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Mold can be a nuisance or a nightmare. Before you considering buying a home with mold you need to educate yourself. Not all molds are created equal. You want to protect your investment. You need to protect your health.

Molds exist almost everywhere in the natural environment and can be green, brown, black or some combination of colors. The most common molds that turn up in residences, though unpleasant to smell and look at, pose no significant health hazard. Indoor air quality can be comprised, however, in a house when certain types or strains of mold have been allowed to grow unchecked. These strains of the fungus are particularly toxic and are commonly lumped together and identified as "black mold".

There are hundreds of molds that may appear black, but Stachybotrys and Memnoneilla are two of only a handful of black mold types that are known to produce mycotoxins. Mycotoxins can have affect otherwise healthy adults and have been linked to nerve damage and memory loss. They can cause respiratory illness or failure in infants, the elderly, and those with comprised immune systems. Those with allergies or asthma, however, may be sensitive to high levels of many different nontoxic molds. Potential health hazard are created not by the molds themselves, but by disturbing the spores so that they becomes airborne.

The "bad" molds grow on cellulose, wood, or paper, not on plastic or tile. Black molds are likely to grow in areas that cannot be seen during an inspection, such as joists, roofs, sub floors, and crawl spaces. Do not expect a home inspector to be looking for mold. He or she is inspecting mechanical, structural, and electrical systems and does not have the tools (or the expertise) to identify molds. It is possible, however, to find and hire a capable mold inspector in most geographic areas.

As a result of the enormous settlements in the courts, many insurance companies no longer insure for mold. In 1993 the former Tonight Show host Ed McMahon filed a $20 million lawsuit against his insurance company for mold damage after contractors failed to clean up after a broken pipe. Erin Brockovich is a well-known crusader against toxic mold. In the last few years several multimillion dollar cases have been filed alleging negligence in treating or disclosing mold. With insurance coverage against mold infestation becoming increasingly difficult to locate, a mold test or inspection becomes even more imperative.

In some states, if you discover toxic mold after you purchase a home, you are required to disclose that information to potential buyers. The value of your home, the investment you may have been saving for over many years, could plummet as a result. Toxic mold infestation and required mediation are still relatively rare, but you should ask if that is risk you are willing to take.

In the United States, the EPA produces "A Brief Guide to Mold, Moisture, and Your Home". It can be found on their website and is a good source of information
www.epa.org
Also: www.aihg.org and www.cdc.gov/nceh/airpollution/ mold

Learn more about this author, Grace Glassier.
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