Mold

I dont think so. Personally, I think mold is overblown. I sold a house that had mold in it. We ripped down the drywall, killz and bleached the area and re-drywalled.

A lot of people are more scared of mold than they should be so this is good for YOU as the buyer. Drop your offer price accordingly.

There are many kinds of molds, but the ones that grow in homes can release spores that trigger allergic reactions and asthma symptoms, and even irritate the lungs of people who aren't allergic.

Mold can thrive wherever there's moisture - from water or from humid air - and anywhere it can attach itself, such as drywall, concrete blocks, carpet, the back of wallpaper, wood, carpets and carpet backing, cardboard boxes, stored fabrics and papers.

First the bad news

There's no good news about mold:

* It's irritating to healthy people and can be harmful, even lethal, to asthma sufferers or people with allergies or emphysema.
* The smell is unpleasant and persistent.
* It's not easy to clean.
* It damages whatever it attaches to, so you may have to throw away whatever it was growing on.
* It's usually a symptom of a moisture problem inside your home.
* It may be a symptom of a drainage problem outside your home.

Clean first, with caution

Even though it may turn out to be a temporary measure, the first step is to clean away as much of the mold as you can. Before you do that, find a mask or respirator and an eye shield - otherwise you will be getting a heavy dose of the very spores that are causing your health problem.

For surfaces that can be washed, wash the area twice - first with ordinary soap and water, then with a commercial mildew cleaner or with 1/4 cup of chlorine bleach in one gallon of water.

Any affected wallboard will probably have to be replaced, but talk to a contractor first about whether you have a chronic moisture problem that needs to be dealt with. Otherwise, you may end up replacing it again.

If the walls are now clean, you may have to get rid of carpets and carpet backing.

A dehumidifier

You can buy a humidity meter at a drug store or online for less than $15 and test the affected space. If the relative humidity measures more than 50, get a dehumidifier.

A portable dehumidifier costs between $120 and $250, but in the long run it can save you the expense of replacing damaged items.

Do try to allow air to circulate. Avoid storing items against walls, especially exterior walls.

A doctor and a contractor

Talk to your family doctor or your allergist about your level of risk when you're exposed to molds. That information could become a factor in making a decision about how far to go to eliminate mold.

Talk to a building contractor you know and trust. It helps if the contractor is familiar with your neighborhood. If your moisture problem can be cured by cleaning and using a humidifier, perhaps all that still needs to be done is to replace a small section of drywall.

The contractor will look for other signs of moisture problems inside the house, and should look outside the house as well.

Remember that whatever you do to get rid of mold will also prevent other kinds of moisture damage to your house and will help preserve its value as well as your family's health.

The first step in addressing any mold growth problem in a building is identifying and correcting moisture source(s) (see Where Does Mold Grow?). If moisture problems are not corrected, then any mold cleanup or removal that takes place will most likely be only a short-term solution; at some point the mold growth will recur. It is critical to control moisture at the beginning, during, and at the end of a mold growth removal project.

One of the most common misconceptions about mold is that it can be removed by spraying the surfaces with products such as disinfectants, biocides or cleaners. That will not take care of the problem because the allergenic and toxic properties of mold are not removed by using such products. Whether viable (living) or nonviable (dead), mold spores and other parts of the mold, when they get into the air, still present a health risk to exposed individuals.

While disinfectants and biocides may kill mold spores and take away their ability to reproduce, these products should not be used alone in addressing a mold growth problem. Either the mold must be completely removed from the affected material, or the mold-contaminated material must be completely removed from the building.

In determining which materials can be cleaned and what should be removed, the two important factors are how porous (absorbent) the material is and how extensive the mold growth is. Generally, non-porous materials (such as metals, glass and hard plastics) and semi-porous materials (wood, plaster and concrete) that are visibly moldy but structurally sound can usually be cleaned and reused. Moldy porous materials (carpeting, wallboard, ceiling tile, wallpaper, fabric, upholstered furniture, mattresses) should usually be discarded, since they absorb and hold moisture, may be internally moldy, and cannot be completely cleaned and thoroughly dried.

Cleanup and mold removal activities can expose people to mold particles and other hazards, so it is important to wear protective equipment and follow procedures safely. For complete instructions, see:

* Health Precautions During Mold Cleanup and Removal
* Cleaning Moldy Non-porous and Semi-porous Materials
* Removing Moldy Porous Materials

Air duct systems in buildings can also become contaminated with mold. Air duct systems can be constructed of bare sheet metal, sheet metal with exterior or interior fibrous glass insulation, or made of entirely out of fibrous glass (ductboard). If mold growth has occurred on fibrous glass or other porous surfaces, then effective cleaning will not be possible and the ductwork and/or insulation will need to be discarded. Mold growth on metal ductwork may be cleaned and disinfected following the instructions for non-porous materials

Thank you...I would have it proffessionaly done by hiring a contractor since the property is out of state and I would have a property management in place. I really wanted to know how willing any of you would be to purchase an income property with this type of condition listed. If it does't run into 10's of thousands and can be done reletively cheap then would you pursue it if it was you?

http://www.moldacrossamerica.org/notobleach.htm

yes I would still buy it if it were a great deal

thanks any idea if it is in brick or concrete...

you mean outside? Power wash it

NO it looks like the basement laundry room (brick) plus a couple of bedrooms (either concrete or drywall) and hallway...