Mold Inspection Checklist Before Buying A Home

Before you start your search for a home, make sure to complete a mold inspection checklist. A mold problem is not something you want in your new home. If you look around corners and in cabinets, there is no mold. It’s unlikely that it is in your home. It is difficult to spot mold, even if you look closely. Finding mold in walls, floors, or behind bathroom ceramic tiles is not always easy. Before you offer to buy a house, it is important to conduct a mold inspection in Riverview.

What Are The Benefits of Inspecting For Mold?

Mold is not dirt or dust, but a fungus. There are many molds, including black, yellow, green, yellow and blue. However, you should know that you don’t want them in your home. Molds can be toxic, but not all molds. However, mycotoxins can cause unusual bleeding, respiratory problems, seizures and extreme fatigue in people who are sensitive to them.

There are several categories of people who are at risk for mold exposure. These include seniors, not students in high school, young children, pregnant women, people with weakened immune systems, people who have cancer, or those taking anti-inflammatory medications.

Mold Inspection Checklist before Buying: Inspect Specific Areas

Consider that mold thrives when it is dark and damp, so be aware of this before you go to houses you are interested in. Additional light is necessary to see if there are visible molds. A flashlight is a must. This will allow you to see into dark corners and hidden spaces like under stairswells or closets.

Exterior

• Walk around the exterior of the house before you enter it. Check the roof for missing or curled-up shingles. Ask when the roof was last replaced. Take a look at the grading around your home. Is the ground sloped away from the foundation
• Are the gutters securely attached? And are the downspouts directed away form the foundation?
• Check for foundation cracks. Are there missing siding or trim?

Home’s Interior Walls & Ceilings

• Do you smell any musty odors as soon as you enter the building? Sometimes, it’s easier to detect a mold problem through smell than by sight. An earthy, stale smell can identify a mold problem.
• Check for spots or stains on ceilings and walls. Check for discolorations near the trim of your doors and windows.
• Pay attention to any irregular texturing in the past.

Bathrooms

Before buying a house, you should pay special attention to bathrooms.

• Check under the vanities for visible mold. Pay attention to vanity floors and look for visible mold.
• It would help if you inspected the caulking around toilets, shower enclosures and bathtubs for water staining.
• To ensure that all bathroom exhaust fans are working, turn them on. Leakage of roof stacks can cause ceiling stains and water intrusion.

Kitchens

You should pay the same attention to your kitchen as you did to bathroom inspections.

• Under the sink, inspect the sink cabinet floor for visible mold or water stains.
• Pay attention to the area near the refrigerator and dishwasher. You should inspect the flooring for damage or warping.
• Check the flooring around any separate beverage coolers or wet bars.
• The heat from cooking creates excessive humidity. It is therefore important to ensure that the exhaust fan in the kitchen is correctly located and works properly.

Attic Spaces

• Roof leaks don’t always cause damage to ceilings and rooms below. Inspecting plywood sheathing, roof rafters, and roof trusses for signs of mold or staining is important.
• Exhaust fans should not be vented into the attic from the house. All exhaust fans should be ducted through the roof.

Basements

• Check the floor joints, particularly around plumbing that runs through them. Copper water lines must be free from condensation.
• It would help if you inspected the furnace ducting for signs of corrosion and any condensation.
• Check for foundation cracks and any larger than normal ones (larger than hairline ones).
• Look out for mold in finished areas such as closets and baseboards. Check for discoloration in drywall around windows.

HVAC System

• You can open the access panel to the furnace and look for any rusty parts.
• The furnace may have too much moisture.
• Check for visible mold or rust on the cold air return covers and metal registers in every room.

In conclusion

A mold inspection checklist is a good way to ensure you are a smart homebuyer. Although this checklist should not be used to replace a licensed home inspector, it will help you get a better idea of the condition and help you decide if the house is worth your time.