Real Estate Mold Tests Seldom Necessary

Very interesting.  My question would be HOW to deal with the mold, whatever type it may happen to be.  Is it necessary to consider all types reason to don the "hazmat suits", or simply bring-out the bleach bottle.

Glen----I am with you on not getting on this band wagon:)

Glen -

Great post.  Mold seems to the "boogie man" of inspections in the absence of clear standards.

I believe you make a great point -- any sign of mold is probably not a good thing!

Glen -

Great post.  I'm not too concerned with finding mold, however I always inspect for 'conditions conducive to mold growth'

50% of all mold found in homes is hidden behind drywall, underneath carpeting, pad etc. If a client and or any of their family is allergic to mold spores (which millions of Americans are) it only makes sense to test for mold in a home. There is a great misconception of mold and testing in this industry and blogs like this do nothing to actually educate people on it's dangers. Unless you have actually been there, done that and bought the t-shirt, you have no idea what it can do.

I've said it before and I'll keep on saying it. You cannot always see mold. You cannot always smell mold, but that doesn't mean that it is not hidden somewhere. When mold is hidden, sometimes the only way to find out if it is actually in the home is with air tests.

I wish to god that Inspectors would just stop hiding behind the outdated EPA guidelines and get educated because mold is a real threat. Just ask anyone with mold allergies. The current EPA guidelines concerning mold are so old and outdated, they haven't been revised since Moses was a child

I am very proud to offer mold testing as part of my services and I have been able to save many a family from purchasing homes that have had serious moisture and mold problems that were not "seen" with the naked eye, but found later on, after my air testing.

Mold spores are in every home, that is a fact. However exposure to high levels of mold spores inside the home has been proven to cause significant health problems in children, the elderly and sensitized individuals with weakened immune systems.

It is time for inspectors to get educated about mold and it's effects.

I must say that I am totally on board with the previous post regarding mold testing and those who try to demean the mold testing, assessment and remediation industry.  Some of us are professionals.  Some of us know what we are doing.

Florida has finally seen the light as have several other states who have enacted laws to protect the people who pay for our services.  Now, all home inspectors, mold remediators and mold assessors MUST be licensed.  I have nothing against home inspectors, most do a great job.  In FL you must now pass a very difficult test to get the license to perform mold testing.  Many home inspectors took a 4 hour course to learn how to take samples and were given the name of a lab in FL that gives a 10 page report that scares and confuses people.  They make conclusions, and that's against the industry's watchdog group.  The inspector then gives that confusing report to the homeowner that has no earthly idea what it may mean.

Here are some rules to go by: If the person who wants to take the sample can't explain what he wants to prove or disprove, don't do it.  If the person offering to test also performs mold remediation, don't walk away, RUN.  If that person can't give you a detailed explanation as to how that mold appeared and what caused it, don't do business with them.  If the person can't tell you about most of the molds on the report, or can't tell you which molds he expects to find or not find, show him the door.

In most cases, you folks are correct, mold can be cleaned up by the homeowner.  Read EPA's guidelines for suggestions as to what to use to clean and what size area can be cleaned by the homeowner.  Here's the question: if you tell a homeowner to clean up a large area of mold that disguises a serious problem, can you the real estate professional be held liable in a lawsuit after the fact?  Try doing a search for "mold" along with "Rachel Ray" or Ed McMahon" or "Ballard" and read some of the true stories of what's happening out there.  Some are bogus claims, many are not.

Here is my personal experience and you can take it for what it's worth.  I have been at the mold testing/consulting/assessment for over 5 years after over 20 as a water damage/mold remediation contractor.  For every pre-purchase assessment I have actually done (many call but somehow justify not paying the money) I have done 100 or more for people who have realized a serious problem AFTER they moved in to the home.  The cost of the testing BEFORE the purchase is 1% or less than the cost of repairs AFTER they own the home.  And that says nothing about the health of the people living in the home. John Papageorge

Well Glen, I agree with you on the needing to know the name of the particular mold may be an unnecessary expence (unless you expect to go to court to recover costs). Once you know there is a problem, it has to be dealt with any way.

But the privious 2 commentors remarks are also valid. Air quality test do prove and identify problem conditions that can't be determined otherwise. However there has to be some indication for the need for the testing. You don't just order testing out of the blue.

I don't know what you consider expensive but a practical way to handle it is do a swab sample test. They are quick turn rround and not costly. Then if the results warrant, furthur testing could be considered.