By Traci-Anne Boyle, CIH, LAC
President and Owner
AirQuest Environmental, Inc.
Mold is an equal opportunity contaminant. Under the right conditions, mold can grow rapidly in Longboat Key’s million-dollar condominiums, in Lakewood Ranch family neighborhoods and in foreclosed properties throughout the Sarasota area.
That’s why homeowners, buyers and sellers need to be alert for signs of a mold problem and take corrective action as quickly as possible. Otherwise, the costs of remedying the situation can multiply rapidly.
In Southwest Florida’s hot and humid climate, mold can be found everywhere. In fact, mold spores are inhaled with almost every breath, creating health concerns for people with asthma, allergies, respiratory disease or a compromised immune system.
But serious outbreaks of mold are almost always linked to some type of water problem in the home, such as:
• A hole in the roof that lets rainwater trickle down into the attic, walls, closets or other interior surfaces.
• Inadequately sealed windows, broken glass or cracks in a wall that allow moisture to enter the home.
• A leak in the plumbing system, such as a broken pipe, loose fittings or connections or a malfunctioning toilet, dishwasher or water line to a refrigerator.
• An air-conditioner problem, such as a drain pan leak or a backup in the condensate drain line.
Mold can also flourish in a vacant home when the air-conditioning is turned off for months at a time – as when local residents head north to a cooler climate in the summer. Mold can also be a serious problem in a foreclosure or other distressed sale when the owner has no money to run the AC system.
Therefore, a mold assessment always begins with a visual inspection of the home’s interior, exterior and AC system for signs of mold and water damage. In addition, a professional microbial and moisture survey of the home typically includes:
• A moisture survey of wallboard, flooring, ceiling panels or other interior materials to see if they contain excessive moisture.
• Recording the home’s temperature, relative humidity, dew point and other interior conditions.
• Photographic documentation of the visual observations.
When an individual’s health is a concern, laboratory analysis can identify the species of mold so the findings can be presented to the physician or healthcare professional in connection treating a patient suffering from allergic reactions.
In addition to detailing mold conditions inside a home, an inspection report will usually include recommendations for correcting the problem. An owner who is selling the home should carefully follow these recommendations and document every step of the process.
Fortunately, many mold conditions can be treated easily and inexpensively – especially if the problem is identified at an early stage. Ordinary household cleaners can be very effective against mold on hard surfaces, such as tile, stone or wood. However, carpeting, drywall or other types of interior materials may need to be removed from the home if they have been impacted by mold.
The next step in any treatment program is to correct the conditions that led to the mold problem. This could mean repairing a crack in the roof, caulking exterior windows, blowing out an AC drainage line or replacing a leaking toilet. Depending on the extent of the mold problem, the cost could range from under $100 to $100,000 or more.
When expensive remediation is necessary, a mold abatement plan should be prepared and used as a guide throughout the repair process. In addition, a professional contractor should be engaged – ideally a remediation specialist who is not affiliated with the inspection firm.
Hiring an experienced contractor is important because the removal of mold-contaminated materials from the home needs to be done safely and carefully. Otherwise, additional spores could be released into the air, contaminating other areas of the home in the future.
Once the contractor has completed the work, professional post-abatement cleaning procedures can remove any remaining mold spores from surfaces within the home. Finally, a post-remediation inspection can document the results of the remediation project, providing reassurance for the owner, as well as a future buyer.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has extensive information about mold on its website – www.epa.gov/mold –including helpful tips on mold cleanup.
Traci-Anne Boyle has more than 17 years of diverse environmental consulting and industrial hygiene experience spanning more than 25 states and the Caribbean. AirQuest Environmental, Inc. provides a full range of inspection services for home and commercial properties. For more information: www.airquestinc.com.
