How to Find a Low-Mold Home

While toxic mold is relatively common in homes, it is possible to find a low-mold home. And yes, you read that correctly: We’re on the hunt for a low-mold home, because it’s not possible to find a mold-free home. Statistically speaking, 100% of homes have mold– and this is something even the EPA agrees on. If you are diagnosed with Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome (CIRS) and this fact is new to you, I know firsthand how heart-wrenching this may be to read. All of the experts I follow have said that low-mold is the goal time and time again, and I’ve certainly experienced this in my own search for safe housing. The good news is that we need not seek perfection in a mold-free home, but search realistically for healthy living in a low-mold home instead.

In terms of the statistics for how many homes have toxic mold, there is no evidence-based consensus at this time. Unnervingly, many people who claim to be mold experts throw out numbers without citing data to support the percentages they share. As of now, here is the most cited information I’ve found of estimates for water damaged homes in America, stating that about 50% of homes have the conditions for toxic mold to grow. Terrifying, right? Even if you’re not reactive to mold, that’s still discouraging to know that you’ve got a 50% chance of breathing in toxic air in your home.

Rest assured, though, that there are some helpful considerations to hold in mind when searching for a home that can help you find a low-mold home. (If you’re new here or need a brief review, check out this post and this post to familiarize yourself with some of the basics about mold before reading further.)

Consider the Age of the Home

Homes that are 2-10 years old are typically recommended when seeking a low-mold home because the younger the home, the less likely it is to have water damage. While any home of any age can have water damage, it does make sense that the younger a home is, the less it’s been through. Brian Karr of We Inspect talks about sticking to younger homes frequently on his Instagram and his podcast, and I highly recommend using his free, high quality content as a resource while trying to find a low-mold home.

Some resources I’ve consulted have recommended to either build new, or gut a home, remediate, and renovate in order to find a low-mold home. Neither is an easy feat, especially if you have limited financial resources from poor attempts to remediate or reduced income from CIRS. Additionally, new construction materials come with their own hazards.

New Construction & VOCs

New construction homes are generally not recommended due to off-gassing as many people who have CIRS diagnoses also develop Multiple Chemical Sensitivities (MCS). Off-gassing is when toxic chemicals are emitted, and so many pieces of new construction homes are created and installed with products that release toxic chemicals. The gasses are called VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds) and they’re found in paint, drywall, carpet, and caulk, just to name a few places. This post explains more about these toxins.

Mold in New Construction

Some people believe that new construction automatically guarantees a mold-free home. Oh, how I wish this was the case- what an easy solution it would be! Unfortunately, there are several points in the home building process where mold can easily grow when not mitigated (and although simple, these mitigation techniques are not standard practice in the construction industry). From the research I’ve done, here are four points to consider in the building process to reduce mold growth:

Avoid having wood for framing sit in the mud. Have it stored up off the ground. (If you google “mold on framing new construction,” you can find images and more limited information about this. I chose not to link any sites, however, because I do not agree with either the promotion of the companies explaining the concern or the suggested ways to “clean up” the mold because bleach does NOT kill mold.)
Ensure the basement is properly installed. First, make sure the moisture barrier is in excellent condition, and then allow the concrete to fully cure before building the framing on top of it.
Ensure the framing is dried out before the house in enclosed. Framing is exposed to the elements and gets wet during the building process. Not drying the framing out leads to high moisture content in the wood, and as we know, moisture leads to mold.
Avoid running the HVAC during construction. When the HVAC is run during the building process, it will pull in and circulate dust, dirt, and contaminants, and continue to circulate these irritants long after construction is finished.
Avoid stucco. Stucco is just a no-go. I’ve read too many articles like this. Moisture can get behind the stucco and destroy the framing of a house, covering it in mold and causing rot. Supposedly, the construction industry states that when installed properly, mold cannot grow, but it sure seems like there’s a lot of it installed improperly. It feels like a high risk with low rewards in my book.

While these things sounds pretty simple and easy to do, it may be difficult to find a builder who will agree to these practices. Because money is the priority in the construction business, health suffers. Researching builders can help you to find a high quality or flexible builder who is willing to address concerns about air quality. It would be ideal to connect with a builder who is willing to address air quality during the building process by following the considerations above, utilizing moisture resistant building materials, and using no or low VOC products. Of course, the catch-22 in this is that finding a builder who will honor these requests will often be crafting a custom home, so that means you need more funds, which are often in low supply when battling toxic mold. It’s an awful cycle.

Consider the Location

Avoid floodplains. Floodplains are areas where excess water pools, meaning you’ll want to stay away from areas like this as one way to reduce potential water damage to your home. From my observations, newly construction neighborhoods are being built with storm water management in mind, which is helpful.

Avoid living at the bottom of a hill. Similarly to living in a floodplain, living in a house at the bottom of a hill can set up perfect circumstances for water damage. Melting snow and rain flow downhill naturally, and will soak the land around a house at the bottom of the hill without proper (and substantial, from what I’ve read) mitigation techniques.

