I was called to inspect a home for mold that a couple purchased recently. At the time of the sale, the real estate market was very competitive, and sellers had the upper hand, especially here in Seattle, where there seems to be no end to the rising demand and cost of buying and renting a home. This situation caused many buyers to waive an inspection, which could spell disaster if a problem makes you bankrupt. When I got to the house, it was a 1960s construction, which appeared to be in fair condition from the exterior; however, I couldn’t say the same for the interior, particularly the basement. What I saw made my jaw drop. The entire foundation wall had a horizontal crack line around the basement, and water was coming down like Niagara Falls. I asked my customers if they had completed the purchase, and they replied, “Yes.” There was an open crawl space to the side of the basement, and a large pool of water, which came from a slope at the rear of the home, was sitting at the center of it. I had to excuse myself and head back to my car to get coveralls, respirators, and eye protection.
During my inspection, I saw visible mold and took some surface and air samples. I documented all my numerous findings. When I was done, I told them that it would take about 3-5 working days to get the results and would also produce a report. When I left the house, I was still shocked that anyone would buy such a house, let alone without an inspection. It was the worst house I have seen to this day. Not surprisingly, the report shows high mold levels in both the surface and air samples, with many potentially becoming toxigenic. The repairs were going to be hundreds of thousands of dollars, which I didn’t personally think that this house was worth investing that much into. I think someone should have lit a match to it. If you ever find a home in that condition, you should walk away. There is too great of a health risk to living in a house with major structural issues and mold growth unless you can afford to tear it down and build a new home on the lot, which they couldn’t.
Mold remediation near me
If you have a home that you are considering renting or buying, consult a professional home inspector and a mold inspector. You should never skip an inspection; no matter how badly you want to rent or buy a home, you could be putting your health and financial well-being at risk. The professionals at 5 Microns Inc. offer mold inspections and remediation services. We are available Monday to Friday from 8 am to 5 pm and Saturday from 9 am to 3:30 pm. We also offer lab testing services for mold, asbestos, radon, methamphetamine, fentanyl, indoor air quality, lead, and drinking water testing.
