"Mold" on trusses...how would you address?

[James E. Braun, CMI]

Also, your Industrial Hygienist should dicate to you what the considered toxic levels are.

[James H. Bushart]

Originally Posted by rcooke

You can try and remove the mould but there is always mould in every home.
Give it food and moisture and it will grow again.
Mould is the natural way of breaking down the refuse of the world .
No mould and we could not walk in the bush.
Is there time when mould should be checked for and removed definatly ,but very seldome .,too me it it is over sold by a few who do not have the knowledge they think they do .

It is like a perfect Vacuum imposible to achieve .
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vacuum

It is difficult, if not impossible, for us to determine how the mold that we find might affect our clients or family.

Here is an example from just this past summer.

In my part of the state, there are no building codes so you never know what you will find when you enter a home...and my client was moving from a home where she and her husband had spent over $30K trying to get rid of the mold that was in it and making her ill. They finally gave up and were buying a new home.

As I searched for conditions conducive to mold, I observed and made note of the unvented crawlspace that showed signs of past moisture intrusion, but was dry. The heating and cooling air handler was in this space and some of the ductwork was laying on the ground. When I turned on the A/C to test it (and also to cool the house down, since we were inside and uncomfortable) she started to sniffle...and within about two or three minutes....her nose began to bleed.

She explained to me that this was her reaction to mold ever since living in the house she had just sold and has a daughter who does the same thing.

Until that inspection, I had considered (as many do) that the mold issue is usually blown out of proportion by inspectors and clients, alike. I'm just glad she was with me, for I never actually "observed" the mold that was likely growing inside the air handler and/or the duct system.

[Roy D. Cooke, Sr]

Thanks James yes this is bad but more information is required before I would even think about making a decision .

[Karl Deitch]

The staining could be attributed to old Ceratocystis and Ophiostoma (Lumberyard Mold) these fungi in indoor environments is common but, for the most part, is not associated with any moisture problems and may be present on wood surfaces prior to the time construction begins. The sap stain penetrates into the sapwood and cannot be removed by surface or chemical cleaning. The stain is allowed in varying degrees in most lumber grades. Although it reduces the aesthetic value, the strength of the lumber is unaffected.the only way to determine if this is the genus of mold would be a tape lift off test for analysis.

[Michael D. Russell]

It is once again a national shame that those that sometimes control the workflow of a home inspector want to have a say in the outcome of the report. "Don't kill my deal, if you do you will get no more work from me." Appraisers experienced the same pressure from lenders and realtors to make the deal work or don't expect anymore work from me. Tie that along with govt policies and fannie mae and freddie mac.....and walah, we have an economy in meltdown with toxic debts. These same pressures will cause the buyers to once again take it in the shorts, while the inspector is the one holding the bag of liability. Attn Mr Nick.....we need a strong lobby effort on the legislative side to make sure the Home Inspection group stays independent of pressure from Realtors or anyone else trying to influence the outcome of the condition of real property involved in a transaction, be it leveraged or a cash deal.