Mold-resistant wallboard will reduce the chances of mold developing, however it does not eliminate mold growth altogether. The installation of mold-resistant wallboard is exactly the same as for traditional wallboard.
Water stains on a ceiling can be caused by several types of problems, including water leakage between the tile joints around a shower or tub located in a bathroom above the ceiling, an open joint between a plumbing vent stack or chimney and the roof, leaky plumbing, or condensation on cold-water pipes located above the ceiling. In some cases the cause is obvious, such as a faulty roof, but leaks that originate in the roof can stain ceilings even two or more levels below.
There are also cases when the source of a stain cannot be explained by any of the issues above. A professional home inspector will identify them and determine the cause accordingly, providing advice on how to fix the problem.
Ceilings can also be covered with composition tiles, generally made from asbestos, glass fiber or fiberboard. They can either be applied directly over plaster or plasterboard ceilings or over furring strips and are generally interconnected with tongue-and-groove joints. In rooms with plaster walls and tile ceiling, the tiles were likely installed to cover broken and cracked sections in the original ceiling.
When renovating an older home, many people cover the ceiling with tiles or plasterboard instead of having it replastered. In such cases, check for sagging sections, which must be resecured or they can cause adjacent tiles to loosen. Eventually, this would result in a ‘domino’ effect, causing most of the tiles to come down.
Water stains on walls facing the exterior might indicate water seepage through open joints in the exterior siding. This condition has been found particularly in older homes with an exterior brick or stone siding, and is usually caused by wind-driven rain penetrating cracked and deteriorated mortar joints. Also, when water stains and peeling and/or flaking paint are found on walls just below the windows, they usually indicate leakage through open exterior joints around the window.
Generally, cracks in walls are of cosmetic concern, however when walls are cracked and the windows and door frames in that room are not level, the condition might indicate a structural problem and should be inspected and evaluated by a professional.
If the walls are covered with wood or hardboard panels, cracks will not be visible. In quality homes, panels are typically installed over a plasterboard wall, providing added rigidity and, when applied to exterior walls, added insulation. If the room you are inspecting has a panel wall, push on the panel at a point between the studs to see if it has plasterboard backing. The studs are usually located 16 inches apart, or 24 inches apart in some houses. If the wall panel yields under your push, there is no plasterboard backing.
Next, the trim around the various joints in the room should be checked for loose, cracked, broken and missing sections. It may be a minor element, but trim in this condition indicated poor workmanship in new construction and pure neglect in a resale.