• Remember that buildings with forced-air heating or central air conditioning (or both) are more vulnerable to mold because spores can be spread through the ducts that carry warm or cold air. The inspector should test for the presence of spores in each heating/cooling duct and in the air outflow from registers.
• Mold and mildew can be scrubbed from non-porous surfaces, such as metal or plastic. Mold is difficult to eradicate, however, on porous surfaces such as sheetrock, plywood, fiberglass insulation or concrete.
• If during a home inspection you discover fresh paint in an area that is moisture-prone, such as on sheetrock that covers a crawl space, investigate further. The paint may be an attempt to conceal the stains and discolorations of mold.
• When buying an apartment house or condominium, have your attorney investigate whether residents of the property have filed any mold-related lawsuits or insurance claims. You don’t want to buy a property with a documented history of breeding mold.
Above all, don’t minimize the danger that mold can pose to your investments. Mold might look like a small problem to you in a building you are considering, something you can clean up with some ammonia. But even if the problem appears small, it might not appear so inconsequential to potential buyers, who might run from the prospect of buying a building with even a trace of mold. And then there is always the chance that they are right to be cautious. After all, there are hundreds of thousands of mold species that have not yet been studied for possible toxic properties to humans. As in all things connected to real estate, it is better to be safe than sorry.
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