ᐅ Severe Mold Infestation in a House Sold Through a Forced Auction
Created on: 6 Sep 2019 16:51
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GrüneForelle
Hello house building forum,
My parents recently had a house sold under foreclosure. Unfortunately, we were unable to inspect the house beforehand, so we didn’t know what to expect:
The walls along the chimney are completely covered with mold. The contractors covered the walls with drywall and then plastered over it. The problem: the mold still came through.
I’m afraid my parents made a mistake by trusting the contractors.
Does anyone have experience with this and can suggest what should be done in the current situation? Can the covered-up mold become dangerous? Both for the house and for our health?
I would appreciate your opinions. Pictures are attached.
The first three are from before and the last one is from after.
Thanks in advance!
My parents recently had a house sold under foreclosure. Unfortunately, we were unable to inspect the house beforehand, so we didn’t know what to expect:
The walls along the chimney are completely covered with mold. The contractors covered the walls with drywall and then plastered over it. The problem: the mold still came through.
I’m afraid my parents made a mistake by trusting the contractors.
Does anyone have experience with this and can suggest what should be done in the current situation? Can the covered-up mold become dangerous? Both for the house and for our health?
I would appreciate your opinions. Pictures are attached.
The first three are from before and the last one is from after.
Thanks in advance!
That looks more like “versottung” to me as well. Sorry, I wasn’t familiar with the term, but after looking it up online, it does describe what I suspected. Rust isn’t something you can just cover up with paint.
You should chip away a large area and treat it, apply a protective barrier, and then monitor it for a while before sealing it up. This is just my layperson’s opinion; I would recommend consulting a professional who specializes in older buildings, mold, and fungi.
You should chip away a large area and treat it, apply a protective barrier, and then monitor it for a while before sealing it up. This is just my layperson’s opinion; I would recommend consulting a professional who specializes in older buildings, mold, and fungi.
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hemali20036 Sep 2019 20:17guckuck2 schrieb:
How does someone even come up with the idea to simply cover such rotten walls with drywall? Following the motto, what I don’t see doesn’t exist?! Crazy. That was my thought exactly!!! That’s grossly negligent!
PS: Does the word “zwangsersteigert” actually exist??
In principle, foreclosure sales come with no guarantees and are sold as seen. If inspecting the property is not possible and you still buy it, you are taking a gamble that may result in a win or loss. If there is no money left as a backup, things get difficult. In this case, a chimney sweep will urgently need to repair the chimney. That costs money. After all, the house was cheap for a reason. There is no free lunch. K.
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HilfeHilfe6 Sep 2019 20:38Nordlys schrieb:
In general, with foreclosure sales, there is no guarantee—property is sold as-is. If viewing the property is not possible and you still buy it, you are taking a risk and may either win or lose. If there is no extra money available, things become difficult. In this case, a chimney sweep must urgently renovate the chimney. That costs money. The place was cheap for a reason. There is no free lunch. K. Exactly! And when you buy cheap, it usually continues cheaply! Why don’t people hire professionals instead of low-cost tradespeople?
Now, don’t get worked up about the situation.
Foreclosures can be attractive as investments and/or as a form of speculation. Often, you might have bad luck if the inspector wasn’t able to enter beforehand. But it could be an opportunity for anyone, including you, to acquire a house. Some deals are better bargains, others less so.
The original poster isn’t focusing on the ethical aspect here, but rather on the structural damage caused by moisture that the contractors only tried to cover up.
When was this? Can’t you hold the contractors accountable under the warranty?
P.S. Mold spores tend to be black and speckled.
Foreclosures can be attractive as investments and/or as a form of speculation. Often, you might have bad luck if the inspector wasn’t able to enter beforehand. But it could be an opportunity for anyone, including you, to acquire a house. Some deals are better bargains, others less so.
The original poster isn’t focusing on the ethical aspect here, but rather on the structural damage caused by moisture that the contractors only tried to cover up.
When was this? Can’t you hold the contractors accountable under the warranty?
P.S. Mold spores tend to be black and speckled.
Winniefred9 Sep 2019 11:26If it’s dry rot, just painting over it won’t help. Everything needs to be removed, the cause fixed (in our case, stainless steel was also inserted in the chimney), the wall structure rebuilt, and then you can only hope that you’ve addressed everything. The sulfur compounds always find their way through.