The 10 foot rule would, I suppose, pertain specifically to swab or tape samples. I was not aware that home inspectors limited themselves to those two specific modalities of testing. As air samples do not involve 10 square feet (inless you are taking the sample in a 2’x5’ room, I do not see where your interpretation is valid.
I agree with Greg, in that the bill was NOT amended to exempt HIs from a need to be licensed as mold assessors:
I can see how it would be to the advantage of those who prefer not to compete with home inspectors for this business to apply the strictest possible interpretation of the law to their benefit … but I do not see why a home inspector would want to take it upon himself to voluntarily do the same.
A home inspector has the right to perform any tests he wants to unless it is specifically and clearly prohibited by law.
I don’t see where such is the case, here. I think that the inability of those tasked with enforcement to communicate a clear and specific prohibition is a clear indication that the prohibition does not exist.
douglas
(Douglas Wall, CIE, FL Lic. Mold Insp #2)
23
Taking a sample for “purposes of testing for the presence of mold” is when you come across something that you suspect to be mold and you have it tested to see if it is* mold* or if mold is present.
This should not be confused with coming across an unknown substance and taking a sample for a lab to determine exactly what the unknown substance is. If the lab reports identify this unknown substance as being mold … it will then, at that time, be the duty of the persons gaining this knowledge to employ the services of a licensed mold remediator to address it, if remediation is intended. It is not required by the law, however, to hire a licensed mold remediator to identify unknown substances. That does not appear anywhere in your law.
Does that help?
If you know of a Florida law that prohibits people from taking samples of unknown substances and sending them to a lab for identification without an “unknown substance sampling license”, perhaps you can share it with us.