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| | | Molds are fungi that can be found both indoors and outdoors, all year round. Although some forms of mold are extremely dangerous or even toxic, most molds are relatively harmless. However, large concentrations of indoor mold can cause odors, health problems and, in some cases, structural damage to wood. An inspection and testing will determine how much mold is present in a home, and where. | | |
| Typical costs: | - Do-it-yourself mold test kits are available online or at home improvement stores for $5 -$100. With a kit, you take a sample, place it in growth medium (like a petri dish) and wait 48 hours to see if mold grows. However, to learn exactly what types of mold are present you have to mail the kit to a lab, which adds shipping costs plus testing fees of $30 -$150 per sample, depending on the level of identification and the type of report and consultation provided.
- A professional mold inspection of a typical family home runs $200 -$600, although larger homes (5,000-10,000 square feet or more) can be $600 -$900 and up. In extreme cases, the inspector may cut open the walls for what's known as an invasive inspection. The total additional cost will depend on the extent of the hidden mold and how much work is required to discover it.
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| What should be included: | - Several different types of mold (also called mildew) are almost always present both indoors and out; they usually are benign and only grow large colonies where there's moisture. Because do-it-yourself test kits can become contaminated before use, ConsumerReports.org does NOT recommend the kits it evaluated. And it's usually not necessary to identify the type of mold growing in your home, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC); just remove the mold without testing it.
- Some companies offer both mold inspection and remediation, but most experts recommend using different contractors for these services. A full mold inspection of a typical home takes about 2-5 hours. The inspector will visually evaluate the structure, both
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| Additional costs: | - There can be fees for additional paperwork for an insurance claim or other circumstances; if you need specific documentation, be sure to ask if it's included in the quote.
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| Shopping for mold inspection: | |
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Article updated June 2008 |
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