Last Updated on April 3, 2015
People who are planning to invest in property are always looking a nice house that can be purchased at a good price. If you are selling your home, you will have to meet all the rules and regulations of your state. There are some states where the disclosure of the presence of mold is essential for the home buyer. By not following the rule is more like prepping yourself for trouble.
Therefore if you have mold in your house at the time of selling, you will be left with no other option but to disclose it. No doubt, this is something that is fairly enough to deter the potential buyers. As a result, the home seller has to slash down his price because otherwise it will languish on the market for a few months.
Mold and real estate
If you have some knowledge on real estate, you may take it is as an opportunity to simply snag an excellent house available at a fairly discounted price. Furthermore, if you know how to address mold, you will surely not be scared off in buying a house where mold infests.
Media has played a pivotal role in creating awareness among public regarding and the health issues it poses to the infants, pets and others. No doubt, mold seems to be one of the hottest topics of the year. It is not because whether it is a rainy year or so. What matters the most and is discussed these days is the fact that mold has not become more common. Rather, it is the people who have become more aware of this wrath.
The new homes that are built are more energy efficient than before. The way these homes are constructed is considered to be one of the prime reasons why mold prevails there. The new homes restrict air movement because of their tightness and make the mold to grow faster than before. Many remediation experts state that people have forgotten the fact that the houses also need to ‘breathe’ and they need air.
According to them, one should not get panic when he finds mold in his house. It is important that the homeowner stays clam an tries to figure out what caused it, how it can be addressed and how it can be prevented in the future. By doing so, he will ensure that his house remains a healthy place to live.
A fungus among us
Mold is not something new. People have been dealing with it since biblical times. If you get a chance to read Leviticus, one of the early books in the Bible, you will see mold has been discussed there. The experts claim that that there has never been a case when they had not found mold during a mold test of the house. Every environment and every house has some mold spores. It only becomes a problem when the concentration of mold spores in any house is greater than the concentration found outside.
Generally mold needs three main conditions to thrive and infest namely, a source of food, ideal temperature and of course moisture. Once you manage to eliminate any of these three factors, the mold problem will be sorted out. However, this is not as easy as it sounds. The temperature in houses is considered to be ideal for the mold to grow. Mold tends to feed on dirt or dust which simply cannot be eradicated from a home. This only leaves moisture.
Generally people think that there is some pipe burst or water intrusion because of which mold infests in their house. This is not always true. If you have a humidity level higher than sixty percent, you are surely going to have organic debris that will assist in mold growth. The mold experts state that if the damp or wet furnishings or building materials are dried or cleaned within twenty four to forty eight hours, the moisture present will surely lead to mold growth. Hence if you have taken a few days to figure about rain water seeped into the basement or about a leaky faucet, you are surely going to have mold in your house.
How to control mold
The easiest way to control mold is to prevent moisture from collecting. Here are a few simple steps you can take:
• Simply clean gutters thoroughly and extend downspouts so that they can deposit the water away from the home.
• Improve air circulation in your home. This can be done by simply switching on the fan.
• You must replace air filters on regular basis.
Mold cleanup guidelines
• Make sure you fix any sort of leaks right on time. Remember you have only got 24 to 48 hours to respond.
• You can easily scrub off mold from any hard surface with detergent and water and then dry the area completely.
• If there is mold on porous items like carpets or ceiling tiles, you simply have to discard them.
• You must never caulk or paint any moldy surface.