Although costs can vary widely, the a verage cost of a home inspection is $300, and $400 for properties over 2,000 square feet. Here are some things to consider when trying to find out how much it will cost to test for mold in your home.
Prices are based on the total square footage involved in the inspection, including basements and garages. Inspectors are expected to search every room for potential problems or hazards thoroughly. Because the job requires high attention to detail, it is best not to always choose the least expensive option for a mold inspection.
Kansas REI offers better than average pricing and top-rate quality to every home we service. Contact us for a competitive home inspection quote backed by our commitment to high-quality service for all of our clients in Wichita, KS.
How do you check for mold in a house inspection?
Whether you’re purchasing a home or wondering about the one you’re living in, homeowners must understand how to check for mold. When mold is allowed to grow, it can cause serious
health issues for occupants in the home. It is linked to lung disease, allergies, and even infections.
Without the help of an expert, you cannot definitively check for mold in your home. Mold can hide in hard-to-see areas in crawls, behind walls, and ventilation ducts. But you can start by checking the most common places where mold is found.
Common areas with mold:
- Bathtub and shower area
- Under the sink
- Carpet and rugs
- Refrigerator
- Pantry
- Mattress
- Windows
- Vents
If you spot mold in any of these areas, it is a likely indicator of a much larger mold problem hidden deeper in your home. Please remember that it is vital to rely on professional home inspectors to ensure no mold is present in your home. Even if you don’t see mold in any of the areas listed above, there may still be mold hidden elsewhere.
How do professionals check for mold?
A professional checks for mold first with a visual inspection and then with the assistance of specialized instruments and testing equipment. Here are some of the techniques professionals use when they check for mold.
Air and surface sampling
Air sampling is a less common way of testing for mold and is only done when there is a suspected high concentration of airborne spores. More commonly, professional mold inspectors use surface testing. Surface testing for mold can be done with a tape, swab, or carpet sample taken from strategic areas.
Specialized tools and instruments
Tools for finding mold:
- Moisture meter
- Thermal imaging
- Humidity gauge
- Rotameter
- Borescope
Although there aren’t instruments that can detect the presence of mold, specialized tools can be used to test for conditions that can promote mold growth. If these conditions are found, they can serve as an indicator of mold growth.
Is mold testing legit?
Mold testing by a professional is the only way to find mold in a home. Home inspectors can also use mold testing to see if mold remediation was successful. However, you must trust a reliable home inspection service to test for mold because it is a thorough process that requires specialized training.
Testing for mold can often be a complicated process, and it requires the right tools and training to accurately assess where samples should be collected or how mold might behave in the conditions of your home.
Kansas REI is Internachi certified for mold inspections in Wichita, KS. Our inspectors are
equipped with the experience and training to search for mold accurately. C a mold inspection or learn more about what our service covers.
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Should you walk away from a house with mold?
If your inspector finds the presence of mold during an inspection, you may need to walk away from the house if you don’t have the budget for mold remediation. Mold remediation is often an expensive and lengthy process that most buyers don’t want to be responsible for. Even if you decide to go through with mold remediation, mold can return from missed spores, humid conditions, and faulty equipment.
Does mold have to be removed professionally?
Mold should be removed professionally through a process called mold remediation. However, once mold is present in a home, it is notoriously difficult to remove for various reasons. For example, a carpet that has tested positive for mold needs to be replaced because it is nearly impossible to remove from these surfaces.
Home inspections can prevent mold from gaining a foothold by identifying areas where mold is likely to grow and taking the necessary precautions to ensure it doesn’t. Contact Kansas REI for professional home inspections in Wichita, KS.
I find it interesting when you said that getting a visual inspection is the first step for mold inspection services while using specialized instruments and testing equipment. I plan to hire their services this weekend to check the property I inherited from my grandparents, so knowing what to expect is for my benefit as well. And I definitely need to get that property inspected before I move my family there, since we have kids which is why it has to be safe and free from issues that can affect our health.