These 2 things would send Chip Gaines running from a Fixer Upper

From tumbledown kitchens to claustrophobic floorplans, it seems like there’s no construction woe too great for Chip Gaines to tackle with his brute strength and cheeky optimism. At times, he’s even had us thinking we were equipped to do flip a crappy home all by our lonesome. (Mhmm, OK, girl.)

But as it turns out, even renovation superstars like Chipper have their limits. We recently linked up with the KILZ spokesman to discuss the problems that would, in fact, send him running for the hills. Here’s what he had to say:

Black Mold
“Black mold, which is officially called 'stachybotrys,' has definitely been a deal-breaker in the past,” he told us. These gnarly toxic mold spores are caused by leaky pipes, poor ventilation and flooding, and feed on household materials like drywall and insulation. In addition to being incredibly costly to remove and replace, they’re also downright dangerous to your health, capable of leading to severe respiratory problems and allergic reactions. Eeek.

Related: Shocking facts about the couple

Major Foundation Problems
Think: Cracked drywall, pooling water in a basement or large cracks to exterior concrete. The BFD with these signs is that they often indicate other, much larger, lurking issues that really require a structural engineer to detect and address. “These repairs are typically time-consuming and extremely expensive,” said Gaines. You can say that again: While you could be looking at a few grand to patch over...you could also be dealing with a $100,000 bill for an all-new foundation.

Caveat: Of course “everything can be fixed,” Gaines clarified, “it all just boils down to budget and expectations.” So if you’ve got a sky-high savings account and that moldy, structurally-unsound Victorian is “the one”—well—if there’s a will, there’s always a way.

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