Couple battles mold issues in new home, faces health troubles

LEWIS CENTER, Ohio — Sara and Collin spent years searching for their first home before buying one in Lewis Center in spring 2024.

Soon after the couple moved into what was supposed to be their dream home, Sara began developing a slew of nightmare health issues.

“The first couple of days after moving in, I started getting sinus problems. It felt like a constant sinus infection for about two months and then slowly subsided, and then it turned into an eye rash problem that made me reach out for help,” Sara said.

She had never suffered from eczema before moving into the home. As the itchy rash around her eyes continued to swell and worsen, Sara visited doctors including dermatologists and allergists for help. She switched up her skincare products, but nothing helped.

“I seriously felt so helpless,” she said.

Sara turned to Tik Tok to share her journey and seek advice from others who had suffered from what she thought was contact dermatitis.

“Whenever I leave my house my eyelids improve, they get less red, less itchy,” she told her followers.

Tik Tok comments poured in, telling Sara to get her home tested for mold.

One commenter wrote, “Please get out of that house!!”

Sara and her husband started to investigate. They hired a dog trained to detect mold, which soon revealed what they could not see: mold behind the walls, in their bathrooms, closets and nearly every room inside the house.

They submitted dust samples from their home for an Environmental Relative Moldiness Index test, which revealed dangerous levels of mold. The EPA backed test alerted the couple, “Re-occupancy is ill-advised until further remediation and re-assessment are conclusive.”

“We are basically like new homeowners, we are 28, thinking we are getting a good house and it turned out to not be, it is dangerous and it is just sad,” Sara said.

Now the new homeowners are paying thousands of dollars to remediate the home, a process not covered by their home insurance, hoping it will be safe enough to move back in. They also have to toss out anything porous that could be contaminated, like couches and mattresses.

In the meantime, Sara and her husband have been staying with relatives and her symptoms have cleared.

“I am hoping the remediation does help because I want to go back to living a normal life,” she said.

Mold growth in homes is linked to health symptoms, from respiratory issues to allergies and even neurological effects, according to Dr. Karen Dannemiller, a professor at Ohio State University’s College of Engineering and College of Public Health.

“When things start to grow, that is when you start to see mold, smell mold, you might see water damage and that is when people start to get sick and you may see health impacts,” she said.

It is not uncommon for homes to have mold, but excess moisture that allows mold to grow can create problems, Dr. Dannemiller said.

“The real issue is whether or not it is growing. Once you get that growth, you see the mold produce things like allergens, different irritating compounds possibly mycotoxins things like that that can be associated with health impacts,” she said.

Dr. Dannemiller said it is important to keep the humidity in your home between 30-50% to avoid mold growth. To avoid issues in a bathroom, where people take showers, she said to open a window or use a vent fan.

Mold can cause an array of health issues and impact people in different ways. In Sara’s case, her husband Collin did not exhibit any symptoms.

“When people experience health symptoms related to mold, they can experience a wide range of different issues because people react really differently to different exposures. You might have someone who doesn’t react at all versus somebody who has one set of symptoms and someone who has a different set of symptoms,” Dr. Dannemiller said.

If you suspect mold in your home, Dr. Dannemiller suggests consulting a mold expert to investigate and remediate any issues.

“If you see mold, smell mold or are aware of water damage in your home, I would recommend you look into it to understand what is going on in your home and take care of that,” she said.

Sara and Collin got a home inspection, but wish they had done more thorough testing before buying the home.

“I feel like we did everything right. We got the inspection, our parents came and looked at the house, I think some more inspections would help. More specialized inspections. The homeowner inspection is kind of basic in nature so more specialized inspections whether that is HVAC, plumbing, mold inspectors,” Sara and Collin said.