"I opened the door and, oh, my gosh — green everywhere,'' she said.

Furry mold covers the walls, swirls on the oriental carpet and up the new drywall. It coats the couch, the television speakers, her husband's musical instruments and amplifiers. Shouse's headaches tell her it's in the air, too.

"I've taken the kids to my mother's, and I'm not going to stay here another night until it's gone,'' she said Wednesday.

Her cousin, who said he's not afraid of the stuff, is tearing out the $5,000 remodeling job and throwing virtually everything away.

"We're taking it down to the concrete and plumbing,'' she said. "We're just going to have a regular  old basement.''

Hers is a giant—sized version of mold problems that homeowners face each year when moisture, hot temperatures and ever—present mold spores combine with a good "food source.'' For mold, that source can be just about anything from drywall and wallpaper paste to paper, cloth, carpet — even dust.

"We get calls throughout the year, but we get more in the wetter, hotter, more humid times of the year,'' said Steve Divine, environmental health administrator for the Northern Kentucky Independent District Health Department.

Whether mold poses a health problem depends on which of the thousands of varieties is growing, how much there is and the allergic sensitivities of a person.

Reactions can range from headaches, sneezing and typical allergic reactions to severe respiratory problems.

Every mold problem means there is a water problem because mold won't grow without moisture, Divine said. He recommends getting a laboratory to test for the type and amounts of mold, then getting a professional mold removal company that can identify and correct the water problem and safely remove the mold. That can mean removing and replacing sections of walls, ceilings and furnishings.

Keith Desserich, general manager of Restoraid in Cincinnati, which specializes in restoration from weather—related and mold damage, said he receives about 10 calls a day from people with mold problems.

"Not everyone needs to have a professional involved,'' he said.

Where the presence of mold is severe, his workers build containment chambers for the debris and wear special suits with breathing apparatus. The process includes identifying and correcting the source, removing and replacing contaminated areas and testing before and after to assure the mold spores are at an acceptable level.

"The EPA says if it's less than 10 square feet and you're not suffering any allergic reactions, remove it yourself. Anything over that (size) you probably need to consult with a professional,'' he said.

He estimated that a serious problem like that at the Shouse house could cost up to $10,000 to remove the mold and repair everything.

"We thought about taking out a loan to do it professionally,'' Shouse said. "But we just can't afford that now.''

She said her cousin isn't worried, and she plans to wash every surface in the basement after he clears it.

"I wish I could replace everything in the house,'' she said. "It just makes me feel uncomfortable. But we're going to do the best we can.''

They found the moisture source: a leaky water pump behind one of the basement walls.

"We already fixed that,'' she said. "I just wish we had found it sooner.''

Her homeowner's insurance company said it would cover the cost, as long as it was not caused by her negligence.

"I don't know what they'll rule on that,'' she said. "I didn't even know the pump was behind the wall.''

She had not been in the guest suite for almost two months. She said she noticed a musty smell more than a month ago.

"I just thought it was a typical basement smell,'' she said. "But it got worse.''

She finally opened the door to investigate on Sunday.

She called scores of contracting companies for help but no one would touch the problem. It turns out she wasn't looking in the right place. The Yellow Pages have mold removal and testing labs listed under environmental services and under mold.

Divine said he always recommends professional help for major mold infestations.

"People who do this for a living assess how extensive the problem is, and they can test for what kind of mold is growing,'' he said.

"In worst case scenarios, they use full respirators and washable or disposable suits. The worst thing you can do is try to correct it yourself. You can expose yourself to higher volume as it is disturbed, and it can affect the rest of the house.''

• For information on mold problems, the Web site www.restoraid.com includes EPA guidelines for mold removal and information on mold removal procedures.