Fake News and Alternative Facts

There has been a lot of angst and controversy in the news lately over “fake news” stories and “alternative facts”. This has brought to my mind their relationship to legal cases and in working as an expert witness.

It is generally accepted that “fake news” is any story that deliberately contains information which is either not true or is accurate, but placed in such a setting that any person reading the article will be left with the wrong conclusion. There are many reasons that “fake news” exists, but they generally boil down to unscrupulous individuals trying to substantiate an opinion which has no credible facts. 

The fact that innocent, uninformed individuals repeat such nonsense, does not remove the fakeness from the information nor does it make it credible.

While misinformation is now referred to as “fake news”, not too long ago, in the 1990’s, politicians caught promoting misinformation, said that “I misspoke”. In my youth, we spelled “misspoke”, l-y-i-n-g. Regardless of how you spell it, you have still intentionally given false testimony.

“Alternative facts” are a different animal. It became a running joke when some people in President Trump’s administration refuted opposition claims with “alternative facts”. There was much derision and ridicule heaped upon the speakers implying that “alternative facts” were just another way to spin the facts. I am not sure of the actual intent, nor do I intent to try and unravel the facts, but I do want to clarify the important difference between “fake news” and “alternative facts”.

While “fake news” is a lie, and not acceptable in any legal arenas, “alternative facts” are not, in and of themselves, wrong. For clarification, I will define “primary facts” as those originally promoted by one side of the argument, and “alternative facts” as those secondary or tertiary facts that are submitted by the opposing side as a rebuttal.

Consider an example: A hypothetical Defendant is on trial for shooting and killing another person. You can have 10 people videotape the shooting, which would lay down the “primary facts” that the Defendant did actually shoot the Plaintiff, who then died. Based on those facts, the Defendant is guilty of murder. Case closed, right? Not necessarily.

The “alternative facts”, as explained by the Defense, show that the Victim was a 40 year old male, 6’ 4", 245 lbs., approaching the Defendant with a baseball bat, cursing, and declaring that he would bash in the head of the 22 year old female Defendant, who was 5’ 1" and weighed 105 lbs. Unless other “alternative facts” appeared, the Defendant's “alternative facts” would most likely be accepted as the complete truth and exonerate her from harm. (Providing, of course, that she was legally carrying a gun, and State laws allowed for lethal force when a person’s life or safety was in danger, but those would be additional “alternative facts”.)

We have all seen examples of this in our own professions, times when the original or “primary facts” were later superseded by “alternative facts” that overturned all initial opinions.

Several years ago, I was asked to opine on a local case. The Plaintiff’s house was located approximately 100 feet from and about 30 feet below an irrigation canal. On August 30 of that year, water began to percolate up through the concrete floor and the subterranean heat registers into the basement. This continued until September 30, which was actually 2 days after the Irrigation company had emptied the canal for the year. The owners of the home concluded from the “primary facts” that water must be seeping out of the sides or bottom of the canal, running under the ground, and emerging in their basement. There were also high levels of moisture in the air as well as mold growth in the basement, so the owners felt that there was still water in the basement from the original intrusion. They had other testimony and experts who supported these facts which motivated the lawsuit. Therefore they felt justified in suing the Irrigation company for over $1,000,000 in damages.

I was retained 2 years after the initial damage occurred by the Defendant. The owners had moved out of the home and had done no mitigation or repairs, other than installing sump pumps in the floor to lower the water level while the flooding was active. On my initial inspection, I did observe the mold growth that was detailed in the complaint. I was able to detect measurable moisture in the air and drywall and properly mapped it out. I was able to snake a camera down the heat register ducts to determine that there was no longer any moisture in them.

After I examined all the data from my inspection, plus other psychometric data provided by the Plaintiff, I was able to identify “alternative facts” that showed:

1. The moisture from the initial loss was completely gone from the house.
2. The moisture that was presently in the basement was from sprinklers that were spraying on the exterior walls and windows.
3. All of the mold, except for a small 18” square on the floor, was from this water from the sprinkler.
4. Therefore, any damage to the house was caused from the sprinklers and not from the irrigation canal. 

Because of my report, another geotechnical engineer was engaged by the Defendant to drill test holes and map out the underground strata of the property. His “alternative facts” showed that the layers of gravel under the canal that would have moved water, dropped from the canal nearly straight down and leveled out over 12 feet below the level of the footings under the Plaintiff’s home. This made it virtually impossible for any water leaking from the canal to have percolated into the Plaintiff’s basement.

Now, with these “alternative facts”, it was concluded in court, that the water that entered the Plaintiff’s home was actually ground water that was normally present in the area. Oh, did I forget to mention the “alternative fact” that the home was situated in a rural, farming community and was surrounded by fields, watered with flood irrigation once a week? It was quite easy to conclude from all these “alternative facts”, that the height of the ground water fluctuates up and down depending on the amount of surface irrigation done by the surrounding farmers. Once the canal was emptied for the season, all the farmers stopped irrigating, causing the water table to drop below the level of the Plaintiff’s basement floor and stopping the water intrusion.

The Defense also had testimony that nearly all of the neighbors with basements suffered the same intrusion every few years, though not a serious, making the Plaintiffs experience typical of everyone else and not instigated by negligence on behalf of the Irrigation company.

So, while we can dismiss “fake news” that has no evidence, we must be careful in throwing out “alternative facts”; for often the complete story does not come out in the first quarter of the game. It is important to play hard all the way to the end to ensure that “all the facts” surface and truth prevails.

What To Do With Wet Electronics

Alan growled as he started down the basement stairs and found the light switch didn't work. There was no way to replace it without fishing through the semi-darkness below and finding a new bulb. As he stepped off the bottom step onto the floor, an icy cold sensation entrapped his foot sending chills up his spine. Then the other foot landed with a splash and the shock of the cold water grabbing him above the ankles made him shiver. "Courtney," he screamed to his wife, "bring me a flashlight! And hurry."

