Checklist for buying a home
by Dr GW Graham
Published on this site: August 20th, 2005 - See
more articles from this month
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 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.
Dr GW Graham 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
[email protected]
http://www.GrandPaGraham.com
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