Leviticus
13: 33 The Lord spoke to
Moses and Aaron, saying,
37 .
. . And if the disease is in the walls of the house with greenish
or reddish spots, and if it appears to be deeper than the surface, 38 then
the priest shall go out of the house to the door of the house
and shut up the house seven days. 39 And
the priest shall come again on the seventh day, and look. If
the disease has spread in the walls of the house, 40 then
the priest shall command that they take out the stones in which
is the disease and throw them into an unclean place outside
the city. 41 And
he shall have the inside of the house scraped all around, and
the plaster that they scrape off they shall pour out in an
unclean place outside the city. 42 Then
they shall take other stones and put them in the place of those
stones, and he shall take other plaster and plaster the house.
Mold is obviously nothing new! The
dangers were sufficiently serious to warrant mention in the Old
Testament. This said, there have been some innovations
in remediation since the time of Moses. Removal of mold
no longer requires the services of a priest, but correction of
the problem is still best undertaken by an expert. The
exception may be:
- Small areas of visible mold can be
eliminated by a careful person who reads basic instructions
before proceeding.
Otherwise, remediation is a job for persons
trained in remediation. According
to at least one person with a high web profile, there is a whole
new mold industry, the fastest growing industry in the country. It
includes people who make on site inspections and collect samples
that are sent to laboratories for analysis; remediators who actually
correct the problems; and litigators who are gradually affecting
the way properties are built, maintained, and marketed. Because
of the expense involved, there are those who insist that mold
is not really a serious problem as well as those who take the
position that mold poses a potentially life-threatening hazard
requiring extremely responsible measures.
I obviously belong to this latter group—and
have little respect for those who jeopardize the safety of others
so as to fill their own pockets.
- When the area involved is larger than ten
square feet, indefinite in scope, or possibly hidden, professional
services are advised.
This site is devoted to the medical issues rather
than property issues, but there are numerous online resources
with links to indoor air quality
and mold inspectors, property
remediation specialists, and law firms with expertise in mold
litigation. My
advice is to use your search engine and make some phone calls. The
more detailed your questions, the faster you will discover whether
or not the persons upon whom you would rely to remediate your
property have the requisite experience and expertise. Even
if the specialists are certified and licensed as well as bonded
and insured, you can still ask for referrals. If offered
a warranty, you may have the confidence necessary to
proceed. Proper remediation is expensive. It is also
dangerous for the workers and occupants—should they stay
in the property while the work is being done.
Continued
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