Great course!Thanks Nick.
We added a few more quizzes today.
Air sampling may be necessary if the presence of mold is suspected (for example, musty odors), but cannot be identified by a visual examination.
Musty, moldy odors likely indicate mold growth.
Agree?
Do you report odors in your inspection report? …even when you are not performing a mold inspection?
I am looking forward to taking this course, I lost an inspection last week because I wasnt “mold certified”
Thank you Nick, this just keeps getting better and better.
Nick,
Great course
Thanks
No.
I inspect in accordance with the NACHI SOP and I disclaim mold in my contract. Specifically, prior to my agreement to perform their inspection the client will sign a document that contains the following statement:
Some members offer mold inspections as an additionally charged for service.
Cool.
The implication that a regular home inspection required addressing suspicious odors is what I was responding to.
There is no requirement anywhere for a home inspector using the NACHI SOP to address these type of issues. Offering it, as you said, as an additional service for an additional fee, is terrific.
I don’t think “reporting musty odors” is a marketable service.
I do think home inspectors should report musty odors in their home inspection service.
There are many things that are not required, but should be done by a home inspector. It’s not required to inform the building owner of hazards (even imminent ones). It is not required to climb upon sloped shingle roofs, but I think home inspectors should do that as well.
It’s not required, but reporting musty odors should be done by every home inspector.
You are entitled to think whatever you wish…but you should publish as fact only that which is correct.
NACHI has an SOP. If what you “think” is inconsistent with it, it would be very credible of you to publish that fact along with your “thoughts”.
We all know that you “think” that wet, muddy, low crawl spaces should be inspected as well. Many well trained, experienced and successful home inspectors will immediately disagree with that “thought” as well.
A good education provider, which I am sure you aspire to be, will make distinctions between their own “thoughts” and the standard practices. Wouldn’t you agree?
Something as subjective and prone to misinterpretation as a “musty odor” in a home inspection that disclaims indoor environmental issues would NOT be noted as a defect in an inspection conducted in accordance with the SOP. It would be noted in the additional inspection for the additional fee, as described by Nick.
Ben’s Home Inspection Service: $396
Ben’s Musty Odor Inspection Service: $FREE and included with every Home Inspection.
I aspire to be a picker, grinner, a lover, and a sinner. I play my NACHI.TV videos in the sun.
Fact: My thoughts are inconsistant. Consistantly. My cautious thoughts are seriously concisely conservative on a conscience content-incontinent kind of level.
My concern is, if you report an order of some sort in your inspection report. Then you will need to report all the orders smelled.
What I do is when I smell musty orders, I look for mold. I will pull out a moisture meter also. But I am certified to inspect mold, not all home inspectors are.
Cool. Certified by whom?
How about let’s use a little common sense and decency here. If you were buying a house and didn’t know what to look for wouldn’t you want your HI to at lease say that this odor is out of sorts and should be investigated further? Maybe it is rat or cat urine, maybe the source is outdoors, whatever.
At least give the client the option to respond and look into it before the deal is done. This mentality that we should live by some SOP and stop using common sense it part of what is keeping this industry perceived in the lower ranks. The day we step up and provide real services with real meaning is the day we can break out and get the recognition we deserve.
All strange odors should be noted: only if there is a general comment. Let the client decide.
Hear, hear! 
MICRO and IAC2. I dropped my memberships to IESO when they made me an automatic member of IAQA. I have already completed certification classes with ESA and EMSL. MICRO seems to be the best mold organization that I belonged to, so far. IESO has the best training, so far. I will be taking your mold training course next. Each organization teaches mold in different ways and has different beliefs. Each training I have taken, I have learned something new.