So we have mold in our new house :-(

Well...a few weeks back I posted in pregnancy forum cause I thought I *may* have been having night sickness and my period was late and I was overall feeling gross for 2 weeks.

Over the past 2 weeks I've been noticing a strange smell while taking a shower...like moldy. The place we live in is BRAND new...it's only a few months old and we are the first ones to live in this unit - it's a 2 story townhome...so I didn't possibly think we could have mold growing anywhere and I assumed I just needed to wash the bathroom rugs. I also started using the air vent while taking a shower...I normally keep both doors to the bathroom open because it's a bathroom without a window and I like it fresh in there. Whenever I'd turn on the vent the smell would WORSEN.

So this past Monday I went in the bathroom, sat on the toilet and happened to look up...the airducting vent in the bathroom is lower than the normal ceiling...so there's like a foot difference...well all along the ducting part of the ceiling the paint is like melting and there are huge bubbles in the paint...and some of those bubbles are starting to LEAK!! I knew right then that we indeed have a mold issue. Last night I couldn't get to sleep, just thinking about what exactly is causing this. I realized that I started smelling the mold shortly after we started using the A/C - it's obviously never been used before and it works great...but we started using it only 2-3 weeks ago. I think what is happening is that up under the wall and in the ducting something is wrong...like maybe the ducting gets too cold with the air flowing through it and then when we take showers it gets hot in there and the vapors condense on the outside of the ducting...the water condensing on the outside of the ducting is thereforeeee trapped between the ducting and the sheetrock - this is my theory at least.

Seeing as how I only came to this conclusion last night I'm gonna wait till tomorrow when my BF flies back home from San Diego and we're gonna go talk to the management and have them come fix this ASAP. At least we're still renting at this point cause I wouldn't wanna pay to have this fixed. I will insist they fix this immediately because I now realize its been the cause of my ongoing sickness for the past few weeks. I haven't changed my diet yet I am constantly feeling nauseous and my headaches get worse each day. I've also experience two bouts of diziness while just sitting and not moving. All of these are commone symptoms I've read about while doing research.

Found from this website: link removed

The molds that produce airborne toxins that can cause serious symptoms, such as breathing difficulties, memory and hearing loss, dizziness, flu-like symptoms, and acid reflux. Common ailments from toxigenic mold---including allergies (hypersensitivity after initial toxicity), and excessive bruising---usually can be treated and reduced after people leave their contaminated environment.

My breathing has been affected lately and I've had a few bloody noses as well, plus a constant runny nose and sneezing. As soon as we get back from the management office tomorrow I will let you all know what is gonna happen...and I will probably go and visit my doctor to make sure I'm not gonna have permanent damage or anything.

Just wanted to share this and see if anyone else has experienced something similar...it's so odd for a brand new house to have this issue.

My sister had mold in the place she was living at the time. It affected her health, her husbands health, and her newborns health. Soon enough, a class-action lawsuit was filed and was settled out of court.

Mold can be very hazardous to your health. Get out of there and find another place to live. Look for reimbursment later.

I am glad that you are renting. If you management company is responsible, then they should address the problem. Not that it is your responsibility to fix, but if in the future this happens, I know that home owner's insurance and renter's insurance can cover this. I hope your management company takes care of it. I don't know if UT is humid, but you may want to use a dehumidifier. Although I have not seen any mold, I live near the beach and was told that it can happen very easily. I was told you can buy these small air cirulators or something to put in your closets. I had an old boss that said when he lived in my area that he pulled out an old pair of shoes from the closed and they were covered with mold. Nasty! Hopefully it is just from the water condensation that happens from the airconditioning. Hopefully they can clean it and clean the vents. I have notices at work, I have serious sinus headaches and pressure. The girl next to me gets very bad allergy reations. I think a lot of this has to do with ventilation systems. Keep us posted because this is serious stuff. Hope you feel better and get the issue resolved.

I don't know about shower and wall mold, but I have been eating cheese with mold on it for the past few days. Blue Stilton from England and Gorgonzola from Italy. I feel fine.

Mold in buildings is a huge issue, and problem. Ever heard the term "sick building"? That generally refers to mold, and air quality.

A few years ago it became a very big issue, as children were getting very sick, even deadly sick, due to mold in buildings, in new houses that had been built. Younger children tend to be more susceptible, and also spend more time closer to ground where mold spores are more present.

My current office used to have a huge mold issue, and they have to regularly monitor it now.

New buildings and old buildings both have the problem. In newer buildings it is often related to improper sealing, ducting, materials used (ie drywall in bathrooms not a good idea), improper ventilation and seepage.

You should absolutely get management on this, and seriously look for somewhere else to stay at least until they have addressed the issue and fixed it. Your health is at risk by staying there.