Cutting corners and doing things cheaply is a problem for home buyers. Ensuring that the seller hasn’t taken to a cheap way to cover up things like mold is very important to the buyer. The home inspection should uncover things like mold that is painted over. How to tell if mold is painted over? The walls or ceilings will have bubbles, cracking, or even chipped paint.
Let’s take a look below at what all of this means.
What Is Mold
Mold spores can travel through your house without you knowing it. It isn’t until the mold spores settle into some moisture and start to grow will you even notice the mold. Mold is a fungus that grows in dark and damp places. Also, mold is identifiable by the colors that it appears in. Mold in your home could be present as green, yellow, pink, brown, or black.
Why Not Paint Over Mold
Painting over mold is not a great idea. There are so many reasons to not paint over mold. Let’s take a look at the main reasons.
- Mold growth does not stop. You are wasting time and money by painting over the mold.
- When mold is not treated, it will cause substantial health issues. Spray a cleaning solution to kill the mold.
- Painting over mold does not kill it. The mold will reappear as it builds up and over the newer paint. It is not a preventative measure for stopping mold.
- Legal issues can arise if you attempt to cover up mold with paint. Since mold causes major health risks, anyone who is renting a home can sue the homeowner for negligence by covering up the mold.
- Property damage can occur if mold is not treated. This will cause major expenses that are not needed.
How Do I Know If This Happened
Covering mold with mold-resistant paint is not a solution. Just like any cover-up, it eventually shows itself. Let’s take a look at some signs of mold when painted over.
- There will be a musty smell that you can’t get rid of with a coat of paint.
- The paint walls will appear cracked, peeling, bubbling, or chipped.
- You will notice dark-colored spots on the wall.
- White paint will turn spots with a yellow hue.
- You might have a bubbled or uneven wall surface and ceiling due to significant water damage.
If water damage signs appear, you will need mold remediation as soon as possible. Mold will not stop growing just because you wish it to be gone. Painting over black mold will create a bigger mold problem.
Other Recommended Maintenance
Now that you have an idea as to why painting over mold is bad and solves nothing. You can begin to read up on how to stop mold growth in your home. Knowing this ahead of time will save you time and money.
Next, if you have to have the home of your dreams and it does have mold in it, follow the lead of your home inspection and realtor.
Lastly, if you are buying a home, it is important to know when you should walk away from a home with mold. Mold is a big expense and a huge undertaking. If you aren’t able to get a discounted price on the home to conduct mold remediation, then you might want to walk away.
When Do I Call A Professional
The moment that you begin to suspect mold is an issue in the home is when you should hire your local home inspection team to conduct a mold inspection. Once the musty smell comes and the paint starts to chip, crack, bubble, or peel up it is evident that mold is the culprit. Hire a mold remediation team to come in and remove any traces of mold from your home.
Conclusion
Hire your local home inspection team to make sure that all mold has been contained. Also, you will want a mold inspection so that the whole house is inspected for mold. Consequently, this allows you to hire a mold remediation team to handle all mold removal. Reach out to Atkinson Inspection Services for a mold inspection and home inspection in Orlando, Clermont, and the Villages.
