The Homeowner's Guide to Mold (RSMeans) [Paperback]

Michael Pugliese CMR CMT (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 5, 2006 | Series: RSMeans (Book 65)

Even a minor, hidden water leak, untreated, can result in major mold problems and thousands of dollars in damage… and a severely mold-contaminated house can’t be lived in or sold! Once moisture combines with dust or mold-friendly materials like drywall, mold can start growing and spreading in as little as 24-48 hours.

This book will show you how to:

• Inspect for mold throughout a home.
• Remove mold and keep it from coming back… including the best maintenance procedures to prevent mold growth.
• Select mold-preventive construction techniques and new mold-resistant materials if you’re building or remodeling.
• Deal with insurance companies if you’re thinking of submitting a mold damages claim.
• Select a reliable mold removal contractor, and know when you need one.
• Plus standard procedures and costs for mold remediation, testing, and repair work

FEATURES:

Invaluable tips on:

• Recognizing mold, will full-color photographs
• Removing mold safely and effectively
• Mold removal contractors and insurance issues

Editorial Reviews

Review

...Contains much useful information to the serious environmental topic of mold in buildings and thus is also a useful reference for the building construction professional, particularly those engaged in building renovations and/or mold remediation. The author succinctly explains the hazards associated with growth of mold, how to prevent it, and how to remediate the problem if mold develops. Health effects of various types of mold are discussed and typical cost information for testing and remediation is provided. --International Cost Engineering Council, January 2007

About the Author

Michael A. Pugliese is a Certified Mold Remediator (CMR, Indoor Air Quality Association) and a Certified Mold technician (CMT, Association of Specialists in Cleaning and Restoration). He has spent thousands of hours over the past six years successfully cleaning up mold-contaminated environments. Many of his customers contracted his services after another remediator failed to get the job done right. He has performed mold remediation work for homeowners, corporate facility owners, major real estate companies, and insurance companies, including Wachovia Bank, Old Navy, and Remax Realty. His work has spanned eight states along the Gulf Coast and Eastern Seaboard, including major projects in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Prior to his career as a mold remediator, Michael spent several years as a general contractor, where he acquired the skills needed to disassemble and rebuild components of a home contaminated with mold. He also has 13 years’ experience working in! the insurance industry, giving him a valuable perspective on the handling of mold claims.

Product Details

• Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: RSMeans; 1 edition (July 5, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0876298218
• ISBN-13: 978-0876298213
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 8.5 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #72,630 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #3 in Books > Law > Administrative Law > Housing & Urban Development
  • #27 in Books > Crafts, Hobbies & Home > How-to & Home Improvements > Green Housecleaning
  • #95 in Books > Crafts, Hobbies & Home > How-to & Home Improvements > Building & Construction

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Mold remediation for the home owner, August 17, 2007

By 

Daniel Stih "Author, Healthy Living Spaces: T... (Santa Fe, NM) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Homeowner's Guide to Mold (RSMeans) (Paperback)

I bought this book at Home Depot. I am a certified microbial Consultant (glorified mold-inspector) by the American Indoor Air Quality Council.

I thought the book was well written and contains sound advice as far as removing and cleaning mold. It's nice to finally see someone tell people that bleach is not effective for mold remediation.

I can tell the author has a lot experience as a mold remediator. There are some things I disagree with in the section on testing for mold. Petri dishes (self test kits) are useless for the homeowner. They are very inaccurate. They may tell you have mold problem when you don't and miss a mold problem that exists.

Reading test reports is not always that simple either. The author has done a better job of explaining testing than most other books on the market.

The other disagreement I have is with the EPA guidelines on quantifying "how big is your mold problem". The problem with these guidelines is that they are based on the amount of mold you can see. Most mold is hidden. The EPA adapted them from the state of New York in the beginning when there were not other guidelines around.

Very interesting appendix on estimating how much it cost to have a professional do the mold remediation for you. It's nice to see some numbers. Usually the estimates from remediators vary greatly. Maybe this can be used a baseline to do a reality check on the estimates you get.

I (Dan Stih) am the author of Healthy Living Spaces: Top 10 Hazards Affecting Your Health.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book!, September 15, 2006

By 

marie shires (Reading, PA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Homeowner's Guide to Mold (RSMeans) (Paperback)

The Homeowner's Guide to MOLD is a great, easy to read and understandable book on a very scary subject...MOLD. It is very well written and lists facts for homowner"s when faced with this delicate situation. All areas of the home are covered thoroughly! He even gives tips on questions to ask remediation contractors that may be feeding on the homeowners emotions!
I had a few additional specific questions concerning mold in my ductwork and e-mailed them to the author. Michael Pugliese personally responded to my e-mail and even called me on the phone to be sure I got his information!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars For removal, not really for avoidance, January 9, 2007

By 

Jason Lajoie "journeyman" (Verbier, Switzerland) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Homeowner's Guide to Mold (RSMeans) (Paperback)

I bought this book looking for info specificaly to avoid building mistakes that could lead to mold. There is really no info on building techniques, this book is written for what to do after mold is already there. It's a disapointment for me as I have two old stone structures to renovate and 'prevent' mold. This book will be helpful to you, however, if you have a mold situation already.