Are you buying a new home? If so, then you should consider getting a mold inspection. The mold inspection process is very different from a typical housing inspection. The cost of mold inspection may vary depending on the size of the house. There are some diverse situations in which you might need a proper mold inspection. Let us look at when a mold inspection is needed, what mold testing does, and the average cost.
- What is mold?
Mold is a fungus that usually lives in moist places. Mold emits spores and spreads through these microscopic particles. Spores of fungi are present in the air, outdoors and inside your home, etc. We can not obliterate these mold spores unless we have installed a large industrial filtration system.
When they land on a moist surface, they form mold. This mold damages the surface it is growing on and aggravates the asthma problem so, if you want to keep your home safe from this fungus, then try to keep the interior of your home dry, clean up spills, and repair all the leaks in your house.
- When to inspect for mold?
An amazing fact about mold- if you can see the mold in your home, corners, and cracks of your walls, then it means it’s growing rapidly and spreading more spores. Mold may also form the colonies to live. They can also grow in invisible places like in your ducts or between the walls of your room.
- In the following conditions, you need to inspect for mold:
- If there is water damage in your house.
- You are purchasing a new house.
- After a house has been unoccupied
- After mold remediation
- If you see some mold in your home.
- How much does a mold inspection cost?
The cost of mold inspection varies from area to area, but the difference is generally minimal. Even some times you can find large variations from one contractor to another in the same area. Actually, the mold inspection cost and regular home inspection costs are the same. The average cost of the mold inspection is $300 to $400 for small or medium-sized houses. Keep in mind that the testing costs are not included in this cost. If you avoid unnecessary mold testing, you can save some money. Many specialized mold contractors do a free mold inspection expecting to be hired for the remediation itself.
- After the inspection:
In the first step, the mold inspection finds mold in your home. If there is mold present in your home, then the next step is to make a proper remediation plan. In this step, the source of moisture that allows the mold to grow is removed. If you do not remove the source and clean up all the mold, then there is a chance that it may regrow. You can scrub or wash your home’s hard surfaces while the soft surface like carpets should be replaced. It is not possible to remove all the mold off from porous surfaces.