REMINDER: You should always wear appropriate personal protective gear whenever doing this type of investigation.  I recommend a respirator, gloves, safety glasses, a Tyvek suit, and booties.

1. Look Under Your Sinks

Every month you should take out everything from underneath your sinks and check for water.  If there are signs of moisture, you need to act. If you don’t see active signs of water, take you flashlight and look at all the surfaces, turn it this way and that, perpendicular and parallel to all the surfaces and look for signs of bubbling or an uneven texture.  If that exists, there may have been previous water damage that created mold behind the surface.  That needs further investigation.

If no signs of water are present, great!  I suggest investing in a sink mat like this to capture any water in the future and prevent microbial growth.

2. Look Closely Around All Your Windows

Windows are penetration points to the outside. If they’re not installed properly, they allow water in. This can be hard to see, but there are some tell-tail signs: bubbling paint, water streaking, peeling paint, soft and pliable building materials, dark water stains or visible mold.  If you see any of these signs, you need to investigate further and call a professional.

3. Look Closely Around the Outside Perimeter of Your Home

Check for good drainage away from your foundation. Make sure there is no foliage within three feet of the structure.  You want to water your plants, not your house.  Look for any failing siding, cracks, or penetrations.

4. Check Your Roof

If your roof is too steep or you just don’t want to get up there, then hire a professional, or make you husband do it (just kidding). You want to inspect your roof about twice a year for any missing shingles, visible nails, loose coverings, loose or cracked boots, disturbed flashing, or any penetration points.

5. Look Inside Your Air Handler

If you can unscrew the cover of your air handler, you can look inside, especially at the coils and see if there is a dust or mold accumulation.  *If you do not know how to do this, do not try, hire a professional!

6. Use Your Nose (or someone else’s)

Do you smell something musty? Then stop what you’re doing and call an inspector. If you can smell something musty then mold is likely growing. If it’s not obvious where it’s coming from, you need a professional to help you find it.

7. Look Under Carpets

Do you have pets that pee on carpets? Or kids? Or perhaps the adults? Or did the previous owners? If you do, or you’re not sure, you can pull up the carpets from the corners with a pair of plyers.  Look for visible staining and rusty tack strips.

8. Look at Baseboards

Remove them if needed. Do the baseboards have uneven surfaces or any kind of bubbling or warping? Especially around sinks, bathtubs, and showers?  If so, you may want to remove them and take a closer look.

9. Check Your Grout

Is the grout in your kitchen, bathroom, or anywhere you have masonry, stained or discolored?  If it is, and it returns after cleaning, then you want to investigate further.

10. Look Behind the Washer and Dryer

Pull out your washer and dryer every few months to both inspect, and clean behind them.  If there is any visible water, staining, or suspicious looking areas, call a professional.

11. Get a Humidistat

You can buy an inexpensive humidistat to keep an eye on the humidity levels throughout your home.  If they ever get above 55-60%, you may have a water intrusion issue.  If the source is not obvious, call a professional.

12. Check the Attic and Crawl Space*

I know you probably don’t want to do this.  Confession time, I don’t want to either, but well, I don’t have a choice. It’s generally not as bad as you’d think. It might be dark and dusty, but with a good flashlight most of these spaces are navigable. 

*If you don’t feel comfortable with this, don’t do it.  Both spaces can have hazards including rodents, mold, standing water, dust, insulation, asbestos, confined spaces, spiders, and who knows what else, I’ve seen lots of things!  You also need to be very careful when walking in an attic. One misstep and you could send your foot through the ceiling.  That’s best avoided. 

If you do decide to do this, I suggest full PPE equipment, and get some further instruction.  These spaces are only for the brave (and slightly crazy).

13. Conduct Do-it-Yourself Testing**

The above steps, though a great start, are not comprehensive.  We still have wall cavities, several feet of duct work, and other spaces that may be inaccessible.  There are several types of DIY testing you can do, but the only one I really recommend would be an ERMI.  I’m not a fan of the agar plates, so I wouldn’t waste your money on them.  An ERMI is something you can do yourself and can provide an overall snapshot of the microbial load in your home. 

**Please note that ERMI’s are not without their controversy.  I have seen both false-negatives and false-positives.  It’s about the interpretation of the sample as well as the building history. If you do run an ERMI, I suggest getting a professional interpretation by an inspector with a lot of ERMI experience.

I strongly believe that any homeowner, renter, or freeloader, should be performing these steps on a regular basis.  It’s expensive to hire professionals, and you want to stay on top of the health of your home before a problem develops.