“Mold” — What, Where and How?

“Mold” — What, Where and How?

Mold is organic and is everywhere. Under the right set of conditions, it can actually start to grow inside your house.

Areas where Mold typically grows:

  1. Attics (Leaks, excessive heat, poor ventilation).
  2. Kitchens & Bathrooms (Leaks, excessive moisture & lack of ventilation).
  3. Basements (Water penetration & poor ventilation)

With the increased humidity in the summer months, more and more mold issues are being found. If you or your seller suspect mold in the home, we suggest:

  1. Obtaining more information from http://www.rootshomeinspection.com/mold/
  2. We highly recommend the go to moldtips.com link
  3. Take action immediately.

Mold evaluations are not well regulated. To clean areas larger than 10 square feet, consult an industrial hygienist. 

Is Mold testing included in the home inspection?

Mold is a natural substance. The hazard of this substance varies by the amount and type of mold present. As part of the inspection, we will be looking for issues that can contribute to the formation of mold and overgrowth.

We typically find issues with mold in attics, basements, kitchens, and bathrooms. In attics, mold issues usually occur due to poor ventilation. In basements, typical mold issues occur due to water penetration and humidity. In kitchens and bathrooms, water and humidity issues are usually the cause of mold growth.

A home inspection is a visual inspection only, so we can only see what is visually accessible.  If we see something that looks like mold, we will call it out to you and write it in the report as “a mold-like substance”. We cannot call out mold if it is not openly visually available and we do not offer air sampling.

Laboratory testing is required in order to determine if the substance is in fact mold and the type of mold.  In the event that we call out mold, we are prepared to take a sample if you request. We offer laboratory testing at $195 per sample. Discounts provided for multiple samples.

Due to these limitations we specially indicate that Mold is Not included in this inspection.