Category: Mold

Mold Inspections Before Buying a Home

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Mold can take over a home very quickly if it has the right atmosphere in which to thrive. Before you buy any home, you should do a complete inspection. One of the best places to find a good company in Tallahassee is Yelp. Below are some simple guidelines you can use to determine whether or not mold has invested a home you may want to purchase.

Water Marks

Water marks on the walls of a home are one way to identify a possible mold problem. Mold thrives on moisture.  Watermarks are a sign that the property may have been damaged by a water intrusion.  The watermarked areas, if left untreated, can lead to mold infestation. Contact 360 Degrees Home Inspections for an inspection.

Musty Smells

Musty smelling rooms are also a sign that there may be a mold infestation in the home. Laundry rooms, bathrooms, kitchens and basements that smell musty are all clues that the home may be infested with mold. If you smell must in the kitchen, be sure to open the kitchen cupboards where plumbing may be installed to see if the musty smell is stronger in this area. If the bathroom has cupboards around the wash basin, then open them and look out for the smell of must. If the musty smell increases once kitchen and bathroom cabinets are open, then this is a sure sign of mold infestation.

Stucco Construction

If your potential home was built in the last three or five years, the walls might have been constructed using synthetic stucco as insulation material. While synthetic stucco is very beneficial for improving insulation if it is installed improperly it can become a medium for water to penetrate the walls of a home and cause mold growth inside the walls. While a home inspection can be costly if you are seriously contemplating buying a home, you’ll need to have the home professionally inspected for mold in the insulation.

Legal and Real Estate Agents

In some states homeowners are mandated by law to disclose mold problems, you and your real estate agent should ensure that the owners are aware of this law once it is enforced in your state. This will increase your chances of full disclosure about mold problems in the home. It is also a good idea to ask questions about whether pipes have burst over the years or if there are windows that leak since incidents like these can lead to moisture formation and mold growth.

Mold damage is costly to eliminate and can lead to respiratory problems for you and others who will live in the home. Since, your finances and health are at risk when a house is infested with mold, any sign of mold damage should be treated as a serious issue.

What’s Included In A Home Mold Inspection?

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Do you think that there’s mold growing in your home?  Have you seen traces of mold?  Have you noticed a weird smell or that the humidity level seems to be too high?  You need to schedule a mold inspection because this is the only way to assess the issue. If the tests are positive, you’ll need to have mold removal services performed, but you shouldn’t start looking at mold removal until you have had an inspection performed.

Humidity Problems

A mold inspector should look for the mold that is growing in your home and figure out what is causing the humidity problem. Both issues need to be addressed since mold can start growing back if humidity remains too high in your home. The professional you hire to inspect your home will take the time to check all the usual spots where mold grows.

Visible and Invisible

Mold is sometimes visible, but if there are traces of mold on the ceiling or walls, there may be more in hidden spaces. The inspector needs to check crawl spaces, check behind wall panels and look in other spots where mold could be growing out of sight. The thorough investigation is the only way to assess how severe the problem is.
A mold inspector will be able to check for mold without disturbing your home. If you are worried about this, ask a few questions to find out how the inspection will be performed.

Potential Leaks

The inspector you hire will look at your plumbing to see if there is an issue with leaks or damage. If you know of any leaks, let the inspector know where they are since there will probably be mold in these areas.
Mold can start growing under the carpet, in the drywall and ventilation ducts. Mold can be difficult to detect because these areas are not easy to access, which is why you need to find an inspector who will check all these areas.

Air Quality Issues

A mold inspection should also include air quality testing. Testing is necessary because this is the only way to determine what kind of mold is growing in your home and to select the best method for removal. The inspector will take mold samples if mold is found and will either perform the tests themselves or send it to a lab.
If you hire an inspector, who will take samples to send them to a lab, find out when you will receive the test results. It is best to hire an inspector who can provide you with the results of the tests within a week since a mold problem can spread very quickly.
Look for a licensed mold inspection who has years of experience in this field and who has a solid reputation. Contact different inspectors to ask them a few questions on how they work and to make sure they will check every area where mold could be growing in your home.