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Checklist for buying a home
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Written By:
Dr GW Graham
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I had a client who called saying that his bath tub just
fallen through the floor in his new home (new to him).
Mold had eaten away the floor from the crawlspace up.
The seller had placed a few 4x4s under the floor to hold
everything up long enough to sell the house and get out
of town.
I asked if he had the house inspected before he bought it.
He said, “no, was that important?”
Even if you do get a home inspector, look for these things
yourself. Some home inspectors don't look for these items.
Some never go into the house.
Mold test
The number one problem faced by new homeowners is mold. You
read about it in the news. Every week I get a call from
an attorney gathering info for a lawsuit against a home
seller and their real estate agent. The topic is always
mold.
You can get inexpensive mold test kits at
http://www.tennesseemold.com
Gutters
The number one cause of mold in a home is improperly
installed or damaged gutters. They allow water to pour
into the walls. And water causes damaging mold to develop
inside the walls. Make sure the gutters are level and
aren't bent.
Mud on walls
This goes back to gutters. If the gutters are undersized,
excess water pours over the edges of the gutters and
onto the ground. This splashes mud against the outside
walls. BUT the excess water also seeps into the foundation
of the house.
Plants too close
The new owner, of course, can correct this, but did
the previous owner allow the plants to trap moisture in
the walls? The damage from this moisture may already be
there waiting with costly repairs. There should be at
least 18 inches between the plants and the outside walls.
Foundation vents
These vents are designed to let air flow through
crawlspaces. This house may not have a crawlspace. But
if it does, check the vents. Do they open and close?
Some builders slop concrete on them and they are - continued below ...
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continued ...
permanently open or closed. Potential mold and wood
rot problems can result.
Sump pump?
A sump pump is there to remove water from your basement.
If there is a sump pump, then there has been excess water
in the past. To work, a sump pump needs some water in
it anyway. This standing water can lead to mold and
termites. Avoid houses with sump pumps.
Yard drainage
Does the yard allow water to flow into the house?
Blown in insulation
Most blown in insulation is cellulose or ground up mold
food (wood). Yes that deadly chemical they put in it
will stop mold for a few years but not forever. And
even the cellulose free insulation sends particles
into the air that we can breathe. This is a major
problem according to lung surgeons.
Do attic vents work?
Is the attic hot? Just because the attic has vents
doesn't mean they work. Motors rust or burn a fuse.
Crusty stuff on basement walls
If you see crusty white stuff on the block in the
basement, it means long-term water problems. That
white stuff is minerals deposited over time by
drying moisture. RUN away FAST!
Water spots on ceiling.
These always hold mold. You only have 48 hours
after a leak before mold begins to grow. After
that drying won't help.
By all means, hire a home inspector. Don't use a
home inspector recommended by the seller or their
agent. If an inspector says something bad about
a house, they don't get future referrals from
the agent. And make sure the inspector goes
INSIDE the house.
Sounds stupid but I have been in lawsuits where
the inspector did all his work from the yard or
even worse, from his car.
by Dr GW Graham
About the Author
For 30 years, Dr Graham has been helping people treat and
prevent disease by showing them how to live in a clean
environment.
http://tennesseemold.com/ebooks.shtml
DrGraham@themoldlab.com
http://www.GrandPaGraham.com for free newsletter
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