Orlando Homes Stricken by Mold
When considering large purchases, people tend to take their time, do research, talk to experts, and consider multiple outcomes. This is typically the case when purchasing a home except when an unexpected affliction is unforeseen, and already present.
When shopping for a home, it is common to hire a home inspector whose purpose is to make sure everything is functioning and the home is safe to move in to, and up to codes and standards. What people don’t realize is that there are conditions home inspectors are not liable to look for. In Orlando, Florida, there has been one reoccurring issue that emerges after people purchase a home, that seems to repeatedly get overlooked. It is something that new homeowners are surprised and extremely blindsided by, and if they knew about this beforehand, they would not have gone through with the purchase. This reoccurring issue is mold.
Mold in central florida
Mold appears in many homes around the Central Florida area, because of many reasons. Humidity is a strong force and is always present because of the tropical climate Orlando has. Of course, the outside conditions impact the indoors. When a home becomes for sale, and previous owners move out, people tend to turn everything off including the air condition system. This one of the worst things you can do especially because this can provide the perfect conditions for mold to grow and you want to preserve the condition of your home while its up for sale.
How Mold forms
Mold can form when the relative humidity of your home falls outside of 40%-60%. In order to keep a house within the 40%-60% relative humidity, you must keep the air conditioner on especially in the summer months. This can and will negatively impact the sale of any home. Mold can form as soon as 24-48 hours if there are 3 components present: temperature between 70-100 degrees, a food source (wood, drywall, cotton), and moisture (humidity). With this, you can assume that if you turn off your air conditioner in Orlando, then your temperature and humidity will rise creating the perfect condition for mold to grow.
Purchasing a home in orlando
The sale of a home in Orlando can still happen even when mold is present because there are no current laws against this. This is why it is the responsibility of the potential homeowner to understand the full list of responsibilities of the people servicing the home sale and purchase. Realtors are not obligated to inform homeowners of mold, especially if they are unaware themselves. Home inspectors are not mold inspectors. WE REPEAT, home inspectors are NOT mold inspectors. Yes, you can trust home inspectors, yes, you can trust realtors, but they are typically not trained or licensed to inspect homes for mold. It is best, that potential homeowners hire a third party mold inspection company, like Air Quality Assessors, to conduct a full mold inspection. This will not only ensure that the home is mold free, but mold inspectors’ mission is to share valuable information with all parties involved in a purchase of a home to prevent future mold formation.
The most recent situation similar to the content above, is a 3rd time homeowner who sought out to purchase a new home. They found a home built within the past 10 years, wonderful upgrades, mid-upper-class neighborhood, and all the features they wanted and more. The first few days after moving in, the new homeowners started to notice discoloration in the ceiling. They called their local mold inspection company, Air Quality Assessors, and the findings were shocking. Mold formed between the wall cavities due to cracks in the outdoor building material, stucco. The new homeowners, once excited to move into their new home, had to move out and live in a hotel for over a month.
Prevent problems from happening
Situations like this can all easily be prevented when you consider a mold inspector as an intricate part of your home purchasing team. It is worth it to invest in the inspection of you home, rather than going through the pain of purchasing a home that was not fit to move in to. For more information, please visit our mold inspection services page, and spread the word to those in the market for a new home.
