The potential for finding a mold in a home raises many issues for home owners, as well as home buyers and sellers. What should a buyer look for and how much mold is too much? What are the seller's responsibilities for fixing or disclosing a problem?

 

Health Risks

There is much debate about how much mold poses a health risk. Mold is always present in the environment and some people are not bothered by it. Others, particularly those with allergies or respiratory problems, can become ill when exposed to a small amount. Symptoms can range from mild stuffiness and headache to severe cases of fever, shortness of breath and infections of the lungs.

 

According to many real estate agents, mold is not a huge problem, but one that people should be aware of, especially if they have allergies.

 

Common Causes

Mold is a fungus that thrives in moist, dark environments. In many cases it is harmless and can be cleaned with a bleach and water solution, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta. When left to germinate and spread, however, mold can invade and destroy large sections of a room or a house.

 

Mold also is a sign of other water-related problems that can result from a lack of maintenance. It also will appear in new construction if roofs, windows, and doors are not properly sealed, for example, or if mold is present on lumber before it is installed.

 

What to Look For

When shopping for a house, look at the places where water is used or can leak into a house. A musty, damp odor may indicate previous problems with water infiltration.

 

The bathrooms, kitchen, and laundry room are common places where mold will grow, as there is a constant supply of water. Look for:

 

·           Water on top of a kitchen or bathroom cabinet

·           A leaking faucet

·           Signs that a toilet has overflowed or that water is sweating from the toilet and running onto the floor

·           Water stains on the ceiling or walls

 

Also examine roofs, doors, windows, skylights, and any carpeting.  One of the biggest problems with houses are leaky windows, which will leave a stain around the openings.

 

It's Not Always Visible

Mold is not always easy to spot, however. It may start behind a wall or an appliance and grow for weeks or months before being detected. The mold may start in one room, but appear as a stain on a wall in an adjoining room.

 

The Home Inspection

Most home inspectors do not routinely test for mold, as that requires specialized equipment and expertise. In some cases, it would require breaking open a wall, which inspectors are not permitted to do without the owner's permission.

 

A good inspector should be able to identify mold, detect the smell of it and notice that the carpeting is damp or that tile has separated from the wall, however. Many inspectors do not perform official mold testing or remediation, but will refer home owners to an environmental company that will be qualified to test for it.

 

Questions to Ask

When shopping for a home, consumers also should ask if the house has been vacant or used as a rental property. Those types of houses can be more prone to neglect. Renters don't always take care of a property the way an owner would.

 

Basic home maintenance projects, such as changing a furnace filter or making sure that water does not collect in an air conditioner drain pan, may be overlooked by renters. Some also avoid using air conditioning because of the cost. This can lead to humidity building up in a home.

 

Rental Properties

There are many rental properties that need routine maintenance, such as caulking the bathtub. Renters may not focus on it until it water has seeped through the wall and the tiles start falling off. By then, the mold has already formed.

 

On the home selling side, consumers in many other states are required to disclose material defects in a property. The presence of a little mold typically would not be considered a defect, however.

 

Many real estate agent recommend that sellers disclose any problems, including ones that have been fixed. Otherwise an inspector might find the problem and think the seller is trying to hide something.

 

If a prospective buyer asks about water problems, a seller should be honest and disclose what he or she knows. Some may not remember minor problems that happened years ago, however. Or, they may not be aware of a problem growing behind the walls.