In the eerie glow of the flashlight, standing safely on the bottom step, Alan and Courtney surveyed the damage to the family room. A large piece of drywall had fallen from the ceiling above the computer desk. Water sprayed from a broken pipe and cascaded down the monitor, printer, and computer into 6 inches of water on the floor. What a mess.

After the water was turn off and drained from the floor, Alan approached the computer. All of his records from his home-based business, decades of family photos, and years of genealogical research were stored in that plastic case. Without that information, continuing his work and family would be a nightmare. He had to know if it still worked.

He turned on the monitor and pushed the button on the computer. Nothing happened. No lights, no sound, . . . no hope.

So, what do you do when your electronics get wet?

First, we must define electronics as any item that has an electrical cord or a battery. The list is daunting, but it includes:

Stereos, cell phones, and sensors;
Tablets, TV's, and toasters;
Coffee makers, clocks, and computers.

First step:  Do not turn it on or plug it in.
Unfortunately, our immediate response is to see if our phone still works. We plug it in or turn it on and thereby cause most of the damage. Older electrical appliances like a toaster, lamp or vacuum can have power applied to them with minimal damage, although they often will not work while wet. But items with circuit boards, which includes any "smart" appliance, most adjustable gadgets and all equipment with a display screen, can be permanently damaged if they are turned on while still wet.

Here is the reason why.

Electricity is used to power electronics. Electricity travels very quickly through conductive materials like copper, aluminum or water. When there is enough water in a device to span one or more wires or conductors carrying power, the electricity jumps between them, causing a short and often burning up a component. In older items that have larger insulated wires, the terminals are far enough apart that they need to be submerged in water to cause a short. Since they have no small transistors, resistors or capacitors to burn out, they often just blow the breaker in the electrical panel of the home.

Circuit boards, on the other hand, are specifically designed to have many conductors in a very small space. They are packed with transistors, resistors and capacitors that control and define the flow of electricity. Chips and processors for computers, phones and watches can have hundreds of feet of uninsulated wire in an area smaller than your fingernail. A single drop of water can span dozens of wires and cause enough electrical shorts to completely destroy the unit.

Second step: Dry it out completely.
Professional electronics recovery laboratories have dedicated drying rooms that heat the temperature up as high as 140 degrees F. Dehumidifiers and exhaust fans pull any moisture from the air creating an environment dryer than the Mojave Desert. Electronic devices are dis-assembled, batteries removed and left in the drying chamber until completely dry, usually as little as 24 - 48 hours. Most computers, laptops, and printers, etc., have small batteries on the mother board in addition to the operating battery and/or power supply. These need to come out too as they can cause corrosion to their contacts through electrolysis.

Sometimes in the case of fires or mud, parts are first washed and rinsed with de-ionized water, then dried thoroughly in the chamber.

Some sources on the internet suggest placing wet electronics in a bowl of uncooked rice. This works because the desiccant properties of dry rice suck the moisture out of the phone. It works better if you remove the cover and battery, then bury all the parts in the rice.

Hair dryers could work if you didn't get the item too hot thereby damaging additional components and you could hold it there for 24-48 hours. Most hair dryers will over-heat and turn off in about 15 minutes, but if they didn't, the rest of us have other things to do today and tomorrow.

I have cell phones, digital thermometers, and watches that I have dried completely at home. Open them up, remove the battery and set them over a heat register in the winter or on a window sill on the south side of your house where the sun shines in most of the day. The display screen on my digital cooking thermometer was half full of water after it fell into the sink, but 24 hours on the window sill, it was dry and worked perfectly.

Third step: Re-assemble and see if it works.
Most of the time, electronic gadgets, dried properly, will work just fine, especially if they were turned off when they became wet. If not, then you will feel justified to pay for a replacement.

I once did a fire where the family had boat-loads of special collectables worth tens of thousands of dollars. With three-quarters of the house completely destroyed, it was impossible to reconstruct even part of the list of damaged items. Then the mother remembered that she had gone through the house with her son's digital camera a week before the fire and photographed all her collections.

We found the camera in the basement bedroom submerged in 6 inches of dirty, sooty water. We took the SD card out, cleaned in off, dried it and recovered all the photos. We could have saved the camera too, but the expense would have been greater than cost of a new camera.

So, to review.

What do you do when your electronics get wet?

First step:  Do not turn it on or plug it in, make sure it is off.
Second step: Open it up, remove any batteries, and dry it out completely.
Third step: Re-assemble the appliance and see if it works. 

How Owners Can Document Losses Without Really Trying

The older couple looked more worried now than they did when the tornado ripped the roof off their home. I had just presented them with the invoice for repairing and replacing their roof, it was nearly $12,000.00. I laughed and said, "You only have to pay your $250 deductible, the insurance has already paid the rest."

The husband stammered, "We haven't seen any checks from the insurance company."

"Are you sure? The adjuster told me he sent the checks."

"No, we haven't received any checks."

I grabbed my phone and called the adjuster. "Are you sure you sent the checks?"

"Yes," he stated. "They went out over 3 weeks ago. They should have them."

I suggessted to the owners that we look through all the correspondence they had from the insurance. They found opened letters on the counter, some envelopes on the top of the fridge and some other papers on the desk. Half of the envelopes had not been opened. We started with the unopened envelopes. In the second and third ones, we found a check in each. 

I asked why they hadn't opened these checks? The owner said he had stopped reading them because they didn't make any sense and he was tired of being confused. 

While insurance losses can be confusing, Owners have a responsibility to maintain proper records for losses. It not only helps you understand what is going on, but can make a world of difference later if you end up with legal issues. You should ask for copies of all documents you sign from both the insurance company and any contractors. Having in your file what they have in their file, prevents documents from changing.

Keep All Documents in One Place - During an insurance loss, owners are inundated with paperwork. In fact, the adage is really true, "He who has the most paper work usually wins." There will be contracts from everyone, estimates from everyone, satisfactory completion documents, change orders, insurance policies, letters from the adjuster, invoices, etc., and that is if the job goes well.

