These are my onions on the current issue on whether Home Inspectors that also include mold testing. I have included information on those areas which may be of help or more confusing to some. This opinion is not directed at anyone. Hopefully a full discussion on the issue will be helpful.
The 10 s.f. amount may be from the EPA Table 2: Guidelines for Remediating Building Materials with Mold Growth Caused by Clean Water. The EPA list three types:** SMALL - Total Surface Area Affected Less Than 10 square feet (ft2),** **SMALL - Total Surface Area Affected Less Than 10 square feet (ft2), and LARGE - Total Surface Area Affected Greater Than 100 (ft2) or Potential for Increased Occupant or Remediator Exposure During Remediation Estimated to be Significant. **The purpose is to provide basic information to first assess the extent of the damage and then to determine whether the remediation should be managed by the homeowner or outside professionals. The homeowner can then use the guidelines to help design a remediation plan or to assess a plan submitted by outside professionals.
Standards or Threshold Limit Values (TLVs) for airborne concentrations of mold, or mold spores, have not been set. Currently, there are no EPA regulations or standards for airborne mold contaminants. There is no health or exposure-based standards that you can use to evaluate a mold sampling result. The Florida Department of Health does not recommend mold testing or sampling to see if you have a mold problem, or to see what kind of mold might be growing. Investigate a mold problem; don’t test.
The CDC does not recommend routine sampling for molds. Reliable sampling for mold can be expensive, and standards for judging what is and what is not an acceptable or tolerable quantity of mold have not been established.
The sampling being completed by you may be worthless and most importantly you can be liable for mistaken results. Is it worth it? :shock:
A quick review on Florida Law for Mold Assessor and Home Inspector:
Florida Statutes PART XVI
MOLD-RELATED SERVICES
(3) “Mold assessment” means a process performed by a mold assessor that includes the physical sampling and detailed evaluation of data obtained from a building history and inspection to formulate an initial hypothesis about the origin, identity, location, and extent of amplification of mold growth of greater than 10 square feet.
(4**) “Mold assessor” means any person who performs or directly supervises a mold assessment.**
468.8419 Prohibitions; penalties.—
(1) A person may not:
(a) Effective July 1, 2011, perform or offer to perform any mold assessment unless the mold assessor has documented training in water, mold, and respiratory protection under s. 468.8414(2).
468.8311 Definitions
(4) “Home inspection services” means a limited visual examination of the following readily accessible installed systems and components of a home: the structure, electrical system, HVAC system, roof covering, plumbing system, interior components, exterior components, and site conditions that affect the structure, for the purposes of providing a written professional opinion of the condition of the home.
Review of our Standards and Practices of Home Inspector
1. Definitions and Scope 1.1. A Home Inspection is a non-invasive, visual examination of a residential dwelling, performed for a fee, which is designed to identify observed material defects within specific components of said dwelling. Components may include any combination of mechanical, structural, electrical, plumbing, or other essential systems or portions of the home, as identified and agreed to by the Client and Inspector, prior to the inspection process.
3.1. Limitations:
I. An inspection is not technically exhaustive.
3.2. Exclusions:
I. The inspectors are not required to determine:
J. the presence of mold, mildew, fungus or toxic drywall.
K. the presence of air-borne hazards.
N. the air quality.
III. The inspectors are not required to:
L. offer or perform any trade or professional service other than home inspection
4.39. Technically Exhaustive: A comprehensive and detailed examination beyond the scope of a real estate home inspection which would involve or include, but would not be limited to: dismantling, specialized knowledge or training, special equipment, measurements, calculations, testing, research, analysis or other means.
In review of the information it seems that our inspections are not to be technically exhaustive. If testing and analysis are performed in homes for mold then it seems that this would be outside the scope of a Home Inspector. Wouldn’t it much easier or less liable to recommend that further investigation may be needed.
Mold samples should not be taken. But if you must, the collection of any type of mold sample is considered to be part of a mold assessment and **[FONT=Verdana]**not ****within the scope of a home inspection. This should be an additional service offered by home inspectors that have a mold assessor license. [/FONT]
As a mold assessor I rarely test for mold unless it involves an insurance claim and they insist. Finding the source of the problem and the recommended remediation is all that is usually needed.
Some did not want to get licensed for Home inspectors as some believe they do not need to be licensed to do mold assessing. Why all the discontent, just go get a license. If your testing you must be educated enough to get licensed. Issue solved.
Many people have unrealistic expectations of what mold testing can do and they can be taken advantage of by those who perform testing poorly or for inappropriate reasons. If we are true professionals in our trade should we be taken advantage of our clients of a quick fifty bucks?
Jim McAlhany
[FONT=Consolas]HI1169, CGC1506951, CCC1329670, MRSA278, MRSR737
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