It's safe to assume that everyone knows mold is dangerous to your health, but there are some things you need to beware of when buying a Metro Atlanta house. Mold is a serious issue, and you need to understand how it can hide.

When it comes to buying a Metro Atlanta house, the mere mention of mold can easily trigger anxiety attacks, not to mention a string of other 4-letter words not suitable for publication.

Mold can make a house difficult or impossible to sell. Mold can trigger lawsuits. Legal requirements for disclosing mold problems in real estate transactions do differ from one state to the next. But most real estate agents choose to disclose mold issues because it's simply too risky not to do so.

Dealing With Mold When Buying a Metro Atlanta House

Like any organism, mold seeks out favorable living conditions and avoids conditions that are less than ideal. When you discover mold when buying a Metro Atlanta house you need to focus on three questions:

What caused the favorable conditions for mold to take hold?

What must be done to change or eliminate the environment for mold?

What are the best ways to remove the existing mold?

When buying a Metro Atlanta house, keep in mind, mold may not be visible, and in fact, most of the time, is hidden where most people don't just see it plainly on the walls or ceilings.

When buying a Metro Atlanta house that is discovered to have a mold issue, fixing plumbing leaks, sealing or encapsulating a damp crawl space, waterproofing a basement, installing a dehumidifier, improving bathroom ventilation or any combination of these fixes, may be the solution needed.

Contractors who specialize in crawl space encapsulation and basement waterproofing are the go-to guys for crawl space and basement moisture problems. General contractors or remodeling contractors typically are not your best option for this type of work because they tend to have less experience dealing with mold.

With regard to removing mold, you have two basic options: Treating and cleaning mold from surfaces or tearing out materials that have been damaged by mold. The mold problem is unlikely to recur if effective moisture-management techniques have been used.

If you decide you want to take on a mold issue yourself instead of hiring a professional, here is a good resource on How to Remove Mold.

Be sure when buying a Metro Atlanta house that you get a professional inspection completed that includes checking and testing for mold. After you buy the house may be too late, especially when your family's health may be in jeopardy as a result of hidden mold.