Take into account your resources. The pandemic brought incredibly low interest rates for mortgages and a desire for those who can afford it to flee cities. While you may need to move further out from the city to find a newer home, take stock of your resources when considering a move like that. Will you have family nearby? Will you be able to access the resources needed to live a comfortable life? How will your emotional health be impacted by a move like this?

Research the region. While I question how many states track and publish statistics of mold infested and water damaged homes, some states appear to have more homes with mold concerns. While I don’t think this should be the sole deterring factor, it is certainly something to hold in mind because many of these places are more prone to flooding, which leads to mold. But here’s the reality: All homes have plumbing and therefore have the potential to grow mold. Unless you’re ready to have an outhouse and outdoor kitchen, and live in a desert, there is no mold-proof home.

“Here’s the reality: All homes have plumbing and therefore have the potential to grow mold. Unless you’re ready to have an outhouse and outdoor kitchen, and live in a desert, there is no mold-proof home.”

Look for Mold and Water Damage

After learning how to visually check for signs of water damage, I am amazed by how obvious it is to discover concerns. I wrote this rather comprehensive post, if I may say, on how to inspect a home for mold with just your eyes and nose. While inspecting in this way won’t allow you to determine if there’s hidden mold, what kind of mold is growing, and how substantial the concern is, it will give you areas to investigate further with a qualified indoor environmentalist for testing. And you can rule out a substantial amount of homes from this process alone in your journey to find a low-mold home.

Aside from knowing how to inspect, people with CIRS can track symptoms after touring a house to identify potential concerns. Telltale signs of exposure for me include numbness in my hands, feeling out of breath easily, insomnia, and dizziness. When my hands go numb, I know I need to get out of a space immediately. If possible, spread out your home tours so you can track your reactions to each home. Again, this goes against the industry standard of touring multiple homes in a day, as well as needing to make a quick decision on putting in an offer. If you’re got CIRS, get used to living against the grain. Mainstream life is not built for you, it’s not going to support you, and you’re not going to get better if you keep living a “normal” way.

“If you’ve got CIRS, get used to living against the grain. Mainstream life is not built for you, it’s not going to support you, and you’re not going to get better if you keep living a ‘normal’ way.”

Test for Mold

There are a lot of mold tests out there, and all of them have limitations. The most accessible and reliable test I know of is the ERMI, which stands for Environmental Relative Moldiness Index. This post explains testing a home for mold with an ERMI. Briefly, the ERMI is a test where you collect dust from the home on Swiffer cloths, and then mail it off for PCR analysis to determine the types of mold present and an estimation of the quantity.

Envirobiomics is one option for running ERMIs. I also learned an interesting system from PJ Harlow when I consulted her: buy a bunch of Swiffer cloths, ziplock bags and gloves from wherever you shop, and collect dust at all of the homes you tour in a day, then mail in the cloths from the homes you felt best about and saw no flags visually to Mycometrics for analysis. I’ve found the Mycometrics system to be more affordable and reliable than using Envirobiomics personally.

Testing New Construction for Mold

Unfortunately, there isn’t an effective and affordable way to test new construction at this time to my knowledge. The ERMI test is invalidated if drywall dust is present in the sample, and brand new homes don’t have much dust otherwise since nobody has lived in the home. I called Envirobiomics to ask about their recommendations for testing new construction, and while they offer excellent customer service (offering a refund or replacing the test), that doesn’t help someone to know whether a home is safe or not. I also learned that they do not offer full refunds, taking a stocking fee for all tests mailed to customers, so choose wisely.

Of course, you can hire a qualified mold inspector, but that can get expensive and tricky because it’s an additional contingency in the contract for the home’s purchase. I’ve found that most builders are eager to avoid a formal mold inspection as results documenting mold in the home will need to be reported to other potential buyers, should you walk away.

I will be sure to update this section as I learn more, but right now, my best thoughts are to inspect visually, run the ERMI, and utilize a moisture meter to determine if there are high moisture concerns in the walls.

Persevere

Aside from the objective difficulties of finding a low-mold home, I would be remiss not to mention the emotional toll that comes with the search, especially if you are navigating CIRS. The odds are quite high that you will already be working to educate your doctors, friends, family, and coworkers about CIRS, which can feel like a full-time job in and of itself. When you also have to start explaining your condition and needs to a realtor and home builders who haven’t considered air quality for their entire careers, things can get even more complicated.

Self-doubt has been my constant companion for as long as I can remember. Throw in a chronic illness not recognized by conventional medicine with limited research, limited access to research, and unregulated federal standards, and you’ve got a recipe for disaster. There are so many days I’ve wanted to wish CIRS away because all of the people I know in real life move through the world without a care about air quality- I wish I still had that luxury. I have been so thankful, however, to work with a provider who ran extensive blood work and testing to formally diagnose CIRS so I have hardcore evidence, as well as to find communities of people online who know air quality matters.

If you’re feeling alone in the search for a home where you can heal and like it’s insurmountable, I get it and I’ve been there. It’s not easy, it’s not enjoyable, and it’s not without heartache, AND the search for a low-mold home is worth it simply because your health is worth it.