What Every Home Owner Needs to Know About Mold and What to Do About It [Paperback]

Vicki Lankarge (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 21, 2003

The complete guide to dealing with mold in your home--the asbestos of the new millennium

Toxic mold infestations in the home have been brought to the forefront of public awareness. Erin Brockovich's struggle to fight this health crisis and Ed McMahon's experience of this problem in his own home have further publicized the fact that mold has been linked to a host of serious health problems.Yet there are no standards for acceptable indoors mold levels and no laws requiring home sellers to disclose mold problems.

Written by award-winning reporter Vicki Lankarge, this is the first complete home owner's/home buyer's guide to dealing with mold. Clearly and concisely, Lankarge acquaints readers with the latest findings about mold infestation and arms them with everything they need to know to:

• Successfully detect the presence of mold
• Prevent, control, or eliminate mold
• Deal with mold-related health problems
• Understand mold's legal implications
• Work with insurance companies on mold-related cases

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

Don't let mold destroy your most valuable investment

There's a black cloud looming over your house. It can rob you and your family of your priceless valuables and sentimental heirlooms. It can take complete control over your house, leaving you destitute, homeless, or, worst of all, deathly ill. That black cloud is a toxic mold that could right now be growing at rapid speed behind your baseboards. Learn how to spot toxic mold and get rid of it before it's too late with the help of What Every Home Owner Needs to Know About Mold (and What to Do About It).

Your home is most likely your biggest investment. But once Stachybotrys mold takes over, you can kiss that investment good-bye. Award-winning reporter Vicki Lankarge sheds important light on this highly poisonous infestation-the asbestos of the new millennium-providing the latest findings about mold and how you as a homeowner can protect yourself from its predatory invasion.

Filled with helpful checklists, you'll learn how to combat these microscopic invaders, including:

• Telltale signs of mold infestation, including an earthy or musty odor, sunken areas in baseboards or trim, staining, swelling, or crumbling of plaster or sheetrock.
• Symptoms of mold exposure, ranging in severity from nosebleeds, chronic cough, wheezing, skin and eye irritations, to vomiting, memory loss, pulmonary hemorrhaging in infants, and death.
• Tips to prevent moisture and mold, including plumbing and grout repairs.
• Dealing with insurance companies: What to expect from them, what they expect from you, and what to do when a claim goes bad.
• Avoiding real estate nightmares: Before buying a home, demand full disclosure from the sellers regarding all prior water damage . . . and make sure it's in your real estate contract! Be prepared to walk away from the deal if they won't sign it.
• Tips for home sellers: Repair any damage related to water intrusion and/or mold infestation before you put your home on the market; document all repairs; and disclose everything.

About the Author

Vicki Lankarge is an award-winning reporter and magazine writer with more than twenty years of experience covering consumer issues.

Product Details

• Paperback: 134 pages
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill; 1 edition (March 21, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0071412905
• ISBN-13: 978-0071412902
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,488,955 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

38 of 42 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Bad information in the book!, June 22, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: What Every Home Owner Needs to Know About Mold and What to Do About It (Paperback)

I am a Mold Inspector and work with Remediation firms on a daily basis to remediate molds in homes, offices, etc.
I have read this book and it should be revised to correct the FALSE information given about using common household bleach to clean-up mold. Bleach is ONLY good to clean-up mold on smooth, non-porous surfaces such as glass and plastic. It is obvious that the author did NOT due her homework on the best mold remediation products available. To find out what product should be used to remediate mold, buy another book about mold, such as Black Mold - Your Health and Your Home. This book reveals the problems with using bleach products and correctly informs the homeowner on an environmetally safe and readily available product to clean-up minor mold infestations in the home.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars LACK OF INFORMATION, September 23, 2006

By 

Old fashion lady (Torrance, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: What Every Home Owner Needs to Know About Mold and What to Do About It (Paperback)

I"m looking for a book to find out how do I do to prevent/control mold.

I'm already aware of the risks mold brings to my family and would like to know how to deal whith it in every days bases. Instead, the autor recomends me to contract especialists and be careful whith several aspects of my insurence apollicies.

I want to prevente the need of specialists and I'm am hoping not to have to use my insurance!

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Book, April 6, 2003

By 

Dennis Redding "den6321" (South Yarmouth, MA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: What Every Home Owner Needs to Know About Mold and What to Do About It (Paperback)

What a great homeowners book ! It not only provides critical information on household mold but also highlights potential problems with liability and home financing. Easy to read and yet has a wealth of technical information. If you are a homeowner or are considering a home I'd strongly recommend this book as the first purchase.