Mold tests in the south

[Thomas Sehon]

Hello all,

I am a Denver native planning to invest in South Carolina. the humidity has me apprehensive about mold on properties. I just wanted to get some insight on how common it is to request mold tests prior to purchasing a property and testing for mold with long term buy and holds in this climate.

Thank you in advance! 

Take care,

Tom 

[Patrick Roberts]

Not very common to have mold testing completed. If it's spotted by an inspector during an inspection or the CL100 (pest inspection), it will be noted in the report. Typically, if there is a mold issue, it will be caught by the private inspection - if it's caught at all. Definitely a very humid environment, especially near the coast, so expect to deal with all of the issues that come with high humidity - termites, bugs, mold/mildew, wood rot, etc. Crawlspaces/subfloors are particularly bad about humidity and moisture issues. 

[Thomas Sehon]

Quote from @Patrick Roberts:

Not very common to have mold testing completed. If it's spotted by an inspector during an inspection or the CL100 (pest inspection), it will be noted in the report. Typically, if there is a mold issue, it will be caught by the private inspection - if it's caught at all. Definitely a very humid environment, especially near the coast, so expect to deal with all of the issues that come with high humidity - termites, bugs, mold/mildew, wood rot, etc. Crawlspaces/subfloors are particularly bad about humidity and moisture issues. 

 Whats the best way to get an inspector that catches these issues? Additionally how do you best protect against them long term?

[JD Martin]

It's never done here (TN) on any transaction I've personally been a part of. Inspectors may note it during that part of the process but I've never had a buyer ask me to have one done, or ask if they could have one done; people are either comfortable with it based on the inspection report or they're not and they pull the plug from there. On my end, I've never asked for one even when there was quite a bit, as I buy investment properties and expect I may have to replace roofs, drywall and other things that might be moldy or contributing to it. 

[Patrick Roberts]

Quote from @Thomas Sehon:

Quote from @Patrick Roberts:

Not very common to have mold testing completed. If it's spotted by an inspector during an inspection or the CL100 (pest inspection), it will be noted in the report. Typically, if there is a mold issue, it will be caught by the private inspection - if it's caught at all. Definitely a very humid environment, especially near the coast, so expect to deal with all of the issues that come with high humidity - termites, bugs, mold/mildew, wood rot, etc. Crawlspaces/subfloors are particularly bad about humidity and moisture issues. 

 Whats the best way to get an inspector that catches these issues? Additionally how do you best protect against them long term?

If there is mold, it will usually be A) on the subfloor exterior, joists, and insulation in the crawlspace, or B) in any areas of water damage/water leaks inside the walls, behind tile in bathrooms, etc. Most older homes in SC are ventilated and breathe fairly well, so mold in the living space/attic typically isnt an issue unless there is a water leak where there is constant, excessive moisture. Also, air conditioning removes moisture/humidity from the interior airspace, and nearly every home in the Carolinas runs AC during the warm months.

Crawlspaces tend to be where the majority of problems occur. At a minimum, it needs to stay dry, which means getting any standing water out (sump pump and french drain), ventilation (moving air will dry out excess humidity), and a vapor barrier over the soil. Many people are moving to encapsulated crawlspaces that have a dehumidifier running to keep humidity down, as it will affect comfort and humidity within the living space above. Many foundation repair companies (and some pest control) offer services for crawlspaces, to include mold remediation, encapsulation, etc. Might be worth paying for an inspection from one of them during DD if you're concerned about it. 

Mold really isnt that major of a concern with one caveat - if you're buying a property that has flooded in the past. I would be extremely cautious about buying a property that has prior flood damage - you'll want to dig into the repairs and how they were completed. There are some mold remediation companies that offer "mold certificates" or "mold warranties", but my guess is that these arent worth the paper theyre printed on. When it comes properties with flood history, my rule of thumb is that if it flooded once, it will flood again. I usually dont even consider flood properties unless something drastic has changed, such as the house has been lifted several feet. I'm not even 40 yet and have already lived through three "1000 year floods" that should only happen once per millennia.