Should I get a mold inspection?

Mold inspections are common performed as part of most residential real estate transaction, although they are typically not required as part of a mortgage approval process.  Mold inspection are prudent if you have a concern regarding mold.  

There are a few situations that should make you look for a mold problem.  Mold inspections should be completed on homes that  have been unoccupied for extended periods of time. If a house has been closed up and unoccupied for months or years, humidity most likely has built up inside and caused mold to grow.  All bank owned properties should have a mold inspection performed due to the humidity concerned mentioned above.  Homes that have been flipped or rehabbed should have a mold inspection performed because these homes have a high probability of growth (Most were bank owned) and we have found that often times the mold has been covered over or ignored by the real estate investor. Flipped homes should have mold inspections with air testing to search for hidden mold.

Home inspections typically do not cover mold inspections and most home inspectors are not experienced with mold.

Mold inspections should be performed on homes where water damage has occurred either one time or when chronic water issues are present.

What affects the cost of a mold inspection?

Two main factors determine the cost of a mold inspection. Mold inspection costs are based on the time it takes to complete the inspections, simply put larger homes take longer to inspect than smaller homes.  If mold testing is needed it will add to the inspection cost as you now have laboratory analysis to pay for and time for the mold professional to interpret the data.

The best mold inspections are professionals that have experience in both mold inspection and remediation. Finding mold during a mold inspections and following the project through to remediation provides the firm a 360 degree view of the mold problem.  We have completed thousands of mold inspections and remediation and while they all have similarities there are nuisances to each project. 

Do I need to inspect a  new home for mold?

New homes should have mold inspection because there is actually a term we use called new home mold. Mold can grow during the home construction process, the crews working on a new home don't have the experience with mold and accordingly are not aware that growth has occurred.

What happens during a mold inspection?

Mold inspections involve an experienced professional evaluating a home for mold growth.  Mold inspections have a large visual aspect for mold evaluation, but experienced mold professionals will have infrared cameras to help evaluate a property on an IR level.

Mold inspectors with remediation experience have the knowledge  and  experience regarding where mold was found in other homes. Mold professional know there are hundreds of factors that lead to mold on a given surface or a specific area, and inspectors utilize this knowledge to thoroughly inspect for mold.  Insects, cobwebs, termite dame or repairs, sump condition, grading, landscaping, tree canopy, house orientation, building materials, paint and a host of other small nuisances that most likely mean nothing to you but figure into a mold professionals inspection of a property.