Create a file, a large envelope or a box that "everything" related to the job goes in. Keep it in the same place. This way the papers will go in and they will still be there when you need them.If there are legal proceedings, the mountain of paperwork will continue to rise. If you don't have a way to organize and retain it all in one place, you will lose critical documents and may lose your case.

I knew one family involved in a lawsuit against a large construction company, who received 20,000 pages of documentation from the opposing attorney. All of it needed to be read to determine if it was accurate.

Prepare for the worst,
Expect the best, and
Take whatever comes.

If you just follow the first phrase and only prepare for the worst, bad things will happen to you all the time. The Law of Attraction is real and we usually receive exactly what we expect.

I had a judge/attorney with a water loss who spent the first 45 minutes I was there telling me about all the lawsuits he had over his home. I innocently asked him, "Should I expect to be sued as well?" He was flustered, but assured me that it wouldn't happen. He was a challenging customer, but since I thoroughly documented everything that happened, we stayed out of Court.


Sticky Notes - For a long time I carried a small spiral notebook in my pocket to record thoughts, ideas, assignments, etc. But then I found I would have so many new notes in one day, that the things I was supposed to do were hidden 5-6 pages back in the notebook. I also found that notes for different jobs were only in my notebook, notes for several jobs were all on one page or they were never in the job folder where I needed them months later. Then I discovered sticky notes.

The 2"x2" size became the hard copy of my brain. I would keep several pads in my car, on my desk and in my notebook. One thought or phone number per page. Then they were posted in the location best suited to be completed or saved; the dash of my Jeep, on the wall by my desk or at home by the phone. They all went into the appropriate job folder and months later I still had the phone number, address, or summation of a phone call.

In spite of technology and the Internet offering us text messaging, emails and other forms of communication, I still find sticky notes often the fastest way to initially preserve a thought, which I can then transfer easily to another medium when I have time.

Notes in the Cloud - There are many note-taking apps that are available for all the different I-Phones, Android Phones, Blackberries, I-Pads, tablets, etc. Most of these include the feature of storing the information on the Internet Cloud and then automatically syncing with multiple devices.

Many apps also enable you to verbally dictate notes that are then converted into text on the spot. This allows you to take quick notes on site or in a meeting and then when you return to your computer, you can flesh out the document, save it and then share it through texting, email, fax or other media.

I often take the notes of the meeting on my phone and send them to the other party at the conclusion so we both have exactly the same notes and written agreements. They can be organized and printed out later to preserve a hard copy.

Photos and Videos - There is no easier way for owners to document their contents, as well as the progress of a job, than with photos. In less than 2 minutes, you can take several pictures of a room and have concrete documentation of your possessions. In less than an hour, you can have a record of everything you own.

Taking photos is no longer hard nor expensive and often they can be shared, even while you are talking on the phone, enhancing the communication experience.

It is a skill to learn what to photograph. I used to go back through the shots I had taken and the item I was looking for was always just outside the frame. Lots of practice will teach you what will likely be needed later. The more photos you take, the greater chance you have of documenting what you need.

The best way to photograph is the way movies are filmed. 

     First take a wide shot of each wall,
     Then take closer details of each shelf, 
     Then close-up shots of items of greater value or interest,
     Possibly both front and back.

Videos are also great for documenting larger areas, such as the exterior of a building, large rooms or piles of content. It is important to pan slowly and remain for at least 5 seconds on each area or item or you will become motion sick playing it back or have to continually pause the video.

It is important to store an additional copy of your documentation at another location or on the Cloud. I had one client with several collections of rare and expensive items. Fortunately she saw a show on TV encouraging everyone to photograph their items. She grabbed her son's digital camera, went around the house and took about 600 pictures. Two weeks later, they had a fire that destroyed 90% of their home and all of her collections. We found the camera on the floor in her son's bedroom submerged in 6 inches of water. The SD card was undamaged and she was able to be compensated for all her years of hard work.

Whatever method or methods you use to document your loss, the better you do it, the less your chances are of ending up in court. Most of these ideas are simple and easy once you decide to develop the habit.  

Remember, he who has the most paper work usually wins.

It is Everyone's Job - It is important for each of us to take responsibility for our own documentation. The extra time spent properly documenting always saves you time and lots of money. Documenting responsibly and regularly is one of the paths to happiness and peace of mind.

Mold Coverage and Insurance Policies

"Not covered, what do you mean?" Sarah whispered to her self, but wanted to scream.  Instead, she just stared at the adjuster like a deer in the headlights.  "I'm sorry," the adjuster murmured, "but your policy doesn't cover mold remediation."

Returning from three weeks of unimaginable fun in the Bahamas, Sarah and her husband Jack discovered that the washing machine water line had broken, spraying water all over the laundry room.  

There was mold growing on the laundry room walls as well as on the ceiling and walls in the bathroom below.  There must be thousands of dollars of work to be done and if isn't covered by their insurance, she had no idea how they would pay for it now.  

What is insurance for, if not for this?  Why isn't this covered?  

She felt cheated, . . . abandoned, . . . violated.

Mold coverage in insurance policies varies greatly from company to company and you must check with your insurance company to see what coverage you have purchased. 

What follows is a general synopsis of how I have seen different insurance companies in the United States deal with mold coverage.  As coverages change from policy to policy as well as from year to year, I will not identify specific companies and their policies, just general guidelines.  You must check your own policy to determine the coverages you actually have.

Example: Homeowner, Rental and Commercial policies, even issued by the same company, usually have differing coverages for damages, repairs and remediation.

General Mold Exclusion  
Every insurance policy has a General Mold Exclusion.  Wording for this exclusion usually follows this vein:

"Fungi", Wet or Dry Rot Or Bacteria meaning the presence, growth, proliferation, spread of any activity or "fungi", wet or dry rot, or bacteria is not covered under this policy.

