Buying a House? How do you know it is Allergy or Pathogen Free?

 

The housing market in the GTHA is red hot even during this third wave of the pandemic. Unfortunately, in hot housing markets many people forego the home inspection to be able to get a better deal or provide a cleaner and simpler offer to the seller. This can be a costly mistake should there be any structural, plumbing or electrical issues in the home.

https://www.ctvnews.ca/business/pattie-lovett-reid-from-first-time-buyers-to-luxury-homes-canada-s-real-estate-market-is-on-fire-1.5366979

However, the other factor that can cost quite a lot of money to fix and can cause serious and sometimes long lasting health effects is allergens and pathogens. If you’re buying a resale home, how do you know that is allergy or pathogen free? Answer: Have and indoor air quality test performed for allergens and pathogens as part of the offer process.

Top 5 Allergens in Homes:

  1. Pet allergens (cat and dog dander)
  2. Rodent allergens (hidden rodent feces)
  3. Dust Mites (feces as part of the airstream)
  4. Fine Dust (poor ventilation, filtration and dirty ducts)
  5. Low level airborne mould spore activity. (hidden mould)

Most of not all of the above tope 5 allergens in homes are invisible to the walk through or even a traditional home inspection. The only way to uncover these hidden allergens is to perform an air quality test where these allergens samples of the air and is some cases settled dust is sent to a qualified laboratory for analysis.

However, the potential health issues don’t stop here. There are potential pathogen issues as well in a home that should be thought about and possibly tested as well.

Top 3 Pathogens in Homes:

  1. Mould spores from a hidden or improperly remediated water event. Stachybotrys, Chaetomium, Fusarium, Aspergillus type spores in the breathable air can cause serious and long lasting health issues.
  2. Bacterial problems. Floods come with bacterial pathogens such as E.coli, enterobacter and other coliform type bacteria that can cause respiratory and digestive disease.
  3. Asbestos fibres. Depending on the age of the home there could be asbestos containing materials in drywall, insulation, flooring tiles and attics.

A regular home inspection may uncover the attic insulation issue, but only a laboratory can tell you if you have these regulated materials in drywall and flooring. If you’re planning to renovate…this can make the job very expensive.

You normally wouldn’t buy a used car without having a mechanic look at it. With house prices these days you certainly wouldn’t buy an old luxury car without having it properly assessed. Why take chances with unforeseen costs and potential threats to your health? An indoor air quality assessment should be part of any real estate transaction.

Indoor air quality testing can uncover many of these hidden dangers in a resale home. Most homes that are ten years or older while have had some sort of water event history. Anytime there is a water leak or water penetration event, hidden mould growth can be a real risk. If hidden or even visible mould is allowed to grow, the indoor air quality could start to be affected by airborne mould spores. Depending on the species and concentration of airborne mould spores, mild to serious allergic reactions are possible. Depending on the length of exposure, serious health complications and diseases are also a real risk.

Have the indoor air quality test assessed before you spend about a million dollars…the average price of a home these days in the GTHA.

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