Originally Posted By: jfarsetta
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Greg,
Here's the deal: do as you wish. Mold is serious. It's a bit too serious for the untrained. And I mean untrained. A three hour, or three day seminar will not cut it, and will not make you qualified. Ever wonder why the testing labs dont hang their own shingle as mold testers? They rely on suckers to do the dirty work, take the risks, and face the liabilities. At some point, simple liability can become criminal liability if the tester's qualifications to extend himself as a person qualified to perform the tasks in question are challenged. Where personal injury is the end result, the law looks to assign blame. Do you want to wind up in some ADA's cross-hairs? This question is especially timely, in lieu of the whole mold scare and heightened public awareness (panic).
Mold can make you sick. How sick? It varies from person to person. Mold can make you quite ill, but have little or no effect on me. So who decides if the mold is the culprit in a home that is making the occupants sick? You? Me? Who? If you find mold, so what? Is anyone sick, or do you just want to get rid of it? And if so, why test?
I did a favor for a local realtor who was getting quite sick from some toxin in the home she was renting. She was sure it was from mold. She could "smell" it. I went there to check things out. I was looking for mold, moisture, odors, or anything that would lead me somewhere. Know what I found? NOTHING!
No moisture. No leaks. No rotting wood. No water penetration. No mold under the rugs. No mold in the basement or crawlspaces. No odors. No puddles. Plenty of sunlight and ventilation. Nothing...
What DID I find? Chlordane in huge amounts recently poured into the ground next to the home (allegedly). 10 empty aerosol pesticide bombs in the basement and crawlspace areas (10 of them!) And some staining on the baseboards from bug killer applied by the landlord (allegedly). I asked the agent to backtrack and tell me when she started getting sick. Turns out it was about three weeks after these insecticides were applied. BTW, she just got results back from her allergist; she tested negative for mold sensitivity. So, the mold thing was an apparent red herring. She has a bigger problem, as she has two small children in the home. Toxins are apparently present, but not of the nature she thought. So much for mold testing... But, she was advised by another inspector, certified to test for mold, that she needed his services as mold can be a deadly toxin, which was obviously making her sick. This bunch of crap is what I'm talking about. The only thing this guy was certified to do was take her money.
As to your situation, some advice from someone who has seen smart lawyers filet folks quicker than a fish monger: If you test after remediation, you had better have full knowledge of how the home was initially tested and why, along with all established baseline documentation prior to you starting your analysis. I'd be very careful how you present your results. As there are no standards as to what is acceptable or unacceptable, your words may come back to haunt you. For instance, if you say that the mold has been remediated, what does that mean, exactly? Every home will test positive for mold, as it attaches itself to your clothing from the outside. If you say all is well, and the CDC comes out with a standard tomorrow that says its not, you have set yourself up for a lawsuit. There are no disclaimers to save you, as you have chosen to enter a field where specific training and certification is truly required, though not by law (yet), and standards have yet to be ratified.
As to why I post the way I do, be aware that it's not just me. There are quite a few of us who believe that this type of testing, by unqualified individuals, is hurting the HI industry. I truly believe that. If anyone could simply test for mold, then why is insurance so difficult for mold testers to obtain? Why are the CIH-types the only ones who the insurance companies seem to be willing to indemnify? The answer's quite simple: because the folks with the proper training, background, and credentials are the same people who think like I do and will kill you in court. Make no mistake.
So do as you wish. I cant wait for the EPA to clamp down on this nonsense. The head of the CDC already prepared a position statement relative to the state of the blossoming "mold testing" industry, and it wasn't pretty.
Mike,i use this boiler plate. MOLD; ,mold,mildew,fungas and other toxic organisms commonly occur in areas that show signs or evidence of or have the potential for leaking,moisture intrusion and/or inadequate ventilation.The identification of the organism is beyond the scope of this inspection.Any area or item exibiting such conditions can be a possible health hazard for some people.If concerned about this possibility , we recommend futher investigation be performed.----------matt.