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Pre-Purchase
Mould Test When Buying Real Estate
[July 31, 2003]
Q.
We are considering buying a home and during the inspection mould
was found in a 16" high crawl space area on the paper insulation.
The entire area could not be examined due to it's small nature.
The area involved is approx 29'X16'. A swab test will be taken to
determine it's activity and type. There is another section of the
basement approx 4' high that is very damp and has a sump pump and
ventilation. The insulation there was very wet in areas. Each
section has a concrete floor. We have a son that is allergic to
mould and has other health issues (hearing loss). The only access
to the crawl space is through a bilco door. Should this be a
major concern for us in deciding to purchase this home. The
inspector thought the mould was inactive however, he stated he is
no expert in this field. Will one swab test give us an accurate
picture? This crawl space will certainly make it difficult to
address any problem and control any future mould.
A.
One swab test from the crawl space is not enough. Either you
[using one of our do it yourself mould test kits] or a mould
inspector can attach an open mould test kit to a pre-cleaned
[with rubbing alcohol] box fan with the open side of the kit
being directly facing the outward air flow from the fan. Place
the fan at the entrance to the crawl space for 10 minutes so
that the fan will suck out air from the moldy crawl space onto
the sticky surface of the mould test kit which you have taped to
the fan. Please follow our easy instructions published at:
Mould Mart mould growth from the crawl space and
basement can easily spread [grow] into the ceiling, floors, and
walls above the crawl space and basement. mould spores from those
areas can also easily spread by air movement into the rest of
your house. If you are serious about buying this house, you will
need to have a Certified Mould Inspector inspect [fiber optics]
and mould test inside all basement/crawl space ceilings, the
floors above, the walls above, plus mould test the air of all
rooms, attic, and the outward flow from all heating/cooling duct
registers. Air tests are to determine if there are present
elevated levels of airborne mould spores, in comparison to an
outdoor control test. Learn all about mould inspection and mould
testing by visiting:
mould types,
mould
inspector, and
mould
inspection.
[July 20, 2003]
Q.
I recently had a pre-purchase mould test done on a piece of property.
My reason for such test was the knowledge of two prior leaks found in the
basement, one just last year and the other in 1998. The test
showed the presence of Stachybotrys mould in the basement. Could you please
email me with any
information you might have regarding the hazards associated with
Stachybotrys mould in homes?
A.
Stachybotrys mould [also known sometimes spelled as Stachybotris]
is considered the most dangerous
mould species because it has the
potential to destroy the brains of persons living or working in Stachy-contaminated homes, apartments, or work places. You were
very wise to have hired mould testing in view of the known prior
water leaks. Even in the absence of such knowledge of prior
water problems, paying for pre-purchase mould inspection and
pre-purchase mould testing for
a home, condo, or other real estate property being considered
for your purchase is very wise so that you don't end up owning a
property for which mould remediation of any hidden or
visible mould infestation problems can cost more than the value
of the property being purchased. A property with a mould history
is very difficult to re-sell---another good reason to to do
pre-purchase mould inspection and arrange for pre-purchase mould tests to avoid
purchasing a moldy home, condo, apartment, office, or commercial
real estate property. In addition, you don't want to ruin your
family's health by living in a mould-contaminated home. When
buying a property, in the contract, have your attorney or
realtor insert an environmental inspection clause that gives you
at least 21 days to inspect and test a property environmentally
[mould is not the only health environmental risk that can be
lurking in a property]. The sale becomes contingent upon your
approval of the property AFTER you have received the
environmental inspection and testing report [for which you are
the one to pay]. To hire a Certified Mould Inspector to inspect
and mould test a property, please visit:
mould
profession. If you want to do your own
inspection and testing, follow the advice in our book
Mould
Health Book plus use our do it yourself mould test kits with our
expert mould laboratory analysis [Mould
Mart]. |
