mold-symptom.com

SANFORD, Fla. -- Some say mold is the health concern of the future, and a WESH NewsChannel 2-Orlando Sentinel investigation has found that 20 percent of the homes inspected by our team had some sort of mold. All were built two years ago.

Mushrooms in his carpet.

"Water has built up. It's been over the edge," homeowner John Kroll said. For Kroll, how could his new house in Sanford leak?

A team of University of Central Florida inspectors, graduate and undergraduate students in engineering, hired by NewsChannel 2 and the Orlando Sentinel believe Kroll's sliding glass door either had a faulty threshold, the piece which should seal the bottom of the door against the slab, or the threshold itself wasn't sealed properly, letting water in.

Thirteen of the 400 homes inspected already have leaky doors or doors that could leak. Twenty-one of the 400 homes inspected have leaky windows.

Unless water is wiped up right away, mold can grow. In Kroll's case, it was water, warmth, and bring on the mushrooms.

"I have 27 different types of allergies, dust and mold in the severe range," Kroll said.

He has all types of allergy medication on hand. None of it's cheap.

The builder, D.R. Horton, eventually fixed the leaky door, but his mold and fungus problems didn't end with that repair. Our inspector found visible mold on trusses in his attic.

"When you start seeing the scale and scope, it's disheartening with all the health concerns," Kroll said.

Kroll asked his builder about the trusses but was told it's a situation that can't be helped. Lumber lays around until it actually is needed. It could get rained on several times while it sits. Once it's sealed inside a wall or roof, the wood that hasn't completely dried can mold.

It's the hidden mold that worries homeowners. They also wonder how homes so new can leak so frequently. Out of 400 homes inspected, more than 45 had active leaks somewhere in the home.

"My son has lost 22 pounds to this date. He's an elementary school child. He's been to Arnold Palmer [Hospital]," a mother said.

The mold issue has many homeowners desperate.

"My wife has memory problems from being around it. She got lost in the supermarket parking lot," a husband said.

Certainly, not all the mold cases are this severe. In Sanford, our inspector found mold at yet another 2-year-old home, one of 83 that had mold.

"This is mildewed, and the mold formed right here," homeowner Tim Welsh said.

The homeowner believes a crack in the outside stucco of his Maronda home let water in. The home also has mold on the air-conditioning unit. In fact, 37 of the houses inspected showed mold in the same spot -- ductwork sealed on the outside with tape, but more than likely, no interior seal -- a seal recommended but not required by code.

Homeowners especially allergic to mold should ask the builder up front about the seals on air handlers and ductwork.

"If I didn't know it, it could be detrimental to my health ... We had heard there were health risks, and we didn't know what kind of mold we had," homeowner Nadine Welsh said.

Another nearly new house near Apopka, another frustrating leaky window. So how much water got in? Mold grew behind the couch. Leaky windows and cracked stucco were the leading causes of mold found during our detailed inspections.

"There's still a concern about what's in the air," homeowner Debbie Paul said.

Homeowners are often forced to battle with builders and insurance companies to stop the leaks, fix the damage, and remove the mold.

Home builders said many of the mold problems are not their fault.

"We are bombarded every year. First it was the radon crisis. Who knows what that was all about. Now, we have mold becoming an issue, and often it's people who don't know how to use Tilex," custom builder Charles Clayton III said.

Builders said it's up to all of us to clean away what we can see and investigate anything suspicious before hidden mold gets out of hand.