This is the best time to find mold

[Justin Cupo]

Landlords and property managers don't like the word mold and I totally get it as it can be quite costly if found at the wrong time. I've worked with a lot of property managers and landlords on mold remediation projects and my experience has shown me the best time to find mold is when the property is completely vacant, and here's why.

First, when you find mold you should verify that what is found is in fact mold. This is done by hiring an industrial hygienist or an air quality professional to come to the property and test the air and surfaces for mold spores. If mold is found the company or persons who performed the testing will have a protocol on how it should remediated based on the type of mold found. I've seen protocols for houses that are empty and houses that are vacant and it's a huge difference in both scope and cost.

For example, if mold was found in the master bathroom ceiling in an occupied home a protocol in that scenario may call for a pack out of the entire master bathroom and bedroom everything within those two rooms would need to be cleaned off-site and then brought back. The cost of a restoration company to do a pack out and cleaning of contents can be very costly as there's a lot of time spent in logistics. But if the property is empty a protocol in that scenario would call for the removal of the affected area and a thorough cleaning and disinfecting of both rooms.

So if you're someone who wants to get ahead of the curve make it a routine task to test for mold before and after a tenant moves. This will not only help you track if there's damage done by a tenant, but it will also significantly reduce costs on the remediation side if the property is empty as there are no contents that need to be removed or packed out and cleaned.

Tip: If a restoration company doesn't request the protocol from you that's given to you by an Industrial hygienist or air quality professional, don't hire them. They don't know what they're doing and likely won't do the job right, that protocol is critical for understanding how, when, and what should be done.

I hope someone out there finds some value in this post!