A growing problem in our houses: mold

CHRIS PEDOTA / THE RECORD Myrna and Nathan Yagoda in their Hackensack apartment with medication taken because of illnesses caused by mold in their Fort Lee co-op. Nathan suffered a rash and Myrna has breathing problems.

Myrna and Nathan Yagoda traded in their Wayne house for a Fort Lee penthouse in 1996, after their two daughters left home. They were thrilled with their four-bedroom unit in the Pembroke co-op, with sweeping New York views that stretched from the Statue of Liberty to Yonkers.

But just weeks after they moved in, the Yagodas noticed water leaking into several of the bedrooms from the roof. That was the beginning of a years-long struggle with dampness and mold that, according to the Yagodas, sickened both of them and finally forced them to flee the apartment. They left behind their clothing, furniture and family photos.

Mold in buildings has gotten more attention over the last several years as it was linked to allergies, breathing problems and other health issues. While there are still a lot of questions about the effects of mold, it's believed that most mold is not harmful to most people.

"For the majority of us, it's not a problem," said Mary Ann Michelis, a doctor specializing in allergies and asthma at Hackensack University Medical Center.

But it's estimated that about 5 to 10 percent of the population is allergic to mold, and a few types of mold are suspected of being dangerous to more people.

"Unfortunately, we learned it the hard way," said Myrna Yagoda. "We didn't know, and by the time we knew, the damage was done for us."

Nathan Yagoda said the mold gave him a serious skin rash, and his wife suffered from breathing problems that made her feel as if an elephant were sitting on her chest. The Yagodas, who recently won a $1.3 million judgment against the co-op, say their experience should serve as a warning to others about the risks of living with mold and dampness.

"The Yagodas had complained for more than five years that the roof was leaking and water was coming in," said the couple's lawyer, Terry Paul Bottinelli of Hackensack.

Mold is the latest in a long line of high-profile home environmental issues that have included asbestos, leaking oil tanks and lead paint.

"This is one more hot button," said Tom Beritelli of Re/Max Real Estate Enterprises in Wyckoff.

Home buyers are now asking inspectors to look more closely for mold before they close a deal.

"I believe in the next five years, testing for mold will become as common as radon testing is now," said Sal Poliandro of Re/Max Properties in Ridgewood.

In some cases, the presence of mold has killed home sales, Realtors say. But more often, the sellers agree to clean up the mold to keep the deal together.

Mold didn't scare off buyers from a five-bedroom Franklin Lakes colonial that went on the market in 2006. It was so infested with the fungus that anyone who wanted to see the house had to wear protective gear and sign a release.

The fabricated stucco home, in a multimillion-dollar neighborhood, was listed for $999,900.

"We priced it as a tear-down," said listing agent David Chase with Re/Max Real Estate Enterprises in Wyckoff. "It was pretty much agreed the mold was throughout."

Nonetheless, he received numerous offers from amateur renovators and professional builders, as well as an architect and a commercial loan mortgage officer. A builder bought it for more than $1.1 million after it was on the market for about a month.

"I didn't know there was a market for that," Chase said. "It all depends how you market mold."

The builder, who bought the home for himself and lives there now, left the structure standing but stripped the exterior walls and removed the insulation, the damaged Sheetrock and the roof sheeting, Chase said.

Mold problems also recently surfaced on Long Island, where more than 400 tenants had to move from a new luxury apartment complex recently after mold was found in the buildings.

According to Eckardt Johanning, an Albany doctor who treats mold-related illness and who testified on behalf of the Yagodas, mold can produce very potent allergens or toxins that can in turn cause asthma, sinus and bronchial problems, and eye, nose and throat burning.

"Every time you have someone with asthma or bronchitis that doesn't go away, and there has been a water leak or flood, you should always think of mold," Johanning said.

The stachybotris mold has received most attention, because some researchers believe it is more toxic than most mold.

But Michelis said it is not that common in homes, and Stuart From, chief of the allergy division at Englewood Hospital and Medical Center, said the danger of stachybotris exposure has been overblown.

To control mold, it's crucial to keep moisture levels in the home below 60 percent, according to the federal Environmental Protection Agency.

You can monitor humidity levels with a tool called a hygrometer, and control the dampness with dehumidifiers, bathroom ventilating fans and air conditioning.

Central air conditioning systems provide a humidity control switch similar to a thermostat.

And if you have a leak or a flood, or the washing machine overflows, it's important to dry up the water within 24 to 48 hours, because that's all it takes for mold to start growing.

Small mold problems -- covering an area less than about 3 feet by 3 feet -- are fairly simple to clean up.

But larger patches of mold might require calling in a professional, the EPA says.

Mold often pops up in basements, especially finished basements, where the Sheetrock both covers up and feeds the fungus.

"Sheetrock is like a salad bar for mold," Beritelli said.

Richard Freund, national senior estimator for Connecticut-based Woods Restoration Service, which has an office in Clifton, said one of the worst cases of mold he has seen was in a basement where the homeowner had set up clotheslines to dry wet clothes. That saturated the air.

"If you're going to finish the basement," he added, "you have to do it with materials that aren't going to get moldy" -- such as paperless dry wall instead of Sheetrock and tile instead of carpet.

Finding someone to test for mold and clean it up can be tricky, because New Jersey does not regulate or license experts in this field.

About half a dozen organizations claim to certify people to test or clean up mold, though some of these organizations are more credible than others, according to Glenn Fellman, executive director of the Indoor Air Quality Association.

His group recommends people certified by the American Indoor Air Quality Council, although he cautions that homeowners should also check references before hiring anyone.

As for the Yagodas, they left their Fort Lee co-op in March 2006, on the advice of their doctors.

Myrna Yagoda has lost about half of her breathing capacity, and her husband remains on powerful drugs to treat his skin condition, although his dosage has been lowered.

They now rent an apartment in a Hackensack high-rise. In their recent case, heard in Superior Court in Hackensack, the jury ordered the co-op board to buy the Yagodas' unit for more than $1 million.

In addition, the Yagodas were each awarded $50,000 for their health problems, as well as money to repair or replace personal property damaged by the mold and water leaks.

David Byrne, the lawyer who represented the co-op, said the co-op board and management took action to fix the roof leaks, and should not be blamed for the Yagodas' health issues.

He said the scientific evidence linking dampness to health problems is "very weak."

But he said the board probably would not appeal, because of the cost of continued litigation.

Staff Writer Carol Fletcher contributed to this article. E-mail: lynn@northjersey.com

(c) 2007 The Record (Bergen Co, N.J.) Kathleen Lynn.   Reprinted by permission of the publisher www.northjersey.com

This story appeared in The Record, on December 16th, 2007