A mold inspection looks at virtually all the same areas of a structure as in a home inspection (except for the electrical system). Why?
Any area or system of a structure can be affected by or be in part involved in moisture intrusion which can then lead to mold contamination. The mold inspector looks at a structure from a slightly different viewpoint than the physical inspector, as the mold inspector has specialized training and tools for locating moisture intrusion and testing for mold that the physical home inspector does not possess. And the emphasis of a mold inspection is always on moisture intrusion issues to determine if there is a current mold situation or to determine if a mold situation is likely to occur in the near future due to a moisture intrusion issue.
Mold...Yuck! It's a good idea to invest in a mold inspection...In most cases, it'll pay for itself.
Thanks for the informative post. I am seeing more and more cases of mold, now that many of my clients are shopping for foreclosures. I heard that laundry detergent is a non-toxic way to get rid of small mold issues, is this accurate? If so, how is it applied/removed? Thanks!
Stefan,
Thanks for the question. As of this time I have not heard of this solution (nor recommended it) for cleaning small mold situations. The only way to know for sure if this works would be to test it by applying it to a mold sample and sending the sample through a laboratory to see what had changed. However, something that has been recommended by the EPA is to use a bleach, water solution to clean small mold issues.
True, home inspections are VERY different form mold inspections. My primary business is home inspections. I do not do mold inspections, but I take mold samples. This means where my clients want me to take samples from, that is where I take them from. During the coarse of my home inspections IF I notice any problematic areas or excessive moisture I do report it. However, mold is not somthing that is required to be reported on (in NC). If fact the state strongly recommends that we if we see something that looks like mold we call it out as fungal or organic growth. Samples should always be sent to a lab for analysis.
If mold is present a professional mold remediation company should be consulted. For more information check out the EPA website.
Do you believe that there has been a decline in mold related litigation in California?
If it has decreased, have you seen a reduction in you E&O insurance?
One more:). How long does it take to complete a typical "mold inspection"
No, I do not want to be a mold inspector!