Mold growing in your home can be a serious problem not only for you, but also for the building itself. The negative health effects it can have on you, your family, and your pets are bad enough by themselves, but when you add the structural damage it can do, what it costs to have it removed, and how unsightly it can be, it is a nightmare for any homeowner to deal with. There are a number of places in your home that are at risk for mold growth and you should do a casual inspection of these areas often, since it can start to grow in about 48 hours.
The bathroom is the worst area of the home at risk for mold because this room sees so much water going in and out of it every day. Hopefully everyone in your home takes a bath or a shower at least once a day and if they do, then this is somewhere around or even over a hundred gallons a day. Steam collects and becomes soaked up by the ceiling and will cause mold to grow there over time. Ceilings have been known to collapse due to this kind of moisture buildup, so having an exhaust vent installed in the room to let the steam outside into the atmosphere is a good idea. The bathroom floor should also be waterproofed. Hard, non-porous surfaces are not good environments for mold to grow on, but if they get underneath to the wooden sub-floor, they will thrive.
The kitchen is another area of the home at risk and an exhaust vent should be here, too, and preferably located over the stove. This is also an area that needs to have a water tight floor, since it is also a place where spills of liquid happen often. Dishwashers and ice makers in the refrigerator also have a tendency to malfunction if they are old or in disrepair.
Basements have their own humidity problem to deal with most of the time and you can fix this by repairing any water leaks that may be there and installing a dehumidifier can also help. If you do laundry or have an extra bathroom here, an exhaust vent is a must. Replacing window wells and piling more soil around the foundation of your house can help stop water from seeping inside, as well.
Showing posts with label house. Show all posts
Showing posts with label house. Show all posts
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Home and Mold Inspections When Buying a House
Everyone who wants to purchase a home should have an inspection of the property done before any final papers are signed. This inspection is not considered an appraisal and no grading system exists, so a house cannot “fail” one of these inspections. They exist simply to show the buyer what is wrong with the house and give advice on what can be done about any problems that do exist.
Most contracts to buy a home in the United States will include a clause that the contract will not be considered valid until the property has been looked at by a home inspector. Some states require that home inspectors are to be licensed, but those who are professional engineers do not have to have this license, since their engineering license covers these inspections.
Inspections will usually include checking the basement, water heater, central heat and air conditioning, structural integrity, electrical system, plumbing, and the roof. Other aspects of the building will also be looked at, including areas of the home that are not considered up to code and need extensive repair, general maintenance issues, and etcetera.
Mold is something, however, that is not generally covered under a general home inspection. Having a home inspected for mold growth is typically considered to be a separate act and so a contract to purchase a home should be amended to include a mold inspection before the contract is considered valid. One clue as to whether you will really need a mold inspection or not will be whether the home inspection finds that the home has had a water damage to any area of it. Mold will typically grow where water damage has occurred, but it can also grow in homes that show no signs of this, so purchasing a mold inspection is advised whether your home inspector finds water damaged areas of your home or not.
If damage to the home or mold is found, then you need to decide whether or not to go ahead and purchase the home after having this information in your hand. Some sellers may give you a credit on the price of the home if you choose to buy it and repair the damage yourself and some may repair the damage done for you. Others may insist that the sale is “as-is” and will not give any leniency one way or another on the issue. Judge the scale of the problem and what it will cost to have it repaired and make the decision that is right for you.
Most contracts to buy a home in the United States will include a clause that the contract will not be considered valid until the property has been looked at by a home inspector. Some states require that home inspectors are to be licensed, but those who are professional engineers do not have to have this license, since their engineering license covers these inspections.
Inspections will usually include checking the basement, water heater, central heat and air conditioning, structural integrity, electrical system, plumbing, and the roof. Other aspects of the building will also be looked at, including areas of the home that are not considered up to code and need extensive repair, general maintenance issues, and etcetera.
