- April 17, 2019
Cathy Arrington was elated when she found the home of her dreams. But her dreams soon came became a nightmare when she moved in and discovered what was lurking in her new home.
Arrington said that as soon as she saw the listing for the property in Shaumburg, it caught her eye. It was perfectly maintained and move-in ready, she recalled. Just a few weeks after closing, she learned that her first impression was far from correct.
“All of a sudden, dirt started coming up,” Arrington said. She said that she started noticing the problem just a few weeks after she moved into her new home. She said that the dirty led her to discover rotten pipes and mold. Ever since then, she has had to tear out parts of the floors, ceilings, and walls to remove the mold and fix the leaking pipes.
To add insult to injury, she also found out that asbestos may be growing in her air vents.
Eric Barker, from Allan Environmental Services, said that there are so many homes in the Chicago area that are infested with mold, and most homeowners aren’t even aware that they have a problem. Because mold is so common in Chicago, a city that is within close proximity to a large body of water, gets a lot of moisture, and tends to be humid, it’s not unusual for mold to grow indoors, unbeknownst to property owners.
Arrington might have known that a problem existed before she moved in if she had arranged for air quality testing. However, that does require having to pay for a mold inspection, and a mold inspection is not a part of a standard home inspection.
Arrington said that she had the mold in her house sprayed, but according to Barker, without knowing what it was sprayed with, there’s no way to know if the mold was actually killed.
Though she has been on a really rocky rollercoaster ride, Arrington says that she is just grinning and bearing it and taking things as the come. She also wants so share her story so that other homeowners can be aware. She said, “When you see the advertisement homes, whatever, move-in ready, that’s not true. If you’re moving in, look behind walls, underground, everything”.
It cost Arrington less-than $300 to have the mold testing completed and she received the results in less than 24 hours. The tests revealed that there was mold growing in her kitchen, but not at elevated levels; however, the levels could affect young children and those with respiratory illnesses.
Mold Inspection & Testing Chicago has years of experience testing commercial and residential properties for mold growth. If you are considering purchasing a home in Chicago, to ensure your safety, be sure to arrange for mold testing, whether it’s through MI&T or another third-party mold testing company. To speak with a representative of MI&T, please call 312.583.7576 to lean more or to schedule an appointment.
