When New Construction Grows Mold In The Crawl Space

A house can be brand-new and still be a mold problem on day one. We got a call from a buyer worried about moisture in the basement of an unfinished new build, and what we found in the crawl space was hard to ignore: fuzzy olive-gray growth, standing water, and a damp environment perfect for mold to take off before anyone even moves in. If you care about indoor air quality, this is the kind of scenario that shows why “new” does not automatically mean “dry” or “safe.”

We break down how we approach a professional mold inspection: documenting conditions, taking targeted swab samples, and running mold air testing on each level with an outdoor control sample for context. We also explain why the ERMI test is often treated like a shortcut and why that can mislead homeowners and buyers. Then we walk through the lab results, including what showed up in the crawl space and basement air, why some findings can mirror outdoor air, and how moisture inside the structure is what turns ordinary spores into active growth.

From there we get practical about remediation. Scrubbing without proper protocols can spread contamination and may increase exposure, and we talk frankly about mycotoxins and why the industry still argues about them. We also discuss the reality that Ohio has no mold remediation licensing, which means standards can vary a lot, plus the contract and disclosure issues that can leave renters and buyers unprotected. We do this work with no skin in the game, because we are not trying to sell you remediation, just clear information you can act on. Subscribe, share this with a friend buying a home, and leave a review, what’s one inspection question you wish more people asked?

Adventures in Home Buying, the ultimate podcast for anyone navigating the exciting, sometimes daunting world of purchasing a home! Whether you're a first-time buyer, a seasoned investor, or dreaming of your forever home, our engaging stories and expert insights will guide you through every step of the homebuying journey. From decoding mortgages and mastering bidding wars to uncovering hidden costs and spotting sustainable home features, we deliver practical tips and real-world advice to empower you with confidence.

Visit our home inspection website at Home Inspector Columbus Ohio | Habitation Investigation for exclusive resources, and tools to make your homebuying adventure a success.

Are you a home inspector or service company? We’re always looking for passionate experts to join us as guests! Share your insights, showcase your services, and connect with our growing audience of homebuyers. Contact us at (1) Facebook to be featured on Adventures in Home Buying.

Subscribe now and embark on your homebuying adventure with us—because every home has a story, and we’re here to help you write yours!

Sponsored by a Multi-Award Winning home inspection company Habitation Investigation in Ohio Home Inspector Columbus Ohio | Habitation Investigation

Transcript

Where We Inspect And Travel

SPEAKER_02 0:01

All right, Laura. We do home inspections, we do air testing, all kinds of stuff. Old buildings, commercial buildings. We've gone to Tennessee for commercial building inspections. We've been to West Virginia for oh, was that part of a phase one we did?

SPEAKER_01 0:20

Yeah, it was part of a phase one.

SPEAKER_02 0:22

But we do try to all over Ohio for sure. Phase one and commercials. Yes.

A New Build With Moisture

SPEAKER_02 0:28

So the other day we did a place, it's not an old place, brand new.

SPEAKER_01 0:34

Not even completely finished yet, new.

SPEAKER_02 0:37

I'm trying to think. Was all the drywall, all the drywall was in. I don't think it was finished painted yet.

SPEAKER_01 0:43

Yeah, I don't think so.

SPEAKER_02 0:44

So anyway, so client.

SPEAKER_01 0:47

Client calls because he's concerned.

SPEAKER_02 0:49

He has concerns about mold and the moisture that that's been in the basement.

SPEAKER_01 0:53

Because he saw mold. According to what he thought.

SPEAKER_02 0:57

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 0:57

So he calls us to have us come out and do a moisture inspection and kind of see what's going on and do some testing.

SPEAKER_02 1:05

Yep. So this was a basement, and there's a little crawl space kind of open, connecting to the to the basement. And then it's a split level. Then you got like a half a level up that's like a kind of a game family room. Then you got then another half level above that.

SPEAKER_01 1:20

It's kind of the main level, first floor.

