Mold Smell

[redtomato]

Our home has a mold smell and we are not sure of the source. Should we call an independent home inspector? Calling a mold expert seems risky since they are selling services.

[Bob Hobden]

Check the air bricks are open and free from debris, that's if you have them. Old house or new house? When was it built and what was the type of construction. Have chimneys been taken out recently? Might be worth having a survey for damp done by a registered surveyor.

[Vir Campestris]

First, you want to look for a newsgroup for your country. USA? (it's spelt "mould")

The climate may not help. Whereabouts are you?

It may just be condensation. Do you dry washing indoors? Take showers? Cook? Open windows?

Andy

[The Todal]

In the uk they sell a DIY damp detector consisting of two metal spikes attached to a plastic box, and it measures the current between the two spikes if you push them against a wall, thereby showing how damp the wall is.

So you could buy one of those, and then test the wall near ground level wherever you think you smell damp. Also the floor itself if possible, to see if damp is coming up through the floor.

Other possibilities include broken or blocked guttering allowing rainwater to get into the walls higher up. So inspect carefully from outside. When it's raining, walk around the outside and see if you can observe any water pouring from the gutters where it ought not to.

[Melissa Wayne]

You can remove mold quite easily with tea tree oil and this has other benefits over corrosives like bleach and ammonia cleaning products. Even though tea oil is costlier than bleach and ammonia, it is safer for your family. With a small amount of tea tree oil, you can effectively get rid of mold and your lungs will definitely thank you for this. This tea tree oil acts as a natural fungicide, it is effective in killing mold spores and getting rid of mildew in your home. This will work equally as a cleaner and a mold prevention agent. Try this out.