The process of buying a property can be very stressful especially during the 10 day inspection period. The inspection period is the allowed time frame to have the property inspected by a home inspector, pest control expert, mold inspectors and radon technicians.

Almost all lenders require home inspections, termite inspections and many also mold inspections. A home buyer cannot close on the property until a proper home inspection is completed. But what does a home inspection report disclose? Home buyers are often clueless about home construction and its components, and have difficulty interpreting home inspection reports. Many don't know how to figure out which types of defects are serious or whether their home inspector checked all the essentials in the home or not.

An inspector should at least inspect the roof, basement, heating system, water heater, air-conditioning system, structure, plumbing, electrical, and many other aspects of buildings, looking for structural damages, building defects, those items that require extensive repairs, as well as some fire and safety issues. However, it should also be noted that a home inspection is not technically exhaustive and does not imply that every defect will be discovered. Among the list of exclusions are indoor environmental hazards such as mold problems. If you are an individual prompt to heath issues related to mold exposure, if you are purchasing a foreclosure property, or notice water damages, visible mold growth, musty odors or any other red flags during the showing or disclosed by your home inspector it is strongly recommended that the property is inspected by a certified mold inspector.

What are the red flags that usually indicate a mold problem?

If musty odors are present it is very likely that some mold growth or humidity issue is present. Some compounds produced by molds are volatile and are released directly into the air, these are known as microbial volatile organic compounds (mVOCs). These compounds often have strong and/or unpleasant odors. The production of toxins and mVOCs generated by fungi in a indoor environment depends on many factors, such as relative humidity, temperature, oxygen levels, food source and moisture content. All odors sources should be investigated to rule out severe issues.

Gypsum board walls or ceilings that show water staining, deterioration or irregular appearance specially on areas close to possible water sources, such as the back side of the shower wall, under the kitchen cabinet, near the sink or dishwasher, under the air handler, below and around the window sills and on ceiling sections around A/C vents.

Signs of ductwork condensation include moisture stains on ceiling sections usually near the A/C vents or A/C main duct. Ductwork condensation not only indicates possible ductwork openings, improper insulation and other defects with the ducts but it also indicates a humidity problem in the property itself and or improper attic ventilation, all probably leading to a present of future mold problem if is not quickly resolved.

Exterior wall openings and or window bad seals. Pay attention to any wall penetrations such as pipes, bolts, screws, wires, wire conduits, electrical boxes, and anything else that penetrating exterior walls that may result in water intrusion, look for cracks or openings on the stucco walls specially near the windows. Inspect all window frames and window caulking, pay attention to window shutter bolts around windows; window leaks are a very common cause of mold problems in most homes.

Open the air handler and inspect all components and insulation for signs of mold growth (concentrate on the bottom side of the evaporating coils, blower fan, wiring and fiberglass insulation inside of the air handler). Look around the A/C enclosure, pay attention to the integrity of the wall boards below the air handler and around Freon lines. It is very common for air handler units to condensate, overflow and leak at some point or another.

Carefully inspect all baseboards specially under the windows look for stains or separation from the wall. If an active or previous water intrusion took place it is very likely that the baseboards would show some evidence of this moisture problem even if I occurs on the upper section the wall, water will always travel down due to gravity. When a wall board or baseboard gets wet it expands resulting in a visible separation from the wall.

If any of the red flags described above are observed or disclosed by your home inspector a complete mold inspection should be performed by a certified mold inspector.