Mold, Radon, Lead Paint, OH, MY!

In the late 80s, when I started my career in real estate, we started hearing about radon. We were told it was a gas that came from decaying radium found in rock and soil. Although it was discovered in 1900, it wasn't until 1988 that the EPA came up with suggested guidelines for detecting and possibly remediating it. The suggested maximum reading of 4.0 pico curies isn't a scientific measure of hazard to your health, but rather a suggested number at which to consider a radon remediation system --- a soil suction reduction system consisting of vent pipes and fans.
   Because radon quickly became linked to lung cancer, home inspections started including radon testing, using a canister usually placed in the basement that would register the level of radon coming in from even small cracks in the walls and floors. To learn more about radon, go to:   http://www.epa.gov/radon/pubs
   We've been through the radon scare, the lead paint scare, and now we seem to be hearing more about mold and its possible health effects. The first thing to know about mold is it's ubiquitous --- it's all around you, inside and out, and you bring it into your home virtually every time you go in and out of the house. Mold is relatively harmless --- unless the levels in your home are allowed to rise to such that it can have an adverse effect on people with allergies and immune problems. According to the EPA, mold does not affect most healthy people.
   The easiest way to avoid mold problems in your home is to make sure you have a dehumidifier in your basement, AND that it is set no higher than 60% humidity (55% is ideal). Mold can't grow without moisture, and the best hothouse for mold growth is a damp basement. Note that you don't have to have standing water in your basement for mold to grow; it just has to have high levels of humidity (over 60%). Most of us have been in basements that smell "musty."  That is the smell of mold.
   If you suspect there may be mold in your home, and you're preparing to sell the house, you should have a mold inspection. I warn you, it isn't cheap. But, getting sued for covering up what could be considered an environmental hazard (again, depending on the type and scope) will be a lot more expensive.  A former colleague wa sued, along with the sellers of the home he listed, when the buyers discovered mold growing in the crawlspaces, months after they closed and moved in. They were having the basement finished when the contractor saw what he believed to be mold.
   The buyers sued the sellers and the listing agent, but shockingly not their home inspector who never found the mold. Months of depositions and legal wrangling ensued. Insurance companies and their legal teams got involved, and before the suit reached a courtroom, the parties settled. Even more shocking was the settlement --- $50,000 --- and the death of the seller's wife from the stress of the lawsuit.
   I don't want to blow out of proportion the liklihood of this happening, but the fact that it can should make every homeowner more vigilant about caring for your home. Most of us grew up in musty basements with occasional water leakage, lead paint chipping off our windows, and maybe even radon. We were blissfully unaware of any health hazards they might present.   Isaac Isamov said, "If knowledge can create problems, it is not through ignorance that we can solve them." So, walk around your home as if you're buying it, and avoid problems down the road.