Pictures added! inspection found water stain and mold in crawl space, walk away? (price, inspector)
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Hello, We just did the inspection for a house we are under contract with. It says "water staining throughout the crawlspace" and it indicates small amount of mold-like organic detected in the crawlspace. See the attached picture. Our current house has only a slab and crawl space is new to me. Would this be a "deal breaker" for a 15+ year old house in North Carolina, should I walk away from the contract? Thanks.
Last edited by vidaleina; 04-13-2017 at 01:18 PM..
First, there is no picture. Second, I understand it's pretty humid in NC. That alone might explain the water staining. Can't tell without a picture. Finally, not all mold is the dangerous, toxic type of mold.
What is the source of the water staining? The mold-like substance can be treated after the source or cause of the water staining is explained and fixed.
Not a deal breaker. You just need more information.
Doesn't sound like a big deal to me but it will depend on what caused it and if the inspector was a moron or not.
First, your inspector sucks if he lists something like that and doesn't put it in perspective for you. Call him and find out what the cause of the "small amount of mold like organic" came from. Mold has a cause, moisture. Remove the moisture and mold has no way to grow or keep growing. So no, a small amount of something that might be mold wouldn't deter me on it's own I'd want to know if the problem was actually bigger or exactly what I needed to do to fix the issue. Likely a gap in the insulation / seal under the home which should be trivial to fix.
Sit down with your inspector and discuss the issue and maybe get a little dirty yourself and take a peak at what is going on. That really is the only way to know for sure.
Unless you live in Arizona every single home you visit is going to have some degree of "small mold like organic" somewhere in the home. Especially in a high humidity area like the Carolina. The key is understanding what caused it and how to remedy the situation. It could be a big deal, it probably isn't but there isn't enough information to tell you and any home inspector that couldn't clarify this for you isn't worth the $ you paid them.
Wow, no basis for determining if this makes sense...
Quote:
Originally Posted by vidaleina
Hello, We just did the inspection for a house we are under contract with. It says "water staining throughout the crawlspace" and it indicates small amount of mold-like organic detected in the crawlspace. See the attached picture. Our current house has only a slab and crawl space is new to me. Would this be a "deal breaker" for a 15+ year old house in North Carolina, should I walk away from the contract? Thanks.
Is the "water staining" consistent with the sorts of things that happen during HEAVY RAINS and then dissipate quickly? Could the issue be resolved by simply re-directing rainwater from the downspouts away from the crawlspace? Is there perhaps a problems with landscaping keeping too much water close to the crawlspace? Could a little work with a hand shovel or hoe perhaps ensure that water drains away from the house???
LOTS of weasel words in the description of "small amount of mold-like organic" -- that could also be DUST or spiderwebs that are also "organic"...
Is this home priced above /below /inline with similar homes? Would it be appropriate to consult with contractors to determine if any repairs / modification should be made? Would the seller be willing to adjust price to help with such things?
Without answering those questions it would be extremely foolish to "walk away" from this home...
I would probably walk away, but I know a couple of people who have become really sick from mold like that. Not a risk I'm willing to take.
If you still want the house, I would request that the seller have the problem fixed and the mold professionally remediated. It looks like the moisture is dripping down, rather than coming from the ground (i.e. rain). That indicates a leak somewhere. It would be to the seller's advantage to go ahead and do that for you because now that they know about it, they have to disclose it. So they will have the same issue with any other potential buyer.
The photo does appear to suggest that this may have been a leak or spill. If the source of that has been a one time problem that is really no cause for concern. It may also be due to a more long term issue like cold air-conditioned air coming in contact with hot humid air and resulting in condensation. That would require fixing the air leak(s) and re-insulating. Not a big job at all, most DIYers could do this with caulk/ can of GreatStuff and few batts of new insulation.
The pictures do not show the kind of issues that would be more serious -- if there were signs of rodents or insects that breached the barriers from the crawl space to the living space that would require more repairs. Such things also tend to be part of the sorts of problems that lead to much worse with problems with indoor air quality.
While the OP certainly could consult with firms that specialize in mold remediation this is a MINOR about of potential mold and any honest contractor / consultant would likely say the risk from this leading to any health issues is extremely remote.
One can find images online where it quite obvious that there is much more damage, like a literal blanket of mold that is growing up through the walls and completely into the HVAC ducts / returns. That is much more serious issue and would require fumigation / massive disinfecting. The sorts of issues shown in the photos could be addresses with a bit of spray-on anti-fungal and easy clean-up.
Those 'chipboard' beams crumble and COLLAPSE when they get wet / damp.
Already look damaged.
What are those beams holding up ??
I would not walk away, I would RUN!!!!!!!!!!!
Hello, We just did the inspection for a house we are under contract with. It says "water staining throughout the crawlspace" and it indicates small amount of mold-like organic detected in the crawlspace. See the attached picture. Our current house has only a slab and crawl space is new to me. Would this be a "deal breaker" for a 15+ year old house in North Carolina, should I walk away from the contract? Thanks.
I looked over this and the other thread with pictures. I am inspector in NC, and also own a business that specializes in moisture and mold in crawlspaces. That appears to be from a plumbing leak, can see supply lines running through the subfloor adjacent and the stains on the wood are consistent with such. Verify the leak is repaired, remove the mold, and enjoy the house.
I didn't see any mention of widespread mold on the subfloor throughout the crawlspace, but NC is a very humid area in the summer and it is a common problem. I recommend keeping your foundation vents closed in the warm seasons and monitoring in the summer for condensation forming on ducts. Many people are stuck in the 1930's and suggest leaving your vents open, but many of those that do call us to repair the damages later.
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Wow, no basis for determining if this makes sense...
