Waging a Battle Against Mold
By Kate Maier
(11/15/2006) Brad and Patty Slack are using Mold Pro, their family-run business, to fight a battle that mankind has engaged in for ages. “There’s instructions on how to deal with mold in Leviticus,” Mr. Slack said.
 Kate Maier
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He is not an overtly religious man, but he is committed to his line of work. He uses sophisticated diagnostic equipment to analyze potentially toxic mold levels in houses and businesses from Manhattan to Montauk.
“It’s basically a mom-and-pop show,” said Mrs. Slack, who answers the dedicated “mold line” at the couple’s house in Wading River day and night.
Mr. Slack said that mold, which makes up 25 percent of the earth’s biomass and appears in thousands of different species, is divided into three categories, allergenic, toxigenic, and pathogenic. Sicknesses are most commonly the result of exposure to pathogenic molds, the types that compromise immune systems and make the body more susceptible to other diseases.
Toxic mold, like the infamous “black mold” that Mr. Slack said is “prevalent on the East End,” can emit neurotoxins that could even cause dementia. Recent celebrity legal battles waged by Ed McMahon and Bianca Jagger over their own experiences with black mold have brought attention to a very real problem, he said.
“It affects everybody differently,” Mr. Slack said, explaining that, while some people appear “immune” to mold, others can suffer considerably. Some people can smell mold more readily than others. A metallic taste in the mouth could be an indicator. “Everyone has different thresholds. Even a small amount can be dangerous for the very young, the very old, and people on steroids or chemotherapy.”
“We’ve seen babies that have been put in the hospital,” he said. “I have been involved in cases where there have been fatalities.”
Mr. Slack emphasized that he is not involved in mold remediation — his role is to diagnose a problem, which involves taking an air sample and a culture, and to retest the area after a separate crew does the cleanup. He also searches for the source of the mold, and works to repair the problem. “It all translates back to water damage,” he said. He uses a “moisture meter” to detect the relative humidity of the air and identify where the problem arises.
It’s extremely frustrating, he said, to see the general lack of control of an industry that could take advantage of people’s fears. In New York State, mold inspection and remediation are not licensed professions. In states where they are licensed, it is illegal to do inspection and cleanup together. “It’s a conflict of interest,” explained Mr. Slack. “We feel ethically it’s not the right thing to do. I run my business as if it were licensed in New York State.”
While Mr. Slack will recommend cleanup crews at his clients’ request, he doesn’t endorse any specific company, and will only make a recommendation after he has seen a crew’s work. “I see on a weekly basis remediation companies basically sending a salesman. They don’t repair the underlying cause — moisture. You could spend millions, and that mold will come back.”
Mold can be a touchy subject for real estate agents, insurance companies, and mortgage companies. As someone who has seen “$8 million homes gutted” because of mold, he said, few in those industries want to hear about a potential problem.
Mr. Slack said that insurance companies have started to add provisions to their water damage policies that cap mold removal coverage at $20,000, which all too often is not enough to cover remediation costs. “That’s like having a fire policy that won’t cover smoke damage,” he said.
However, it is in the best interests of mortgage companies to make sure that houses remain habitable, he said. The couple recalled one house that had to be demolished because the mold infestation was so bad. The woman who lived there ended up at the Mayo Clinic for months with mold-induced respiratory problems.
In cases of water damage, it is crucial to clean up as soon as possible, although that’s not always feasible, because the damage isn’t always immediately visible.
“Mold’s favorite food is paper — wet paper,” Mr. Slack said. Older houses, surprisingly, are less susceptible. In the 1970s houses started being built with more insulation. “Moisture tends to stay within these super-insulated homes,” he said.
Mr. Slack, who has obtained nearly every certification he can in the mold inspection field, gives seminars on mold for real estate agents and engineers.
“In real estate, it always comes down to the final hour,” he said. People often call him to inspect a house just before closing on a sale, only to find that it will take a week to culture the sample. “If you’re going to purchase a house, have an environmentalist come in first. Home inspectors are notoriously bad about finding this stuff,” he said. “In the vast majority of houses, there’re no visible signs.”
On the East End, where structures are surrounded by water and humidity, he said, it is a good idea to have testing done even before renting. “A lot of landlords don’t do the right thing,” he said. “Have somebody look at your summer house. If you’re going to spend $30,000 on a summer rental, $1,000 worth of testing and inspection is worthwhile.”
The package is expensive, but not nearly as much as remediation services can be. Bills can add up quickly when appliances, computers, furniture, and clothes need to be replaced, and when walls come down. “The money is in the remediation,” said Mr. Slack, who ran a construction business before liquidating and dedicating his time exclusively to mold inspection five years ago. “I’ve been there, and done that. This is what we do, and we’re happy about what we do.”
The couple said they often encounter situations where a botched job has allowed mold to spread, which is why they always recommend retesting. There are special paints and sealants that inhibit mold growth, but sometimes landlords or even remediation crews will cover mold stains with paint or otherwise simply conceal visible mold.
As far as prevention goes, air purifiers are one of the best defenses, but even they can be dangerous. The couple found that ionic air purifiers like the one touted by the Sharper Image actually emit “ozone” byproducts. A purifier with a high-efficiency particulate air filter, such as the IQAir system, is the best bet, they said. “I learn something every day, which is one of the things I love about my job,” Mr. Slack said.
Mrs. Slack agreed that the business, while troubling, can be very rewarding, especially when a job is finished and a client’s health is improved. The couple has kept in touch with many of their clients. “We’ve met some great people, seen some beautiful homes, and, over all, we’ve had some education,” she said.