If you’re considering purchasing an older home, it may seem like the reasonable thing to do, but you may find it will end up being more costly, if you find it’s full of toxic mold. And unfortunately, your real estate agent doesn’t have to advise you to hire a professional mold inspector to check for mold problems.
That’s why it’s absolutely essential that you take the time to hire someone who can inspect your dream home and advise you on whether you need to invest in some form of mold removal or move on and dream of a better home.
As a matter of fact, unless you know how to spot the hidden dangers of mold, you should definitely seek the advice of a professional even if you’re considering buying a home without the help of a real estate agent.
Black mold is dangerous and is a common problem, especially for those who live in areas with a lot of humidity. It’s also common for those who have been in major floods, or have a busted water pipe. Black mold can be found in the basement, in crawlspaces, in garages –black mold can even be found on the roof.
If you don’t want to pay for a professional to take care of the problem and the fungus hasn’t spread very far, you can do it yourself as long as it’s done properly and cautiously.
Black mold can cause respiratory problems, nausea, dizziness urinary tract infections and other serious health related problems if you’re not well protected.
A few items you will need before you begin your mold clean up are:
Gloves – You can invest in a disposable latex pair or a decent pair of heavy rubber gloves. Make sure that the gloves are long and extend to the middle of your forearm.
Respiratory Mask – A simple paper mask will do for working around small amounts of toxic fungi, but if you’re planning to work around larger amounts, you may want to consider a rubber mask that has some form of portable oxygen with it.
Goggles – To avoid getting the fungi in your eyes, you should invest in a good pair of goggles with side shields. If you already wear glasses, you can purchase side shields that slide or clip onto your glasses at many hardware stores.
Plastic Sheets – To keep molds from spreading in other areas that are not affected, you’ll want to purchase thick, clear plastic sheeting that can be found at your local home improvement store and taped off away from non-affected areas in your home.
Once you have the items, you will need to invest in a good black mold removal product that will remove the fungus permanently, so you might as well skip the bleach because it’s only a temporary solution.
If you find that the problem is a little more than you can handle or you know that you have a serious allergic reaction to fungus, you may want to really consider hiring a professional when it comes to the removal of mold. After all, investing in your dream home is one of the most important decisions you and your family will ever make.