Does the Home You’re Buying Have a Mold Problem?
Although house hunting can be an enjoyable experience, it can also be very stressful at the same time. The situation can get even more complicated if you find the one house that you truly love but the home inspection reveals that there may be a mold problem. So what do you do? Do you walk away and tell yourself it wasn’t meant to be? Or, do have a professional mold inspection to determine the extent of the problem and proceed to purchase the home anyway? Here are your options.
If the House has a Mold Problem, get it tested
If the home inspection report reveals that there could be an issue with mold, contact a mold inspection company like Florida Inspections Unlimited to determine whether or not there is a problem. Remember, most home inspectors aren’t mold inspectors. However, some companies, such as ours, have both types of professionals on staff. Once the mold inspection is completed, the results are sent for review to a lab where the final answer will be determined.
So let’s assume that the inspection test comes back positive and confirms that the home does indeed have a mold problem. Now what? The mold inspection report will contain specific information such as the type of mold that you’re dealing with and the amount of room that it covers. If there is less than 10 sq. ft., you can clean it up fairly easily. However, any area larger than that may require remediation (mold removal).
What caused the Mold to grow?
A professional mold inspector will be able to pinpoint the cause of mold growth. This can be due to several issues such as bad yard drainage, leaking windows, negative yard grading, or a water leak inside one of the walls. Furthermore, there could also be issues on the top of the home such as clogged rain gutters, downspouts are too close to the home, or the eaves are leaking water too close to the structure. All of these become a source of indoor leaks and need to be repaired quickly.
Additional Issues
A professional mold inspection may find mold in other high humidity areas of the home such as the attic or in crawlspaces. This happens when humid indoor air finds its way into a low humid attic or crawlspace and causes moisture to accumulate. There could be other issues as well such as a clogged A/C unit or living in an area that is prone to flooding. Just remember, if an area stays damp, mold will eventually grow there.
For more information about purchasing a home with mold, call Florida Inspections Unlimited today at 954-861-0666.