There is a reason for this exclusion and its wording.  Insurance policies are designed to cover the costs of repairs to your property in the event of a sudden, unforeseen or accidental event.  Damage caused intentionally, by neglect, or abuse, is not covered under most insurance policies.  Insurance covers accidents, not maintenance.

To make this distinction, policies do not pay for any repairs, unless it is a direct result of a sudden or single, event or occurrence, which causes loss or damage.

Therefore, damage that results from failure to properly maintain your home or long term damage that could or should have been fixed, such as a slow leak, but wasn't, are not covered. This would also include fungal, mold or bacterial growth that was a result of the environment; especially in very warm, moist, humid climates, where mold and bacteria proliferate without a water leak occurring.

Example: Mold grows along the baseboards behind the bed or dresser, or in the corners of the room at the ceiling because of condensation resulting from high humidity levels, caused either by the climate or a bathroom shower. Neither clean-up nor repairs would be covered.

While this is a general policy, there may be situations where mold remediation might be covered.

Complete Exclusion
A few companies have a complete exclusion on any mold remediation, regardless of the source.  There are no instances where they will cover any mold remediation. Many policies with exclusions, will cover the costs of the covered repairs, such as drywall, paint and carpet; but they will not pay for any labor or equipment needed to clean or remediation the mold.

Some policies will also not cover the water loss itself, if mold has grown as a result.  Their reasoning - If your home had been properly maintained, the leak would have been discovered and corrected before mold had time to grow.

Example:  You take your family on vacation for 2 weeks.  A water line breaks as you drive down the street, flooding your home the entire time you are gone.  There is significant mold growth in the wet areas of the building.  With this type of coverage, neither the mold, nor the water loss damages would be covered.  You would have to pay for all of the repairs yourself.


Mold Riders
Many insurance companies, after announcing an exclusion on fungal, mold or bacterial remediation, will add back to the policy, a rider covering remediation and clean-up under limited conditions.  These conditions can include:

1. Mold growth that occurs as a result of a covered loss.
2. Existing mold growth that has to be removed/cleaned before damage from a covered loss can occur.

Example: With this policy, if you went on the same trip, as in the previous example, all the repairs, including the mold remediation, would be covered.

If your policy has the rider covering remediation from a covered loss, it still will not cover mold growth resulting from an uncovered loss, such as ground water or culinary water that enters through the foundation from the outside.

Limits of Coverage
Providing you have coverage for mold remediation resulting from a covered loss, the limits of this coverage vary greatly.  Your company could pay any one of the following:

1. From $1000 up to $100,000 toward the remediation of the mold only.  The repairs to the structure would be covered by the water loss portion of the policy up to the value of the policy.   The average cost allowance for the mold remediation by insurance companies is between $5,000 - $10,000 per occurrence.
2. From $1,000 up to $10,000 for the total cost of repairs.  This would include the cost of the mold remediation as well as all of the drywall, paint, carpeting, etc. 

Statistically the national average for the cost of a typical mold remediation, as well as my personal experience, is about $2,000 - $3,000 for the remediation and about the same or less for the repairs. Some jobs are more, some are less, but most people will never encounter a remediation situation of $50,000 - $100,000 where their entire home needs to be demolished. Most often, there is mold growing along the baseboard in a bedroom, or growing behind a kitchen cabinet or bathroom vanity.

It should be evident, that coverage for mold, fungal or bacterial remediation varies drastically from company to company.  It is imperative for home owners to carefully research what their policies cover and what risks they may still be exposed to.  Paying $5 less per month for a policy that does not have mold coverage is no bargain if you later have to pay $1500 to $5,000 for repairs that resulted in mold growth.  But then, maybe you always win at blackjack, too.

It is also important for agents to carefully read and discuss with company adjusters, what the policies they sell actually offer their customers.  There are few things worse that overselling your product to a customer and then watching the resulting anguish and heartache as they try to deal with the situation; while your credibility erodes and your client defects.

Mold coverage in insurance policies varies greatly from company to company and you must check with your insurance company to see what coverage you have purchased.

 

Mold - What is it and How Does It Affect Us?

Anna screamed and dropped the box of canned goods.  The basement bedroom they were using as storage always smelled a little musty, but the bottom of the box and the carpet underneath it, were covered in black mold and the room now reeked, making it hard for her to breath.  

How could this happen?  What did it mean?  Would they all get sick?  Would they have to move to protect her family?

Anna's head was spinning as terrible words boiled up from her subconscious.  She slammed the door and rushed up the stairs to call her husband.

"Black Mold,"
                                            "Toxic Mold,"
                                                                          "Killer Mold"

Mold is actually one of the basic components of our ecosystem.  Its purpose is to eat and digest the organic waste in our world, primarily cellulose, break it down into basic components, so this material can be re-cycled by nature, as humus in the soil.  If we did not have mold, we would find ourselves hopelessly overcome with grasses, dead leaves, branches and trees that would never decompose or go away.

There are over 100,000 different species of mold in the world.  Hundreds of them have the capacity to grow in our homes when conditions are right.  Stachybotrys is the common "black mold" that received unusually harsh treatment in the media.  Because its waste is a toxin, like several other molds, it was labeled "toxic mold".  In an effort to demonize it in law suits, attorneys began to refer to Stachy as "killer mold".  But, mold doesn't kill people and it does not have the same toxicity or danger as chemical weapons.

Molds are living organisms which require 3 basic components to grow.

     1.  Available mold spores
     2.  Water
     3.  And a food source

Food sources for mold are virtually any organic substance, although the varieties that grow indoors on buildings, tend to prefer cellulose products; such as wood, paper, cardboard, etc. If you take any one of these 3 components away, mold can not grow.

Mold also prefers warmer temperatures with little or no light or air movement. Although it can grow in virtually any temperature, even in the Antarctic; we generally find it most abundant in temperatures from 60 to 100 degrees F.  It often grows un-noticed in a home because it tends to be found behind beds, dressers, under boxes on the floor, inside walls, inside cabinets, etc.

