I have a good friend and brother who asked me to look at the home he just bought. He had an inspection done by a licensed, grandfathered in, inspector. License number was in the HI30s. The inspector missed visible toxic mold, exposed wiring hanging out of a wall box, improper termination of a TPS valve on water heater, termite damage to exposed studs where the stucco was missing, missing NM wire clamp on water heater, and heavily corroded valves to water heater supply. I was in the home for ten minutes and noticed each of these defects. My friend now has to have a mold assessment and remediation, entire kitchen renovation, and possible medical issues addressed. His wife, his children, and himself have all been sick since moving into the home. They are having headaches, sore throats, and constant coughing for multiple weeks. This is just another example that just because one is licensed it does not ensure they are experienced or knowledgeable. They are now going to be contacting an attorney and the home warranty company. Hopefully they will see some results. I will update as the situation progresses.
Was the house occupied when he inspected it? Have you looked at the report? When was it inspected and how long between the inspection and the time your friend moved in. Not saying the guy did not miss anything, but you need a lot more facts for anyone to make a decision and jumping on the guy. The real issue here seems to be the mold. Was it visible during the inspection? There was no smell in the house? Did your friend do a walkthrough prior to closing, and if so, was it visible then?
Did the inspector belong to another association or was he a contractor?. Had to be one or the other to be grandfathered. And just out of curiosity, if this was a good friend of yours, why didn’t he have you do the inspection or ask you for a referral.
How do you know that the mold is toxic? Most inspectors don’t include mold.
Perhaps your friend did as well?? Did he notice any of these issues during his walk-through? Was he present for the inspection? Maybe the mold was disclaimed in a PIA?
I’m sorry for their health issues, but there may be additional facts that are necessary to draw any conclusions.
Dom.
I gotta ask, why does any inspector use that loaded and unscientific term?
So now two inspectors have gone through the home, but neither of you have mentioned the cause for the moisture intrusion that is required for the mold to grow in the first place?
In my opinion… ignorance, scare tactics, etc.
Andrew
I don’t know how to say this nicely, but your post is proof that even InterNACHI members might not know what they are talking about.
A tape sample was sent in for testing.
He purchased the home here while living in CA. He was depending on the inspector doing a proper job.
I did not perform an inspection on the house but the cause is coming from behind the kitchen sink wall. He moved in two weeks ago. And there has been water coming from under the wall at the base cabinet/wall connection.
Unoccupied home at the time of inspection. He moved in aprox. Two weeks after the inspection and noticed the smell as soon as they walked in. The picture he posted in reference to the sink base missing a floor clearly shows the black mold on the wall behind the base. He did not even recommend a mold inspection or further evaluation. He was living in CA at the time of inspection and was going by the realtor’s recommendation. And he did not know me personally at the time. He is a club brother of mine from a different chapter. As a member of an MC all patch holders are my brother. Something a civilian would not understand.
Just for verification I did not call it toxic until he got the results back. He sent in the tape sample and he told me the results listed the black mold as toxic. I do not classify any mold in my reports. I was quoting him directly. He asked me to come look at it once he learned i was an inspector.
Missed one question. He was a GC performing inspections when the licensing went into effect. No membership info. I could not find him on Nachi, ASHI, or NAHI.
Are you telling me the mold lab roport used the term toxic mold?
**Please post for all to see?
I have never heard of a lab using that term.**
I did not see the report. I said i was quoting him directly. I do not know if he is quoting the report or if he spoke to someone directly. I will find out and update. Regardless of the type of mold I find it hard to believe that the mold was missed when it is visible in his pictures. He made no further recommendations.
Just out of curiosity have you seen the report.
I just wanted to point out that the purpose of starting this thread was to demonstrate the need for organizations like this one in order to provide the proper education and training. To clarify the report was 6 pages with about 15 pictures. One of which is the one i referenced earlier. For the underwear trolls with nothing better to do than scour the internet all day for lack of anything better to do. Get a life. To those of you with educated questions and comments I thank you. You can decide for yourselves which is which.
Did the buyer’s agent suggest this person? Must have been low in cost. Show me a person who has ever died from mold. REA’s and lenders must have a hand into what inspector is hired for any home inspection. They should set their own standards. And I bet they know, who is the best inspector, and who is not. Many questions here. Remember any state HI law, rule, or regulation is basic, and minimalist, and many low-ballers hide behind those standards.
So did he ever look at (or visit) the home? A water damaged sink base is fairly obvious, and the moldy smell is as well.
Often times, buyers fly into town, look at a bunch of property, then purchase one of the homes they toured once they get back home. (I’m here in Florida too). Some times, they purchase remotely, never even seeing the house in person, but relying on a relative or agent to advise them of issues.
I believe that this post should be titled “Inspection by unqualified GC”, as the association connection isn’t really the issue; he doesn’t belong to any HI association.
Dom.