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Get vigilant in the fight against mold and moisture intrusion
By Alyssa Ford
Examples like these—“somebody’s dream house made completely worthless”—reinforce Ellringer’s concern about mold and moisture in Minnesota homes. Municipalities don’t track mold-related problems, so the magnitude of the issue remains uncertain. On the one hand, a study between 2001 and 2002 based on insurance claims found that Minnesota has one of the lowest claim rates in the country. On the other, research conducted in Woodbury between May 1999 and February 2004 determined that nearly a third of its 670 stucco homes suffered mold and moisture problems. Attorney Rob Keena of Hellmuth & Johnson in Minneapolis, who specializes in mold cases, says his firm routinely has between 100 and 200 related cases on the docket, with settlements reaching upwards of $500,000.
The heart of the issue, says Ellringer, is the challenge of building homes that are energy efficient, yet still mold-resistant. For builders who use the latest building practices and innovations, mold isn’t a problem. But Ellringer says many still unknowingly use techniques and materials that put homes at risk. “Mold keeps us busy all year round,” says Pat O’Malley, director of operations at Prior Lake inspection firm Building Knowledge.
This state of affairs drove the founding of Minnesota Homewatch, a local advocacy group, three years ago. Made up of building scientists, lawyers, and homeowners, Homewatch seeks to tighten regulation on the local building industry and make it easier for homeowners to win legal settlements. The group pushed for and won the passage of two recent laws. One allows homeowners with serious mold problems to be considered on par with house-fire victims when they petition for property tax reductions. The other, passed in May, prevents builders from voiding the state-mandated 10-year home warranty by dissolving their companies and reincorporating under a new name.
Ellringer, who testified in favor of both statutes, says homeowners themselves should be the first line of defense against mold problems. “Do your homework, ask every question you can think of, and get really involved in the process [of buying, building, or remodeling],” he says. If you’re working with a quality builder, he notes, “you’re not going to hurt his feelings.”
Protect Your Home
CHECK TRAINING:
Seek out builders who have extra training in moisture-intrusion prevention. Ask if your builder has completed the National Association of Home Builders’ Certified Graduate Builder/Certified Graduate Remodelor program, recommends Pam Perri Weaver, executive vice president of the Builders Association of Minnesota. The American Lung Association offers a Registered Health House Builder program that focuses on air quality.BACKGROUND RESEARCH.
Call references, check the builder’s insurance, and ask about warranty information. Make sure your contractor is following the best practices, suggests Paul Ellringer of Air Tamarack in St. Paul, by poring over the Builder’s Guide to Cold Climates (Building Science Press, 2004) by Joseph Lstiburek.DOUBLE-CHECK.
Shoreview residents Ed and Nancy Seifert did all the background checks and read all the contracts. Still, they ended up with mold damage, settling for $130,000 with their contractor, window maker, and roofer. One thing they didn’t do was hire an outside expert to inspect their home. Don’t assume city inspectors check for moisture resistance and construction errors. They are required to check only minimum code requirements, notes Dexter Sidney, director of the Minneapolis office of the Department of Housing and Urban Development. A building scientist or structural engineer can check blueprints for defects and inspect each stage of construction.REMAIN VIGILANT.
Watch out for another culprit: yourself. “Even the best-built houses can be destroyed if their owners make them a freezer in summer and a jungle in winter,” says Ellringer. A water meter can help you keep your relative humidity at 50 to 60 percent in summer and no more than 30 percent in winter.“The important thing to remember is, it’s not about the countertops and the crown molding,” says Pat O’Malley of Building Knowledge in Prior Lake. “It’s what’s inside the walls that counts.” — A.F.
11 ISSUES (1 YEAR)