SPEAKER_02 1:22

Family room, and then you go up to another half level for a bedroom, bathroom, like a massive room. I think it's a five-level split. Yeah. What this is. I didn't bother counting.

Fuzzy Growth And Standing Water

SPEAKER_02 1:33

But anyway, looking, there was definitely some growth going on down there.

SPEAKER_01 1:38

Oh, it was very fuzzy.

SPEAKER_02 1:40

I mean, I saw a little bit maybe in the basement area, but nothing. Nothing I could really see. But when I got down into that crawl space, it was fuzzy. It was fuzzy. It was like that olive gray. It was and then there was even standing water in the crawl space. The standing water actually had a little like moldy film on it. So it was probably feeding

How We Sample Air And Swabs

SPEAKER_02 2:11

off the sawdust from the construction. So I did swabs, took pictures, and we and I Yeah, you did the swab because you were crawling and I didn't. Oh, yeah, you don't want to crawl inside there. And then you did the air testing.

SPEAKER_01 2:22

I did the air testing on each of the levels.

SPEAKER_02 2:24

Yeah, because he wanted to know hey, is this like a problem in the basement or only, or is it every single floor? Because kind of like the fruit trees, when are they putting these spores out? Have they started? So, Laura, what was the results that you found?

SPEAKER_01 2:39

Okay. So once again, you always take a control so that you're comparing what is normal in that area, that time of year, that time of day.

SPEAKER_02 2:47

So the control was only for air samples.

SPEAKER_01 2:49

The control is only for air samples. I mean, let's let's be realistic. You don't want a control for a swab

Why ERMI Is A Bad Shortcut

SPEAKER_01 2:55

because there's really nothing you want on the swab.

SPEAKER_02 2:57

Which is the problem with the ERMI test. Don't ever hire a company that does the ERMI test and calls that good because the protocol that we have seen that people follow with it, it's it's there's no good standard at all. And the EPA even tells you ERMI is not a valid test for a residential.

SPEAKER_01 3:17

For what, 32 molds, 36, something like that?

SPEAKER_02 3:19

It's it's some crazy, yes, limited numbers of mold type that they've looked for. So anyway, so we we don't do that test. So what what did the lab show?

SPEAKER_01 3:29

So in the basement where the crawl space was, that swab came back and it had um other ascospores. My eyesight's really bothering me, um, and hyphae, so roots, and then in the air it had cladysporium, penicillium aspergillus, and those other ascospores.

Habitation Investigation Sponsor Message

SPEAKER_00 3:58

Habitation investigation is the way to go for a home inspection in Ohio. Trusted licensed home inspectors for your needs from radon to mold to warranty. For a great home inspection, you really can't go. Visit home inspections in Ohio.com.

Lab Results By Level Explained

SPEAKER_01 4:24

In that mid-level, right above the basement, it was not considered elevated. Now there was some stuff in the air, so it could potentially be starting to come up, but not significant as of yet. Um, that first floor, that main level, same thing, not considered elevated on any of the other levels, but you are starting to see some of those coming in to play in here.

SPEAKER_02 4:51

So what was seen on the outside?

SPEAKER_01 4:54

On the outside, let's scroll up, the control had um platispororium. Okay, um, Penicillium aspergillus, and other ascospores.

SPEAKER_02 5:08

Alright, so it sounds like it's fairly similar to what was going on outside. Makes sense. You got your outside because you always have air exchange, air coming into the house, air coming out of the house. So what's in the air outside comes in. But in this house, it was damp enough where it started growing. It had moisture, it and it had a wood source, they started just thriving, thriving and building cities, doing well, and then it maybe was gonna start migrating up upstairs to hop in its we'll assume it has hopes. It was hoping to land on some wood that was damp as well. So you always want to get the house looked at.

Safe Remediation And Mycotoxins

SPEAKER_01 5:55

So now the question becomes, how's it going to be remediated? Because you don't want to do it where you just go in and you start scrubbing the mold because you're going to cause the mold to go, oh no, I must defend myself. Let me put off mycotoxins. You don't want that because you don't want to breathe the mycotoxins. Don't say it. Just don't say it.

