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Here’s the ultimate Brooklyn homebuyer’s guide to black mold removal

You’re excited about your new house. You bring your family to take a look at what will be your home for the next several years. But right at the corner of your living room, behind the gray sofa you bought the other day, you notice something. It was not there when you purchased the house. A dark map of black spots. It has an odor that smells like decaying wood or a wet sock. That’s black mold.

What is mold and why is it dangerous inside the home?

We can’t live without molds. These organisms are good. They are critical for the cycle of life on this planet. Molds are multicellurar fungi that break down anything organic into nutrients the earth can use again. It grows on food that’s already spoiled to help it decompose. There are other beneficial uses of mold. A certain type of mold, the penicillium mold, is grown in laboratories for penicillin to make antibiotics. Some varieties of mold are also used to create products like cheese, cured meat, soy sauce, and other fermented food.

The 7 common types of mold that you can find in your house

More than 100,000 variations of mold exist in this world. But around 80 of these types are harmful to your health and property. Here are the seven common ones you can find inside your house.

Alternaria

This dark brown type of mold is allergenic. Its favorite spots in your house are in the bathroom and shower area. You can also see this growing on the bottom of windows and door hinges where water is often trapped.

Aspergillus

This type of mold is pathogenic or causes disease. You usually see this in your HVAC system in the form of black or dark brown spots. Although this type is also used in making soy sauce, having this in your HVAC system is a problem. They can cause serious respiratory irritations and lung problems among those with weak immune systems.

Chaetomium

This allergenic mold grows on soil and clay pots. But they also thrive in locations often wet by water leaks. It starts out like a bunch of white fuzzy bristles, which blacken as they mature.

Mucor

This is a fast-growing mold that has a gray or white pin-like appearance. They thrive in warm room temperatures. Some species of mucor can lead to an infection called mucormycosis among those with poor immune systems.

Serpula

This brownish mold loves to break down wood. It has a very mild allergenic effect on health but its major target is your home. Most molds thrive in damp and moist areas. Serpula, however, can damage wooden structures in your house even in dry environments.

Stachybotrys

This is a common greenish-black mold that grows in damp areas with poor ventilation. It has a toxigenic effect on health. Those with poor health conditions can get sick from exposure to this mold.

Trichoderma

This mold is toxic. It has a greenish-white appearance and is common in the soil of household plants. You can find it too on damp corners such as the underside of a leaking sink or along the tiles of your bathroom. This mold releases mycotoxin that pose serious health effects on people with compromised immune systems.

Ulocladium

This type of mold is allergenic. You will see it on wall corners, and on the sides of windows and doors prone to condensation. It is also frequent on appliances that use water like dishwashers, refrigerators, and airconditioning units. This mold can lead to respiratory illnesses and breathing problems.

Any signs of these molds inside your house calls for quick action. The first thing you need to do is call for a mold inspection.

Have mold inspection before buying property in Brooklyn, NY

Mold inspection is the first thing you need before buying a house. Some argue this is a waste of time and money especially when there are no signs of mold growth. But unless you are familiar with mold and how they thrive, you can potentially sign a bad deal.

Mold inspection gives you a huge advantage in the sale

Brilliant sellers can spot buyers who do not know the value of their money. In the case of mold, it’s easy to conceal it by simply repainting over contaminated areas without having it treated first. But are you willing to pay your hard-earned money for something that can potentially have a much lower price?

Mold inspection can expose contaminants that its owner wants to hide

A house contaminated with mold has low value in the market. In New York, the law requires property sellers to disclose any environmental conditions or defects that can affect the buyer’s welfare, or else pay a $500 credit once they closed the sale. Failure to do so can lead to legal problems. But some owners opt to pay the credit instead of disclosing their problems so they can still sell the property at the agreed price.

This makes mold inspection important for buyers. Before you sign the deed of sale, insist on mold inspection to ensure that you won’t be the one to face this problem in the near future.

Mold can reduce property value down to 50 percent

A mold investigator will comb through all the areas of the property to uncover mold growth. They’ll give you the living condition of the house before you even agree to the seller’s offer. Many real estate sellers and appraisers claim that the presence of mold in a house can reduce 50 percent of its market value. You can use the results of mold inspection to negotiate with the owner to accommodate the expense of home repairs needed to stop mold growth. In other words, you can use that potential risk to barter for a lower selling price.

Mold inspection can protect your family

Before buying property in Brooklyn, ask for mold inspection to avoid exposing yourself or your family to harmful allergens and toxins. As we already mentioned, not all molds are harmful. But you don’t need to risk your health, especially if your family has an elderly person or someone with a weak immune system. Convince the property seller to provide a mold inspection report before you sign the deed of sale. If the property owner does not agree to mold inspection, there is a high chance it’s contaminated with mold somewhere.

Mold inspection can protect you from lawsuits

Suppose you’re buying the house for your rental business, it’s very important to have it mold tested first. In New York, those with rental businesses must keep their property free from mold, especially if one or more of their tenants are suffering from asthma. Their responsibility includes repairing water leaks and addressing high humidity levels.

Property owners can get into financial trouble because of mold. At the moment, the medium settlement paid by landlords for complaints about molds in their property is $4,000. This comes from tenants complaining their landlords did not disclose problems such as mold contamination or water leaks that trigger mold growth. You don’t want your tenants complaining of mold after you opened your house for rent.

What should you do now?

You should be reading this article before finalizing your home purchase. A mold inspection can help you find and buy property in Brooklyn at the right price and optimal living conditions.

It’s not too late to have mold inspection

In case you’re reading this after purchasing your property and you did not have it tested for mold contamination, don’t fret. It’s never too late to have a mold inspection. A property seller who fails to disclose mold problems can still be held liable. Hire a competent attorney who deals with real estate problems. Then have your house inspected for mold so you have evidence to show in court.

Mold inspection will save you a lot of trouble

Buying a new home should be a cause for celebration, not stress. But you won’t be able to celebrate if you know you agreed to a bad deal. While a lawsuit can help you reclaim your rights as a buyer, you don’t want to go through all that legal process. Most of the time, buyers opt to accept what happened, move on with their new property, and shoulder all the costs of removing mold from their house.

Conclusion

Take mold seriously. Save yourself and your family from mold-related problems. But don’t settle for conventional mold removal techniques. While home remedies can help treat minor mold problems, they cannot deal with situations where mold already covers large portions of your property like the ceiling, basement, or bathroom.

And don’t forget to hire professional mold removal experts only. Article 32 of the New York State Labor Law prohibits anyone who offers mold removal services without a license. A professional mold inspector like Brooklyn Mold Removal can send licensed specialists to uncover areas in your house where mold growth is present and stop it from spreading.

Have you ever had a mold inspection team check your house for black molds? How did it help?

About the Company

Brooklyn Mold Removal is a company dedicated to providing quality service. We work with industrial hygienists and professional engineers to ensure that we deliver reliable, high-quality results to our clients. We understand that people need help with their environmental safety needs, so we prioritize assisting customers in making informed decisions about their situation.