AE Home Inspectors, LLC

Quality Visual Observations and Evaluations
(404) 406-9031

Atlanta - North Atlanta - Cobb County
New Homes - Resales - Town Homes - Presales - Condos

Inspecting House for Mold
Any experienced home inspector can identify conditions that risk water entry or high moisture levels in a house. These conditions promote the growth of mold spores. Mold is a natural organism and it’s virtually everywhere. The goal of “zero” mold spores makes no sense, but if conditions promote mold growth problems are more likely.

-> If you don’t see water stains don’t assume there was never a flood or a leak.

-> If a building has had flooding, plumbing leaks, A/C condensate leaks, hidden mold may be at serious levels.

-> Check HVAC equipment and duct work for presence of mold or other allergens.

-> If you don’t see mold don’t assume a severe mold infection can’t be present (behind walls, under carpets, under insulation, in HVAC equipment.)

-> Mold may be present at problem-levels in house air depending on variations in humidity, temperature, season, air movement, and physical activity. Not finding it at a given moment is not an excuse for visual and in some case invasive inspecting.

-> A home inspection is not an environmental check for unhealthy mold or other bioaerosols or allergens. But if you see moldy conditions, warn your client.

-> Do not assert that a specific illness or complaint is caused by mold. The four tests (proposed by Burge, Harvard School of Public Health) are stringent beyond your means as an inspector. Mold at high levels may cause and almost certainly aggravates or contributes to a wide variety of complaints.

How to Prevent and Remove Mildew
Mildew can be found on many different surfaces. It is a thin, black, or sometimes white, growth produced by mold. Molds are simple plants belonging to the group known as fungi. Though molds are always present in the air, those that cause mildew need moisture and certain temperatures to grow. They commonly develop in humid summer weather, especially in closed houses.

These molds grow on anything from which they can get enough food. In homes they develop most often on cotton, linen, rayon, silk, wool, leather, wood, and paper. Many synthetic fibers resist mildew.

Molds that cause mildew flourish wherever it is damp, warm, poorly lighted and or where air is not circulated – In cellars, crawl spaces of houses without basements and clothing closets. It can also be found on draperies and rags in basement recreation rooms, on shower curtains and on damp clothes rolled up for ironing. These molds are likely to grow in a new house because of moisture in the building materials.

As molds grow, they cause considerable damage. They leave a musty odor; they discolor fabrics; and sometimes they eat into them until the fabrics rot and fall to pieces. They also discolor leather or paper.

Preventing Mildew

Keep things clean.
Keep closets, dresser drawers, basements – any place where mildew is likely to grow – as clean as possible. Soil on dirty articles can supply enough food for mildew to start growing when moisture and temperature are right. Greasy films, such as those that form on kitchen walls, also contain many nutrients for mildew causing molds.

Clean clothing is less likely to mildew than soiled clothing. Because most synthetic fibers, such as acetate, acrylic, polyester, and nylon, are resistant to mildew, clean fabrics of these fibers will not support mold growth. But even on these fabrics, soil may supply food to start mildew. Clean all soiled fabrics thoroughly.

Dry the air
Air conditioners and dehumidifiers, cool air hold less moisture than warm air. Properly installed air-conditioning systems remove moisture from the air by taking up warm air; cooling it (which removes the moisture) and circulating the cool, dry air back into the room are useful. A humidistat can be attached to the unit to control the humidity. Mechanical dehumidifiers, however, can add heat to a room.

Circulate the air
Air movement is excellent at removing moisture. When the air outside is drier than that inside, ventilation allows the dry air to enter, take up excess moisture and then be carried outside. When natural breezes are not sufficient, you can use electric fans placed in a window, set in a wall or vented to the attic to move air from the house.

Clothing and household fabrics
Keep fabrics dry. Never let clothing or other fabric lie around damp or wet and dry soiled clothes before putting time into a hamper. Was out dishcloths and hang them to dry. Spread out washcloths and damp towels. Stretch out wet shower curtains. It is the wet curtain left bunched together or sticking to the wall or tub that is most likely to grow mildew. Sprinkle only as many articles as can be ironed in a day. Shake out and dry those not ironed.

Leather goods (prevention)
To protect leather against mildew, treat with low pressure aerosol sprays that carry specific directions. Shoe and luggage stores may have these aerosol sprays that have been specifically made for leather goods.

Before treating the article, test the spray on a small area where it will not show. Do this to see whether it will change the color of the leather. Repeat the treatment as directed on the label.

Another way to protect leather goods is to apply a good wax dressing. A thin coat of floor wax applied to shoes – to both uppers and soles keeps moisture out and helps prevent mildew. Some commercially available waxes or silicon resins have anti-mildew properties. However, some shoe dressings contain anti-fungicidal ingredients that might discolor white or light-colored leather.

Wood
Unpainted wood. In damp, warm, poorly ventilated areas, surface mold often develops on wooden parts of buildings. Since new, unseasoned lumber is particularly susceptible to mildew, avoid using it whenever possible.

Painted wood. Indoor wood surfaces covered with enamel or oil-resin paint rarely mildews. Softer paints on outdoor surfaces mildew more readily. Molds feed on the oil and minerals in the paint and cause a dirty-looking discoloration. They may penetrate the paint film deeply, even to the underlying wood.

Mildew-resistant paints in all colors for outdoor wood surfaces are available at paint and hardware stores. Manufacturers have suitable formulated their products with fungoid to help combat mildew attack.