Different areas of the country have a greater or lesser propensity for mold growth.  The east coast and deep south that normally have high humidity levels, can have prolific mold growth.  Ample moisture in the air easily condenses on building surfaces providing the needed source of water.  These areas also have more rampant growth in the wild that can easily be transferred into the buildings on air currents, increasing the availability of spores to germinate.  Mold grows exponentially, so the more spores you start with, the faster it multiplies.

Even the dry deserts and high mountain valleys of the western US, have everything needed for mold growth, except an abundance of water.  But if there is a small water leak in a building, mold will readily begin to grow.

There is a common misconception that if you kill the mold, it will no longer be a problem, as with bacteria.  This is not a reality.  Bacteria and viruses have soft cell walls that break apart and decompose very rapidly after they die.

Mold, on the other hand, has a hard cell wall, much like a nut, that does not break down nor decompose without water.  Also, when mold dies, it sporulates, that is, it spews out hundreds of thousand of spores (eggs) that await the opportunity to hatch and grow.  Introducing water will decompose the mold carcasses, but will also germinate the waiting spores, (eggs) and the mold colony will continue to grow and thrive.  Since dead mold provides the same level of irritation that live mold does, it must be removed from the environment to have the remediation successful.

We are all exposed to mold on a regular basis.  It could be an apple or an orange that has been in the fridge for 3 months.  You smell it in flower beds and compost piles.  Maybe there is a small amount of mold growing on your window sills or under the bathroom vanity.  Generally, exposure to mold, has little or no affect on healthy people.  It is only when it becomes concentrated in an enclosed space, as in a bathroom or bedroom, and levels are elevated, that it becomes a concern.

Exposure to mold is usually through inhalation.  When we breathe in the spores,  they irritate linings of our nose, throat and sinuses.  We experience much the same reaction as people with hay fever.  In an effort to extract the spores, our bodies produce symptoms such as; watering eyes, stuffy sinuses, runny noses, sore throats, dry hacking coughs or a general, all over feeling, that we might be getting sick.  The good news is; once we are removed from the source of irritation, the symptoms disappear within a few hours, or at most, a day or two.

Exposure to mold is determined by both quantity and duration.  A person who is exposed to a small amount regularly over a long period of time, may have more detrimental affects than someone exposed to a large amount for a short period.  The irritation that is inflicted on our bodies, generally results in fatigue and/or exhaustion of our immune systems; allowing us to become susceptible to other viruses and bacteria in our environment.

There are 4 groups of people that tend to have greater sensitivity to mold exposure.

1. Those who have upper-respiratory conditions, such as; asthma, hay-fever, chronic pneumonia or bronchitis.  This is because their respiratory system is already weakened from their conditions.
2. Those who have compromised immune systems, such as; chronic fatigue, fibro-myalgia, lupus, Epstein bar, etc.  The irritation from the mold continues to weaken their immune system along with their resistance to disease and illness.
3. The very young, as under age 3-4.  These children have less body mass and they breath air close to the floor where mold spores tend to congregate, giving them higher doses of exposure.
4. The elderly already have tired immune systems because of their age.

Discussions of the effect of mold on people have to take into account so many factors, that a simple blanket statement of how much exposure is safe is impossible.  This article sheds some light on what variables need to be considered in determining the negative effects of mold exposure.

Mold - Where and How Does It Grow?

Aaron signed as he sat his soda can on the table.  True to form, he couldn't finish a drink before it hit his bladder.  Excusing himself from the room, he quietly went to the bathroom.  The door was locked.  "Must be one of their kids," he thought.  Maybe John and Sarah wouldn't mind if he used their master bath, since he had about 30 seconds before the filtered soda would leave his bladder, whether he was in an appropriate spot or not.

As he closed the door and lifted the lid, Aaron noticed the dark staining on the wall and on the baseboard behind the toilet.  "What in the world?" he muttered, and then he recognized that it was mold.  Growing along the wall, it was all the way from the vanity to the tub.  It gave him the chills to know that his best friend lived in such filth.  He quickly finished and gratefully closed the door behind him as he eagerly returned to the party, thinking of any excuse to leave as soon as possible.


Mold requires 3 ingredients to grow; mold spores, moisture and a food source.  Once all three components are in place, mold can begin to grow most any place.  All homes and businesses, regardless of how clean, have mold spores and food sources readily available.  All that is missing is the moisture for growth to start.

While mold can grow in nearly any location in your home, there are a few places where it is much more likely to start.  Regular inspection of these places will help to prevent or reduce mold growth.  Regular means daily if you are paranoid, or once a week to once a month if you are conscientious.

1. Under sink cabinets - Sink cabinets always have water lines.  It is possible for a small or large leak to begin most anytime in either the supply or drain lines.  The older the plumbing, the greater the chance of a leak forming.  They can occur from old gaskets, rusty pipes, or worn-out fixtures, etc.  Once a pin-hole leak starts, the water will erode the hole larger and larger until a drip every day becomes a steady stream.  Because we seldom inspect under the sink, mold can grow undetected for quite some time.
2. Behind and under your fridge - Water and ice lines to the fridge are fragile.  They are usually 1/4" lines of either plastic or copper tubing.  As the fridge is moved in and out for cleaning and inspection, it is easy for the tubing to be crimped or run-over by the wheels, causing a small hole to develop.  Movement and vibration also loosen the fittings, allowing water to leak out.  A slow, steady drip can become an adequate source of moisture for mold growth and remain unnoticed for weeks.
3. Around tubs or showers - In these locations, there is soap scum and bodily oils that collect in corners.  These are food for mold to grow.  If the shower is wiped down or cleaned regularly and the room is properly exhausted, you can minimize mold growth.  Also, over time, the joints and corners of tile and cultured marble surrounds, develop cracks.  These will allow water to seep into the framing under the shower and start mold growth under and between floors, as well as onto ceilings below.
4. Exterior windows and doors - Windows, especially in the colder climates, are frequent haunts for mold.  Dust and water condensing on the glass collect on the sills and provide a perfect environment. This is particularly true when heavy drapes and curtains are over the windows and seldom if ever opened allowing the moisture to build up and condense.
5. Around any other water fixture, i.e.; toilets, water heaters, boilers, swamp coolers, etc. - The older the home, the more likely a leak can begin.  Water heaters have warranties that range from 5-12 years.  They are usually pretty good at not lasting much longer than the warranty.

