Need some help!!!!!

[V92C]

I have a big issue. Friday morning I woke up and found my sump pump stopped working and we of course had a lot of rain. Well, we ended up with about 1" of water throughout our finished basement. I was not to worried as I have coverage with my insurance just for sump pump failure and with Country Companies so it is good insurance. Called them Friday morning and they had a crew out Sat. morning. First they pulled the carpet and padding and then went to cut the bottom 2' of the walls (paneling over drywall), when the first wall was cut, they found black MOLD........
It seems it is old and not caused by this occurance, they said it must hae had water before which had to be before we bought the house 7 yrs ago because we have not had any water issues until now. Now they changed it to mold remidiation instead of water damage, still the insurance is not balking, they said they will allow 4' to be cut off (which is over the mold height) and will cover the service to bring in a air scrubber to make sure the mold does not get airborne and spread.
It is only about 400 s.f. so not a huge area, but if the insurance does not cover it all, I will have to take care of it myself as I cant afford to pay them to do it.
Now the questions:

1. how do I know it is old or could have been from this water?

2. there is a sectoinal couch down there, they already removed about 12' of drywall and paneling so if airborne spores are an issues, how do I clean the sectional?

3. If I end up doing it myself, is sealing the basement and air vents with plastic enough to keep it from spreading to other areas in the house?

4. How can I make sure it is gone, I will likely have all the drywall replaced, but what about the studs, etc. behind the drywall?

[HayZee518]

mold is spores and it is transmitted via the air. its almost like a bacterium but less toxic. I'm not sure of the particulate size as I'm thinking along the lines of a friable asbestos surface. asbestos in air is hazardous as you know. when they do an abatement project for asbestos, they use a negative pressure machine with HEPA filters. I'm thinking a hepa filter could be applied in this instance to trap any airborn spores. the mold spores thrive in a damp, warm atmosphere. it can be killed using a bleach solution.
To rid your house of mold clean counters, showers, tubs, sinks, window sills or anywhere there is mold with bleach. Fix leaking faucets or pipes that could be dampening walls. Install air conditioning in your home because this dries the air out, making it more difficult for mold to survive. Check houseplant soil, make sure it is not always very damp. Keep firewood outside. Keep your basement as dry as possible. You may want to keep an air purifier in your basement. Clean the bottom of your refrigerator, and underneath it. Clean up all water damage quickly. If your carpet, walls or any flooring is in a flood get an experienced flood specialist to dry it up for you. Any dampness left can cause mold to grow in your walls or under your carpet. When water is left to sit, for even 24 hours, common molds can begin to grow. If water continues to sit and areas become completely saturated, more lethal molds, such as Stachybotrys, can begin to grow.

The tricky thing about these airborne molds is, you may not realize how it has affected your health for quite sometime after you have been exposed. It is important to not live, work or stay for long periods of time in a place that smells mildewy or moldy. If you have done all you can to clean molds that are visible, maybe there is mold under the carpet or in the walls.

If you suspect that the air quality in your home is being compromised by mold spores you can have the air tested, but it can be quite expensive. It's worth it if it helps save your health.