SPEAKER_02 6:13

I was supposed to say I did not know that was the voice of uh micro molds and mycotoxins.

SPEAKER_01 6:18

I know, isn't it awesome that now you know?

SPEAKER_02 6:20

That now I know. But that that is true, though. If you do not kill a mold and you start rubbing it off, it's going to defend the cell itself by producing mycotoxins, which just think of that as chemical warfare against whatever's touching it, others.

SPEAKER_01 6:36

Trying to hurt it, other molds, people.

SPEAKER_02 6:39

So whoever does the cleanup for that builder, for this buyer, they need to they need to follow some

No Ohio Licensing Means No Standards

SPEAKER_02 6:50

proper protocols. Yes. And is there licensing in Ohio?

SPEAKER_01 6:56

To my knowledge, the only states that have licensing are Texas, Florida, and New York. So there and Indy Indiana or Illinois was starting to look at something, but I don't know where they're at yet. And I don't know that it was licensing so much as maybe a certification requirement. But I need to see where they're at with that one.

SPEAKER_02 7:15

Yeah, but there's definitely no licensing in Ohio. No, which means there's really no standard protocol you have to follow.

SPEAKER_01 7:22

No, there isn't. Which is now there there are like suggested protocols from like water restoration companies and like the IICRC and stuff like that. They they they do have like suggestions.

SPEAKER_02 7:37

But nobody's required to follow them, are they?

SPEAKER_01 7:50

Like the the guy with the um the basement, and it wasn't just in the basement, it was upstairs and all around, and and they left the little cork board up and they just sprayed bleach on it.

SPEAKER_02 8:03

I'm like, Oh, it's a peg board.

SPEAKER_01 8:05

It was a peg board, that was it. Yeah. And I've been in business for 20 years. Well, apparently you need to go back and learn some more.

SPEAKER_02 8:13

Yeah, I if you all right, if you've done done been in the business for 20 years, that's cool if you continue to learn. How many times we had agents say, dude, I've I've been I've been selling house for 15 years, 20 years.

SPEAKER_01 8:29

I know what I'm doing.

SPEAKER_02 8:31

We had we had somebody that that was a while back, go, hey, I think it was ridiculous how your report mentioned uh open light bulbs in the closets.

SPEAKER_01 8:39

I'm like, dude, that has been a requirement that's been on there for a while.

SPEAKER_02 8:44

There's a safety reason behind that because you stack things inside there, and the old bulbs were getting hot and cause fires. Agent is clueless. You probably got her license and decided nothing, she

Mycotoxin Testing And Industry Denial

SPEAKER_02 8:56

has to learn anything else down the road.

SPEAKER_01 8:58

Well, and and the thing too is that the mold and mycotoxin industry is changing so fast. Um like now you can actually do air testing for mycotoxins, you can do swamp testing for mycotoxins. You didn't used to be able to do that. That's a brand new thing.

SPEAKER_02 9:18

It is, yeah. So I think we're the only one in the state that I know that was able to do that.

SPEAKER_01 9:24

Last I knew, we were the only ones that were working with that one lab.

SPEAKER_02 9:27

Do you know of any uh mold remediation companies that are familiar with mycotoxins?

SPEAKER_01 9:36

There is one remediation company that I've been working with, and other than that, every company that I called to ask questions about mycotoxins, the the general answer I got was, oh, those people are crazy, we don't deal with them.

SPEAKER_02 9:53

Generally blowing off, blowing it off.

SPEAKER_01 9:55

It it's it's not important that they're they're crazy.

SPEAKER_02 9:58

Pretty certain it's scientifically proven that molds produce mycotoxins, and mycotoxins can make you sick. And one of the mycotoxins is the aflatoxin, and that's the one related to liver cancer.

SPEAKER_01 10:08

Well, you know, ask the DOD, they actually use them for chemical warfare themselves.