Here are a few of the less likely places I have seen mold grow.

1. Attics - If you have a leak in the roof, the water will provide the environment for mold to grow.
2. Crawl spaces - Some locations have extremely high ground water.  This water can condense on the framing members and start mold growth.  Venting crawl spaces as per code, as well as installing moisture barriers on the dirt, will greatly reduce the chance of this happening.
3. Between the layers of vinyl flooring - Often the wax ring that seals the toilet to the drain will develop a hole allowing water to seep out along the sub-floor, under the vinyl.  When this water penetrates the layers of paper in the vinyl, mold can grow.  This generally creates a grey to purple stain in the flooring.  It looks much like someone spilled grape juice and it stained.  No matter how hard you scrub or what cleaner you use, the stains will not come off.  The only solution is the vinyl has to be replaced.
4. Sub-flooring under wood or laminate flooring - In the event of a water leak or flood in a room with laminate flooring, the foam or plastic barrier under the laminate will trap moisture next to the sub-flooring material, allowing mold to grow.  Often it takes months to years for this water to dissipate.
5. Exterior walls behind furniture - Mold in these areas usually grow from one of two sources.  First, water intrusions from the outside such as sprinklers or rain water.  Second, high humidity in a room that condenses on the cooler locations behind the furniture near the floor.  Either of these reasons need to be corrected before effective remediation can occur.

Regardless of where or how mold begins to grow, the guiding principles of remediation are:

• Correct the source of water.  If the source is not stopped, mold will begin to grow again within a few weeks of the repairs.
• Remove and dispose of all damaged material.
• Wipe and HEPA vacuum the area until clean.

Mold - How Do You Clean It Up and Keep It From Coming Back?

Alex was in shock.  In his hand he held an estimate from the restoration company to remove the mold growing in the basement bedroom.  He had hoped it would only be a few hundred dollars, not thousands; and they didn't give any guarantee that it wouldn't cost more, once they tore his house apart.  How could this cost so much?  There was quite a bit of mold in the bedroom and bathroom, but not this much.


They also said his insurance might not cover the clean-up or the repairs.  What good was home owner's insurance then? How would he explain this to his wife?  Oh, and she would probably want him to do this himself, too.  Fear gripped Alex as he saw their planned vacation to Disney World, dissolve into a heap of black, smelly mold.

To comprehend the cost of mold remediation, we must first understand the protocol or the method needed to remove and clean it up.  We discussed in another post, a common misconception, that if you apply an antimicrobial, you kill the mold and it will no longer be a problem, such as with bacteria or viruses.  This is not a reality.  Bacteria and viruses have soft cell walls that break apart and decompose very rapidly after they are killed.

Aspergillius Mold Spores

Mold, on the other hand, has a hard cell wall, much like a nut, that does not break down nor decompose without water.  Also, when mold dies, it sporulates, that is, it spews out hundreds of thousand of spores (eggs) that await the opportunity to hatch and grow.  Introducing water will decompose the dead mold carcasses, but will also germinate the waiting spores (eggs) and the mold colony will continue to grow and thrive.  Because mold does not dissolve upon death, they provide the same level of irritation that live mold does and must be removed from the environment to have the remediation successful.  Therefore, the proper protocol for mold remediation is "mold removal".

The schedule of tasks to remove the mold consists of the following order of events:

1. Identify and repair the source of water
2. Contain the affected area with plastic barriers
3. Technicians must wear full protective gear including respirators or masks
4. Install negative air pressure; filtering and exhausting the contaminated air to the outside
5. Remove all contaminated materials; drywall, carpet, framing, etc.
6. Double-bag and dispose of contaminated materials
7. Sand or scrape mold from any remaining structural framing that can not be removed
8. Hepa vacuum all the surfaces inside the containment area, including all plastic barriers and equipment
9. Wash/wipe down all surfaces with a fungicide
10. Hepa vacuum all surfaces inside the containment area, again.
11. If damaged area is still wet, install appropriate fans and/or de-humidification
12. Once the area is dry, hepa vacuum the entire inside of the containment again
13. Industrial Hygienist tests the air quality to determine if the remediation was successful
14. If testing fails, re-clean entire containment area and re-test as needed
15. Remove all barriers, double-bag and dispose.

These are just the basic steps than need to be taken to properly remediate mold.  Often there is more vacuuming or cleaning.  Sometimes testing is not performed, under the assumption that the remediation will be effective.

Addressing the price of such work, contractors also need to provide proper training for their technicians, as well as purchase and maintain fans, de-humidifiers and negative-air machines that cost hundreds to thousands of dollars each.  Most states also require pollution insurance, in addition to regular liability insurance, which costs additional thousands to tens of thousands of dollars a year, depending on the volume of work they do. On top of all this, the contractor still needs to realize a profit to remain in business year after year.

While there are unscrupulous contractors that use mold remediation as a vehicle to separate a customer from their money, most contractors are merely passing on the actual costs of doing business with a sufficient profit margin to allow them to remain in business.

There are many times, with smaller jobs especially, that a home owner has the skills and experience to do the work themselves, with proper instructions, but they still need to follow the protocol outlined above to protect themselves and their families.  A "smaller job" is generally accepted as one containing less that 10 sq ft of moldy surfaces.  If there is more than 10 sq ft, an experienced, professional mold remediation company should be hired to do the work.

As for questions regarding insurance coverage, check out Mold Coverage and Insurance Policies

Mold Myths

Paul hung his head in despair.  They almost had the sale of their home finalized, but now the home inspector's report said that he had found mold around the water heater in the basement.  He was sure the sale would fall through now and they would never be able to sell or rent the house, ever!

