Hi everyone,
I’ve been a home inspector for the last 10 years and am just transitioning to mold inspections. I have a few questions about the inspection process. Any responses would be greatly appreciated!
I understand we are suppose to do a complete crawlspace inspection. If apparent mold is detected, do most inspectors carry swabs or tape with them to do a test in the crawlspace?
Do inspectors perform a surface test every time on grout mold in the shower?
According to the standards, if no apparent mold is detected one air sample should be performed in the house and two outside the house. Do most inspectors exceed this standard and do tests in every room?
Good question Sean! I don’t do “Mold Inspections” in the sense you are referring to but others here may do them. To me, the proper way to test for mold is to do an IAQ test with proper equipment and verifiable lab results. This may take time for any results coming back to you.
As an ancillary inspection, it may be worth it in your area, but the due diligence or escrow periods are making most of our ancillary inspections obsolete these days.
Sean I think we have questions for each other.
I consider myself an expert. Feel free to call over the weekend.
I have too much paperwork from too many inspections this week.
If not, I wouldn’t consider performing mold testing until you are. I fairly recently obtained my IAC2 certifications and have not started completing “mold testing” yet due to the initial investment of testing equipment and I also won’t invest in that equipment until I am confident that I will receive mold testing work orders.
Yes I am a certified IAC2 member and ACI, I just haven’t activate my visible account as I’m not ready to inspect for mold (I just un-checked the box).
I did study the course extensively, and I understand the information provided. It’s just as an everyday home inspector I detect dryrot, surface deterioration (surface fungus), and staining all the time in the subarea. Do these conditions really constitute an actual swap/tape/moisture reading or should we just report on the fact these conditions are conducive to mold and should be repaired?
According to the standards it may seem simple, however when your testing every sub-straight and every color in the subarea you may come out with 20 samples, which to me seams ridiculous.
Simple answer…we don’t TEST for mold during a standard home inspection. InterNACHI’s inspection agreement clarifies this. If you’re performing an ancillary mold inspection, you should already know the answers to your question(s).
I recently moved markets (Oregon to Maui) and as a marketing strategy started advertising mold inspections included with each home inspection (fwiw, it was kind of the standard here upon doing my market research). I’ve done +/- 100 houses and found visible mold on probably 30 and have yet to do a test. Even though I (could) make money on it if I ever used one of my prepaid kits I tell people they are wasting their money. Mold is pretty easy to ID. IMO, the only reason to test is usually to convince a seller in denial. Back in Oregon things are bit more advanced (for lack of a better term) and we regularly find moldy attis and nobody asks for a test. They just bring in the remediation contractors. I guess in the end study your market to find out what is standard and go from there. And, of course, like everything in this business, set you buyer’s expectations and communicate EXACTLY what you are doing and what they are getting.
In a sense, I am searching every home/structure for mold related conditions. My standard inspection includes a search for conditions conducive to mold growth, ie. water instrusion/sources. Mold is everywhere and requires moisture and ‘food’ to survive. It there’s no moisture, there’s no mold growth, it lays dormant. Don’t be fooled by (nick-)names such as “Dry Rot” as it still requires moisture to survive.
Do your job as a professional Home Inspector, and you will be performing the majority of the work involved with Mold Surveys! “Testing” is primarily only necessary when the strain of the mold is required for medical diagnostic and treatment reasons.
No I don’t test for mold anywhere during a home Inspection unless the client ordered it. For a normal HI, I just take a pic and report suspected mold. No I don’t test non porous surfaces such as tubs and tiles. If a client orders the IAQ test I typically do two indoor and one outdoor sample for control. I visited Dr Shane at Priority Lab last summer and questioned him on the 2 outdoor samples. Dr Shane said the video on InterNachi was outdated and he no longer feels 2 outdoor samples are needed. Only one exterior air sample is needed according to Dr Shane. If I perform a mold inspection with testing, I have a much more detailed report for that. Before any Inspector performs any mold testing or mold inspections I recommend getting IAC2 certified. In addition, InterNachi has a class or two on the subject. I also recommend having an expert in the field to consult with when you are dealing with the source, moisture. I use Mark Parlee. Mark is a great guy with a wealth of knowledge about moisture & moisture intrusion.