine,and get rid of the carpets.

Restorer,

Your screen name made me write this to you.

My mother's house is very old (mid-19th century), and of course has plaster walls. She lives right across the street from Long Island Sound, so there's plenty of water all around, but I have NEVER seen mold anywhere in her home.

I, on the other hand have a more modern house (can't afford any of the real nice oldies) built in the mid-1950s, and the walls are made of sheetrock. We also don't live waterfront (can't afford that, either! LOL). While we don't have a mold problem ourselves, other houses in the neighborhood have been afflicted with it.

My question to you is...are sheetrock walls more prone to this kind of damage than plaster walls? If so, is the paper content in the sheetrock the reason?

Regards,

I can tell you that in N. Litchfield Beach, south of Myrtle Beach a few miles, a complete complex that was built 3 years ago sits in litigation over mold.

And I can tell you that there is a respirority disease that comes from exposure to mold that is prevelent ONLY on the east coast,from around northern Virginia to Florida. My SF medic friends who happen to have more than a passing interest in exotic diseases told me this is most likely what I had,and that I was lucky to survive it because up to 40% of the people who get it die the first 3 days unless they get hospital care. I can't remember the name of this disease now,but it's for real.

Re: #72

I guarantee you that for each quote you (or Mr. Tepper) come up with to show that mold isn't a problem, I can come up with several to show that it is. That's what happens when a new problem shows up. There is a lag between the discovery of strong and growing evidence and absolute proof.

As I mentioned above, there are large and powerful groups that have huge financial interests threatened by the whole mold issue. Eash group wants the whole issue to just go away, or at least to be pinned onto another group.

According to the Texas Institute for the Indoor Environment of The University of Texas at Austin:

"As discussed in the beginning of this statement, many factors have contributed over the years to the problem of mold in buildings. Beginning with those who fund the cost of buildings, to the architects who design them, to the construction companies who build them, to organizations who develop energy and ventilation “standards” for buildings, to the companies who provide building materials, to the occupants who use the buildings, to the consulting companies who have incorrectly specified remediation plans, to remediation companies who have significantly overcharged for their work, and to the insurance companies who insure these buildings, all have contributed to the crisis at hand. The solution is not a simple one. Each stakeholder must do their part and all must move in the correct direction if a proper solution is to be realized."

That's what should happen. Don't hold your breath.

Do you think Ms. Ballard was entitled to $32 million?

Not particularly, but that is (unfortunately) the way our society works. What do you propose to punitive damages as an alternative way of disciplining multi-billion dollar companies that just ignore their contractual obligations? To companies that say, "Sue us" when they are asked to do what they had agreed to do? How many people just walk away when a legitimate claim is denied because they don't have the resources or energy to fight a big corporation? How many corporations do you think depend on this reaction?

The key word is "legitimate." I think most of the mold "panic" is NOT legitimate.

I agree the key word is "legitimate." What we need are more effective ways of drawing the line between legitimate and illegitimate, which requires first a definition of where that line is. Research is underway to find out, but for a number of technical reasons, defining "how much is too much" is very difficult.

Re: #75

There are no bad building materials, just badly used materials.

I strongly recommend www.buildingscience.com for more information. Joe Lstiburek has published a number of Builders' Guides for different climates that does an excellent job of addressing these issues.

"Wouldn't vinyl trap moisture and cause mold in flooring lumber?"

Not necessarily. If the lumber can dry effectively in the other direction, it won't cause a problem at all. To address these issues properly requires a basic understanding of moisture dynamics, which is why Irecommend the books above and also Joe's Moisture Control Handbook, which is available from the website and Amazon.

Seriously, cleaning a carpet does get the carpet wet. Very wet.

As an ex-20 year carpet cleaner, I know that properly cleaned carpet will be dry withing 4-8 hours.

Unfortunately, to get really dirty carpet really clean and then really dry in this time period requires something like $40k in cleaning equipment and in certain weather conditions may require additional drying equipment. Not to mention that you have to know how to use the equipment properly.

Not exactly a do it yourself situation.

I sell all my basement totals with metal instead of wood. Galvanised and won't hold water. Big seller. Makes a straight wall too.

Metal studs will not serve as a food source for mold. Unfortunately, they also have no ability to store moisture.

A recent seminar I attended showed that (in very round figures) a 1900 era home could store about 500 gallons of water within its building envelope before reaching a point at which mold growth would begin.

A 1960 era home with wood studs can store about 50 gallons.

A modern, tight, steel-frame home can store about 5 gallons before reaching the same point.

Given the inevitability of leaks at some point, which home do you think is more likely to develop a mold problem?

Seriously, folks, if you're buying or building a home you need to learn about moisture dynamics and building science.

You can get an ozone lamp you put in your A/C ducts. Will kill all mold in the ducts at least and help clean the air in the house.

Before anybody takes this advice, I strongly recommend they do some research. Ozone is a toxic gas and has little effect on mold spores.

Check out what the EPA has to say before investing.

As an ex-20 year carpet cleaner, I know that properly cleaned carpet will be dry withing 4-8 hours.

How dry is "dry"? I was refering to the carpet/pad being at a state where it was more moist than the surrounding air, not squishy wet. You're right, that goes away quickly if your vac is powerful enough to pull it out. You probably used a truck, right?

Re: 109

Until very recently, very few building inspectors specifically looked for mold problems.

There is also a huge problem with "home inspectors" who work off referrals from realtors. Since realtors have a big incentive to sell homes, "home inspectors" who routinely find problems are a lot less likely to get future referrals from realtors.

There are wonderful, ethical home inspectors. But the potential conflict of interest if definitely there. And few buyers realize it.

Of that, I'm grateful. Its important to find out what is to be considered "legit" and what is BS. I would hope that those doing the research aren't left-wingers and otherwise don't have a dog in this race.

You probably don't want my opinion on this, but here it is anyway. There shouldn't be any punative damages unless laws were broken and can be proven broken beyond a reasonable doubt in the court of criminal law. Civil court damages really ought to be based on restitution only. If something isn't right, it simply ought to be made illegal by the elected legislature, not by the unelected court system.

What do you recommend?

Very big question.

1. A "modern" wet building should be treated with about the same urgency as a building on fire, even if it's just a small wet area. Get the best local water damage company to dry it properly and completely. Try www.iicrc.com for referrals. Tell them to dry it as fast as possible. Don't wait for insurer approval, by then it may be too late to prevent mold growth. You have a 24 - 72 hour window of opportunity.

2. Once mold growth has occurred, I would recommend an investigation by a qualified environmental consultant. Unfortunately, there are very few of these when compared to those who claim to be. He needs a background in both science and construction, which is why they're so scarce.. :) A thorough investigation likely to cost you a minimum of $1500, which is why prevention is so important.

3. Once a proper investigation has been completed, you will hopefully have the information you need to proceed further.

BTW, a denial of a claim by an insurer is not the final word. Often, it's a first bargaining position. Unethical, but effective. Most people just disappear when the adjuster tells them it's not covered.

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