In fact, when asked what kind of environmental contamination they feared the most in a real estate project, more than half (24 of 40) of those surveyed cited mold. In contrast, asbestos ranked a distant second (eight of 40), followed by mercury (two of 40), and radon (two of 40). Seven respondents chose "all of the above."
"How has mold risen to the top of the worry list so fast?" asked Perry. "Because to date we've not been focused on preventing mold; we've only been looking at how to fix the problem. Unfortunately, there is no 'cure' for mold. It has baffled many builders and remediators with its ability to reoccur just weeks after it has been scraped or sprayed away… For the lender, if a borrower defaults and you can't guarantee clean-up on the property, it greatly compromises your ability to get your money's worth out of the investment. If commercial tenants or building managers are spending millions of dollars to remediate a mold infestation, how protected can lenders be if the mold returns in 30 days?"
Some builders have already adopted mold-resistant construction techniques such as a capillary break under the foundation, a waterproof roofing system, windows with low potential for condensation and newly developed mechanical ventilation systems. The new techniques are designed to avoid excess water buildup and reduce the likelihood of leakage.
"Lenders are also considering the requirement of mold inspections pre-, during and post-construction for new real estate loans," said Perry. "Unlike most inspections, a mold-specific (Indoor Air Quality) engineer will know where, how and when to look for it, saving the lender, the borrower and the builder thousands of dollars as well as litigation nightmares.”
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