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• Mold Takes over Family's Home

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Mold is taking over some Daniel Island homes and forcing families to move out. The families say shoddy construction is to blame. They are prepared to fight mega home builder D.R. Horton.

David and Terry Pittman have lived on Daniel Island for years. David Pittman says their home sits empty, they wear masks to go inside, and their children are left wondering.

"The boys will say when are we going home and you have to say we can't go home we can't go back into the house," Pittman said.

A mold test revealed high counts of different types of mold and some are bad enough to cause illness. The worst room in the house is their 7-year-old’s bedroom. Levels there are around 422,400 in 99 percent of the sample. Levels in a mold free home are in the 1,800 range.

"It's not a safe environment," Pittman added.  

Contractor David Geesaman thinks the problems are a direct result of the builder cutting corners.

"There is no flashing. The contractor just skipped that phase and didn't add any flashing at all," Geesaman explained.

Flashing is the protective border between the siding of a house and the house itself.

"It’s very important. You'll just end up with this problem we have in these houses, mold and mildew and always being wet around the windows."

Geesaman says cutting that corner doesn't save much money. On average it costs $200 and five minutes to properly flash a home. Flashing is not only necessary to keep moisture out, but it's required by building code and can be more troublesome to put in later.  

"It's more difficult now to put the flashing on," he said. "You'd have to peel the siding off, pull the window loose, put the flashing on. It’s very expensive to do at this point in the game."

The Pittmans packed up and moved out because they're unable and unwilling to stay in their home.

"We are essentially homeless."

They are unsure of their next move, but are concerned for their children.

"When you're tucking them in at night and you're thinking they're sleeping soundly. They're comfortable they had a good day, and then come to find out that he's been lying by a window with mold all this time. It's infuriating," Terry Pittman said.  

Attempts to contact D.R. Horton were unsuccessful.        

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