This would be disastrous.  They had to move to another state for his new job and they couldn't survive with this albatross around their necks.  What could they do?  Was there any hope?

There are many myths regarding mold that need to be dispelled.  Once mold has started in a home, it is very possible, in all but the most extreme cases, for the mold to be properly remediated, repairs made and for the home to be as good or better than it was before.  The presence of mold will have to be declared in future sales of the property, but proper documentation of the cleaning process will satisfy most buyers.

Below is a list of other myths regarding mold where I have explained the truth.

Myth - Once I have mold in my house, it will continue to infect the entire building.
Mold requires available mold spores, moisture and a food source.  If you have mold start to grow in your home, the source of water is fixed and professional repairs are made to remove the damaged materials, mold will not continue to grow.  Mold is not like a hive of bees that can migrate to other locations at will.  It is a very small organism that can only move on air currents and requires a specific environment to grow.

Myth - Mold will kill my family.
Mold does not kill people or other living entities.  Because it is an irritant, repeated exposure can weaken our immune systems making us more susceptible to other bacteria or virus that may be floating around.  Once we are removed from the contaminated environment, any negative symptoms disappear in a few hours or at most, a few days.

Myth - People catch mold.
People do not catch mold.  Inhalation causes irritation that motivates the body to expel the invaders, creating symptoms such as; watering eyes, stuffy sinuses, runny noses, sore throats, dry hacking coughs or a general, all over feeling, that we might be getting sick.

This is the same reaction produced by those with Hay Fever or Allergies.  The symptoms are merely the body's attempt to remove the invaders.

There is one extreme case where mold spores will grow in your body.  This is with Aspergillius mold spores.  They can grow in our lungs if we are exposed to a large enough quantity and our immune system is sufficiently weaken.  It creates a condition known as Aspergillosis in which the patient is very sick and usually requires large doses of intravenous anti-biotics for weeks to recover.

While this situation is possible to develop, most people are physically unable to remain in a contaminated environment long enough to inhale sufficient quantities of Aspergillus for this condition to start.

Myth - Mold will make you sick. 
People with repeated exposure to mold can become sick, but it is not the mold that makes them sick.  It is the weakening or exhausting of their immune system that leaves them susceptible to other illnesses that are available.

Myth - Mold is Toxic
As explained above, mold is an irritant.  Some species of mold excrete waste known as mico-toxins.  These are also irritating to our bodies, but they are not toxic in the conventional sense of anthrax or carbon-monoxide.  Like mold spores, they do nothing more than stimulate the symptoms in our bodies so they can be expelled.  These symptoms can include; watering eyes, stuffy sinuses, runny noses, sore throats, dry hacking coughs or a general, all over feeling, that we might be getting sick.

Again, once we are removed from the source of irritation, the symptoms usually disappear in a few hours.

The Science of Drying a Structure

 

Mary was so embarrassed. She was sure that everything was dry from her "little flood," but looking at the red markers on the wall, she realized she was very wrong. The contractor had used some kind of meter and showed her where the walls were still wet. But how could the drywall be wet a foot up when the wall didn't feel wet or cold? And how would they be able to remove the water without tearing the wall apart?

For decades, the restoration industry used historical evidence in drying a structure. Basically, if it worked once, we would use it again. Everyone knew that moving air dried clothes and when the air was heated, it dried them even faster. No one really knew exactly why, but that didn't matter as long as it worked. So contractors put fans in houses for three days and said,"It is dry."

Today, using sensitive measuring devices, the industry has applied the laws of physics and chemistry to drying. Now, we not only know how the drying process works, we can predict with a great degree of accuracy, how long it will take and which technique will work best for a given situation.

There are three basic principles needed to dry a structure. Leave one out and the drying is delayed; leave two out, and drying grinds to a halt.

The first principle is heat - The more heat there is, the more energy is transferred to the water molecules and the more primed they are to move from one area to another. In most situations, the optimum temperature for drying a structure is between 90-105 degrees Fahrenheit. If it is much hotter, damage to the home can result. If it is too much cooler, the molecules will not be excited enough to move. Often, supplemental heat will need to be added to raise the temperature to the desired level.

The second principle is pressure - We control the direction of the water movement with air or atmospheric pressure and vapor pressure. The Bernoulli principle of physics explains that the faster a fluid is moving, the lower the pressures are inside the fluid. Air is a fluid, therefore, the faster it moves, the lower the pressure in the air. When the pressure of the ambient air in the room is less than the vapor pressure of the wet carpet, pad or drywall, the water molecules move from higher pressure to lower pressure or from the wet materials into the air. This migration is known as evaporation. The greater the pressure differential, the faster evaporation will occur.

The third principle is evacuation - Once the first two principles are successfully implemented, the air will quickly become saturated with water and evaporation will cease. Water molecules need to be evacuated from the room before evaporation can continue. In many situations, opening windows and doors to the outside will allow for the water to move out of the structure, lowering the vapor pressure in the room so evaporation can resume. This is especially effective on warm summer days. But when the temperature drops 30 degrees at night, high levels of humidity exist out of doors or security issues are present, other means of evacuation need to be employed. The most common option is a refrigerant dehumidifier.

The refrigerant dehumidifier cools the moist air to the dew point, forcing the water molecules to condense and fall out of the air. This water is collected in a holding tank and purged into a sink or floor drain when the tank is full. As the water is removed from the air, the pressure in the air is reduced allowing for more water to move from the wet materials into the air. Most refrigerant dehumidifiers work best in the 90-105 degree range.

There are several variations on these principles that can increase success in drying. Sometimes, hot, dry air is blown in to the building to create high pressure inside the room. This forces the air to leave through cracks and openings in the exterior, taking moisture with it. Other times hot, dry air will be pumped in to pressurize the walls while blowing fans lower the pressure of the room.

