Real Estate Deal-Killers:

• Bad Science kills sales.  Bad Inspectors scare buyers, then mold stigma sticks with property.

• Poor remediation or cover-ups.  Colored sealer coating in attic -- tan “paint” in Chicago suburbs ended two sales where we inspected for buyer.  There was no way to prove remediation was performed or if paint was just slopped over cracked roof plywood sheeting.

• Not using reputable, professional, well-trained remediator that wants an industrial hygienist involved for quality assurance (QA) for post-remediation inspection and sampling.

Deal Savers:

• Professionalism, Qualifications, and ACAC Certifications  are paramount in situation.

• After proper remediation of an attic, it actually can add value to the home since the fungicidal sealers will make it more mold resistant than raw wood to future incidents.

• Documentation by remediator and scientist/hygienist which can be presented to buyer for disclosure due diligence.

The main goal is to preserve the sale.  Whether you are the owner or buyer you need an objective and scientific determination of whether a mold problem exists and how to correct the problem and remove the mold. 

If you are selling a property it is a good idea to perform an inspection for mold before the home or building inspector does.  This way if there is a problem you can take care of it without a time crunch.  Then you can get competitive bids for the remediation and not hold up closing on the property.  Taking care of mold and water damage issues also prevents the new owner from litigating against you following the sale.

Mold in attic from poor ventilation.

Mold in crawlspace on floor joists and sub-flooring.

Often home inspector reports are the first indication of a possible mold problem. Unless the home inspector has some type of field investigative certification held by the American Council for Accredited Certification (ACAC) such as CIEC and CETC they are not qualified to determine the presence or absence of mold, if mold-related occupancy issues exist, or if remediation necessary.  Clean Air Sciences, Inc. personnel are qualified and ACAC-certified.  Follow these link icons for more information.

If you are buying a home, before you commit to a huge investment it is highly recommended to perform air sampling for mold, a visual inspection, and an infrared moisture survey of the basement, if applicable.  This will save you from truthfully unknown problems as well as dishonest cover-ups.

Mold covered up in basement by seller behind new baseboards prior to the purchase.  Resulted in remediation of entire basement and costs in excess of $10,000.

IR imaging shows air conditioning condensate drip line behind drywall that caused condensation and mold growth on back side of drywall - was not visible with naked eye during real estate mold and IR moisture inspection and would have remained hidden without IR survey of basement.