Black mould infestation forces family to live in a backyard tent
- Replies 1
For some, buying your own home is the ultimate life goal. After years of renting and saving, you finally have a place to call your own… but what if that place isn’t actually livable?
Unfortunately, that’s the situation a family of five in Victoria currently find themselves in.
The parents — Andrew Baldwin and Angalina Walsh-Baldwin — bought their $480,000 dream home earlier this year, only to be driven out of it by rapid mould growth that made three of their kids ill.
Now, the family has been forced to live in a tent amid the wild weather in the area.
Angalina could do nothing but sob over the sorry state of their house.
‘It’s been freezing (here)... This was supposed to be our home,’ she said in tears.
‘The other week we got 190 millilitres (of rain). I can’t believe we’ve gotten to this point,’ added Andrew.
'The kids have been getting sick and missed a full term of Kinder… You just feel inadequate now because, as a parent, we've failed.'
A house inspection done by Dr Cameron Jones of Biological Health Services revealed one of the worst cases he’d seen in his career.
'When I've done moisture testing on the timbers, they're showing anywhere from 20 to 30 per cent plus,' he said.
Up to 15 per cent moisture is the safe and allowable percentage.
In addition, horrifying levels of mould growth were seen when the home’s carpets were removed.
Mould growth can cause weakened immune systems, allergies, severe asthma, and chronic lung disease.
Zeher Khalil, a building inspector who has been helping the Baldwins at no cost, could not believe the state of the home and agreed with earlier assessments.
'There is no water stop separating the wet area from the non-wet area,' he pointed out.
'There needs to be drainage installed… there is no drainage here.'
Andrew and Angaline claim they were not told about any problems with drainage when they bought the house from its owner-builder this year.
'To pay $480,000 for this house, I mean I just feel like I've been ripped off,' said Angaline.
To add to the family’s woes, Allianz, their insurer, denied their claims as the defects on the home were pre-existing.
Still, the family is holding on to hope.
‘We’ve got rights too,’ Angaline said. ‘We didn’t cause this inadequate drainage.’
She also shared they’re thinking about going after the owner-builder in court.
‘I don’t believe that owner-builders are regulated enough,’ Angaline said.
Some simple tips to avoid mould growth in the home include always ensuring adequate ventilation, especially in areas where air remains stagnant.
For example, positioning furniture away from walls can do the trick.
Fixing leaks in plumbing, roofs, and other building defects can also help deter mould.
If you have time, check out other mould-busting tips in this related story!
So, what is your reaction? Have you had similar experiences with mould growth in your home? How did you deal with it?
Tell us your thoughts and experiences below!
Source: Twitter/@9NewsMelb
Unfortunately, that’s the situation a family of five in Victoria currently find themselves in.
The parents — Andrew Baldwin and Angalina Walsh-Baldwin — bought their $480,000 dream home earlier this year, only to be driven out of it by rapid mould growth that made three of their kids ill.
Now, the family has been forced to live in a tent amid the wild weather in the area.
Angalina could do nothing but sob over the sorry state of their house.
‘It’s been freezing (here)... This was supposed to be our home,’ she said in tears.
‘The other week we got 190 millilitres (of rain). I can’t believe we’ve gotten to this point,’ added Andrew.
The Baldwins have been forced to stay in a tent metres away from their home due to mould. Credit: Twitter/@9NewsMelb
'The kids have been getting sick and missed a full term of Kinder… You just feel inadequate now because, as a parent, we've failed.'
A house inspection done by Dr Cameron Jones of Biological Health Services revealed one of the worst cases he’d seen in his career.
'When I've done moisture testing on the timbers, they're showing anywhere from 20 to 30 per cent plus,' he said.
Up to 15 per cent moisture is the safe and allowable percentage.
In addition, horrifying levels of mould growth were seen when the home’s carpets were removed.
Mould growth can cause weakened immune systems, allergies, severe asthma, and chronic lung disease.
Zeher Khalil, a building inspector who has been helping the Baldwins at no cost, could not believe the state of the home and agreed with earlier assessments.
'There is no water stop separating the wet area from the non-wet area,' he pointed out.
'There needs to be drainage installed… there is no drainage here.'
Experts inspecting the home found drainage problems contributing to mould growth. Credit: Twitter/@9NewsMelb
Andrew and Angaline claim they were not told about any problems with drainage when they bought the house from its owner-builder this year.
'To pay $480,000 for this house, I mean I just feel like I've been ripped off,' said Angaline.
To add to the family’s woes, Allianz, their insurer, denied their claims as the defects on the home were pre-existing.
Still, the family is holding on to hope.
‘We’ve got rights too,’ Angaline said. ‘We didn’t cause this inadequate drainage.’
She also shared they’re thinking about going after the owner-builder in court.
‘I don’t believe that owner-builders are regulated enough,’ Angaline said.
For example, positioning furniture away from walls can do the trick.
Fixing leaks in plumbing, roofs, and other building defects can also help deter mould.
If you have time, check out other mould-busting tips in this related story!
So, what is your reaction? Have you had similar experiences with mould growth in your home? How did you deal with it?
Tell us your thoughts and experiences below!
Source: Twitter/@9NewsMelb
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