The best protocol to use will be determined by considering the following:

• Amount of water present
• Security concerns
• Weather
• Season of the year
• Indoor and outdoor temperatures
• Nature of the wet materials
• Construction of the building

Using proper tools, including; moisture meters, thermal hygrometers and thermal imaging cameras, restoration contractors can dry most structures where the extent of damage does not require replacement.

Tips to Prevent Floods and Water Damage

Sarah stood ankle deep in cold water. A child’s toys floated by. Across the family room, water cascaded over the window sill and spilled onto her new carpet. The piano, her new sofa and the big screen TV were all submerged. Why did this happen and what could she have done to prevent it?

There is no guarantee that you will never have a flood or water damage in your home, but there are some tips to prevent them. I have listened to frustrated customers passionately tell me that they will never leave their home again without turning off the main water line. This would be effective if all floods only occurred while the home was empty. You would also need to have the City turn off the water lines and sewer drain lines to the neighborhood. Oh, and how do you convince God to never let it rain while you are gone?

In truth, most water losses occur while we are in our house using the water. It is characteristic that a valve or fitting ready to fail will do so as the water is turned off.

The water lines in your home generally have 40-60 pounds per square inch (psi) of water pressure. This pressure is the force that pushes the water out of the faucet when you use it. If the water is turned on, the pressure in the pipe drops to nearly zero. As the water is turned off, the pressure instantly jumps back up to 40-60 psi. This sudden increase in pressure from 0 to 60 pounds is enough change to break the weak link in your water system that has been waiting for just the right opportunity.

Because there is no way to totally prevent water damage, we need to concentrate on the preventative measures we can take to limit our exposure and risk. The best method is inspecting your house regularly to find the potential break-before it does break. It doesn't mean you need to take a flashlight and a clipboard and crawl around the house every Saturday morning, because we all know that will not happen.

The best form of inspection is to simply be aware.

• When you turn off a faucet, does it drip?
• Are there white or green deposits on valves, pipes or other water connections?
• Is the floor of the sink cabinet damp or show signs of water damage?
• Is the grout or caulk in the tub or shower chipped, missing or have black discoloration?
• Is there a rusty stream of water or rusty stains coming from under your water heater?
• Are there rust spots on the carpet when you move a piece of furniture that has metal legs or gliders?
• Are there blisters or bubbles in the paint or drywall tape on the walls, especially on outside walls?
• Do you notice a musty odor in any room of the house, especially in the basement?

A "yes" to any of these questions indicates you have or will have a water problem. The size and cost of the problem is directly related to how quickly you remedy the situation. Procrastination will always increase the costs and in some cases, void your insurance coverage. Learn to be pro-active in maintaining your home by being observant and aware. As you are able to prevent water damage, you will find yourself saving money, time and resources.

What will my insurance company cover in a water loss?

Each insurance policy is different and you will need to speak with an insurance adjuster to determine exactly what your insurance company will cover in a water loss.

Most companies cover the water damage resulting from broken or frozen pipes within the perimeter of the building. A simple way to determine if a loss is covered is to remember that your policy usually covers your home, that is the building. Accidents that happen to or within the building are usually covered. This would include valves that fail, pipes that break or freeze, washing machine hoses that split, sink supply lines that pop off, any appliance that has water and malfunctions or accidents such as forgetting to turn off the sink or tub.

Most companies do not pay for the repairs to the source of the problem, only the resulting damage. Example: if your water heater ruptures and floods the basement, the replacement of the water heater will likely not be covered. The rest of the damage, from drying the structure to replacement of drywall and carpet, probably will be.

The exception to this rule is in the case of a frozen pipe. The freezing water is considered the source and the split pipe is part of the resulting damage and usually your insurance company will cover this in a water loss.

Most companies also cover the damage from drain line blockages, providing the blockage is within the foundation of the building. This would include toys or diapers that clog the toilet and make it over flow or broken drain lines that cause damage. The test of coverage is if the plug or break is within the foundation of the home. Those companies that do not offer sewage back up as part of the standard policy may allow you to purchase coverage as a rider.

Sewage back ups outside the foundation of your home, fall under another category. If the blockage is between your foundation wall and the curb, most companies do not cover this type of loss. If the blockage or break is in the street, beyond your curb, it is often, but not always, covered by the City or water district that owns those lines. If liability is accepted, coverage can range from a flat payment of $2500 toward all the cleanup and repairs up to paying for the complete repair and replacement for all the damage. Costs for sewage backups usually start at $2,000 and can easily go up to $20,000 to $30,000, depending on the extent of the back up. It is important to determine who is liable and what they are paying before you begin the clean up and repairs.

Coverage for water from the outside is a multi-faceted issue. Some companies will cover a loss if the outside water is from a plumbing source, (sprinkler line, main water line, etc.) Others will only cover it if the water is from a plumbing source and it enters the house through an opening, (a door or window.) But others will not cover water from the outside regardless of the source or entry point. It is good to discuss this with your agent so you have a solid understanding of what your insurance company will cover in a water loss.

Sponsored by Utah Flood and Fire Network

Four Rules to Survive a Disaster

Whether its a flood, fire or earthquake, here are four rules everyone needs to know to survive a disaster. Careful attention to these principles will save owners, adjusters and restoration companies countless hours of headaches and heartaches.

Rule 1 - My damages are my responsibility. Restoration companies are here as part of the solution, they are not part of the problem. I must always place the liability on the right entity.

Rule 2 - Things break. That is why I have a disaster. The restoration company's job is to repair my home as close as possible to its pre-loss condition, but sometimes, they can only make the imperfect look perfect.

Rule 3 - Everyone is busy. I have budgeted neither time nor resources for this problem. Before I called, the contractors were also busy repairing the property of other people. But, as I do my best to make decisions and provide access to my property during regular business hours, they will do their best to complete the work as soon as possible and practical.

Rule 4 - Restoration is a lot like pregnancy. It always takes longer than we want and the last two weeks can be unbearable.

Now you know the four rules to survive a disaster.