…why be concerned about mold? Well it has become a very big topic in Las Vegas. Why? In part, it has to do with problems in new construction. One of our developers hired a sub contractor to install bathrooms, only to discover after closing several homes that the shower pans were installed improperly. This resulted in leaks that caused mold. Homeowners were forced to vacate the properties for weeks while mold remediation firms came in to resolve the issues! Problems can also occur with leaks that go undetected in resales for months on end. As a seller, you suddenly notice a soft spot on the ceiling below one of the upstairs bath. What’s going on? Soon you discover a slow leak has occurred in the upstairs toilet due to a faulty seal or a slow draining pipe. The result: mold!
The key to finding mold is on a big way resolved by home inspections. This has never been more true than in the purchase of bank owned properties and distressed shorts sales (especially vacant homes). When performing home inspections, we recommend inspectors that use moisture detecting instruments in their work. These types of inspections can reveal high moisture content. Once this is detected, further steps can be taken including infra-red devices and air sample tests. The air samples are taken and sent to a lab in San Diego for results. The tests range from in price from about $350-$500 but are well worth it to discover a pending mold problem. Even a relatively small area of mold can costs thousands to remediate.
What if you discover harmful mold? There are a number of remediation firms and consulting firms in Las Vegas that deal with this. Just because there is mold, doesn’t mean that the property should not be purchased. However, proper identification of mold type is crucial as is the correct remediation.