SPEAKER_02 10:13

What the rumor we've heard, I've heard, yes.

SPEAKER_01 10:17

So, you know, they they exist. It's remember, remember how when we first started teaching classes, it was oh, radon doesn't exist. You're just trying to screw my sail up, and and radon doesn't exist. Why do you even bother doing testing? It's it's gone from that to understanding that radon is actually a real thing, that it can impact people's health. And now we're right back to where we started with radon with the mycotoxins. The people aren't listening to it, they're not believing it, they're they're not like at what point in time does a mold remediation company not acknowledge the fact that what you do could seriously injure somebody and make their health permanently bad.

SPEAKER_02 10:58

Oh, I remember we've we've had agents try and get buyers not to do mold testing, but we're we're doing

Real Estate Disclosures And Self-Protection

SPEAKER_02 11:07

it because that's what the client wanted. And the results come back high. The one was extremely high.

SPEAKER_01 11:14

It's still to this day, I think, the highest one we've ever had.

SPEAKER_02 11:17

It was like was it 250,000 spores per cubic meter? It was insane, it was an insanely high number.

SPEAKER_01 11:25

And that's the one where the agent was a dual agent and he intimately knew the house, and then it comes out down the road where he sends his client an email and he goes, Yeah, well, they cleaned everything up after the bathroom accident. And the client's like, What do you mean, bathroom accident? Oh, well, you know, everything flooded and got soaked, so they had to pull everything up. That's why the bathroom was remodeled, not because they were remodeling it, because they damaged everything. That was not in the disclosure. They just said that they had a uh a newly remodeled bath bathroom.

SPEAKER_02 12:04

Yeah, I see.

SPEAKER_01 12:06

Oh, it's always double checks.

SPEAKER_02 12:08

Sadly enough, you can't trust every agent, you can't trust every seller.

SPEAKER_01 12:12

You can't trust everybody. You you have to protect yourself.

SPEAKER_02 12:17

Yep. So anyway, so I think that's about it on this. Can you think anything else about this? We have what we have lots of stories and lots and lots and lots of stories. A lot more just like bad, really.

SPEAKER_01 12:33

Sad. More sad, I think. Like it's like people are or like how many times have some has somebody called us now and they look over their contract and realize they signed away their right to have air quality testing done, which is a new thing in Columbus, by the way. So check your contracts.

SPEAKER_02 12:52

Yeah, you're talking about for leases.

SPEAKER_01 12:53

For for leases when you're renting an apartment or a condo or you know, someplace downtown in Columbus.

SPEAKER_02 13:00

It's a little sad that some people will screw somebody over by holding withholding information, but our job is what we do. We protect these people. We

No Skin In The Game Closing

SPEAKER_02 13:10

we we help give control back to the, I guess, like our client, which helps in this case, real estate agents, keep them from getting sued and having an unhappy client.

SPEAKER_01 13:20

Well, we have no no skin in the game, and by that I mean if it comes up positive from old or not positive from old, we're not a remediation company. We don't ever want to do remediation. If we come back positive for radon and it comes back over for, okay, so I do have my mitigator's license, but that's just because I didn't that that's a that's a story in and of itself.

SPEAKER_02 13:44

But what was just four-year education.

SPEAKER_01 13:46

We're never gonna do mitigation, ever.

SPEAKER_02 13:49

No, we've never done radon mitigation.

SPEAKER_01 13:51

No desire to ever do that.

SPEAKER_02 13:53

So we're that's a race to the bottom of the cheapest person. And I I've seen some of our mitigation systems, they they suck. I've seen some really bad, I've seen some good jobs, I've seen some that are like, no way, right.

SPEAKER_01 14:08

I mean, and it's it's you know, we have no skin in the game. We're we're not selling you a service to sell you another service, we're giving you something that's going to give you information so that you can decide where you're going from there, and that's it.

SPEAKER_02 14:23

It's your choice. So I think that's about it. Thanks, everybody. Bye. Bye bye.