Mold is something, however, that is not generally covered under a general home inspection. Having a home inspected for mold growth is typically considered to be a separate act and so a contract to purchase a home should be amended to include a mold inspection before the contract is considered valid. One clue as to whether you will really need a mold inspection or not will be whether the home inspection finds that the home has had a water damage to any area of it. Mold will typically grow where water damage has occurred, but it can also grow in homes that show no signs of this, so purchasing a mold inspection is advised whether your home inspector finds water damaged areas of your home or not.
If damage to the home or mold is found, then you need to decide whether or not to go ahead and purchase the home after having this information in your hand. Some sellers may give you a credit on the price of the home if you choose to buy it and repair the damage yourself and some may repair the damage done for you. Others may insist that the sale is “as-is” and will not give any leniency one way or another on the issue. Judge the scale of the problem and what it will cost to have it repaired and make the decision that is right for you.
Checking Out Your House For Mold
Checking your home for mold is something that every homeowner should do if they want to protect their investment and the health of their family, since mold has been known to cause health problems for hundreds, if not thousands of years. Breathing problems and numerous different types of infections have arisen from breathing in or coming into contact with mold and its spores, not to mention the allergic reactions that some people have. Around one third of the population is allergic to mold, but most people do not realize that even dead mold spores can cause allergic reactions.
There are a number of reasons that you should check for mold in your home and signs that should tell you where to check. Any room that has a large amount of water going in and out of it every day should be considered at risk for mold growth and while this usually includes the bathroom, kitchen, and laundry room, it can also include the basement.
The basement should be considered for another reason: it is underground. Humidity builds up easily in basements, especially those that have not been properly waterproofed. Water can leak into this room from the outside of the house, but it can also leak in from cracks in the concrete formed by ground water. If you have any plans on finishing your basement with drywall, you should get the water issues in the basement solved as thoroughly as you can.
The floor of your bathroom and kitchen should also be completely waterproofed. You can install any kind of flooring that you like (although hardwood is not recommended) as long as it is sealed so that water does not get underneath and soak into the floor boards. This can rot the floor over time and cause it to fall right out from underneath you, but before that happens, mold growth is very common.
Mold has also been known to grow on bathroom and kitchen ceilings and walls because the steam has nowhere to go. Both of these rooms should have exhaust vents that will pull the steam out of the room. If not, it becomes absorbed by the ceiling and upper walls and will cause mold growth.
Another problem occurs when people put carpet in moist areas of their home. While most people do not put carpet in the kitchen, some have been known to put carpet in the bathroom. Since water is dripped onto the floor almost every single day in the bathroom, this is one of the worst bathroom remodeling ideas going. No matter how careful you care, mold will eventually start to grow underneath this carpet and you will have to throw it out.
There are a number of reasons that you should check for mold in your home and signs that should tell you where to check. Any room that has a large amount of water going in and out of it every day should be considered at risk for mold growth and while this usually includes the bathroom, kitchen, and laundry room, it can also include the basement.
The basement should be considered for another reason: it is underground. Humidity builds up easily in basements, especially those that have not been properly waterproofed. Water can leak into this room from the outside of the house, but it can also leak in from cracks in the concrete formed by ground water. If you have any plans on finishing your basement with drywall, you should get the water issues in the basement solved as thoroughly as you can.
The floor of your bathroom and kitchen should also be completely waterproofed. You can install any kind of flooring that you like (although hardwood is not recommended) as long as it is sealed so that water does not get underneath and soak into the floor boards. This can rot the floor over time and cause it to fall right out from underneath you, but before that happens, mold growth is very common.
Mold has also been known to grow on bathroom and kitchen ceilings and walls because the steam has nowhere to go. Both of these rooms should have exhaust vents that will pull the steam out of the room. If not, it becomes absorbed by the ceiling and upper walls and will cause mold growth.
Another problem occurs when people put carpet in moist areas of their home. While most people do not put carpet in the kitchen, some have been known to put carpet in the bathroom. Since water is dripped onto the floor almost every single day in the bathroom, this is one of the worst bathroom remodeling ideas going. No matter how careful you care, mold will eventually start to grow underneath this carpet and you will have to throw it out.
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