My point was, and I was NOT commenting on your situation because I don’t know it, is that inspectors should not be doing inspections that they are not qualified to so. Contractors should not be doing work that they are not, specifically, trained and experiences in doing.
If you have had the training to do Radon, no problem. If you have not , and you do Radon, then you are hurting your clients and yourself, and bringing down this board.
Same thing with inspectors who use IR cameras and have no training. Same thing for mold.
I was commenting more on various “contractors” who believe that they can do work that they are not qualified of trained to do. Handymen who change out electric panels or contractors who think that they can do mold remediation or Radon mitigation without the proper training. I, regularly, see first year apprentice electricians who do “side jobs”, and their work is crap. They have put the client in peril and undercut a qualified hut from getting the job.
Aren’t we always complaining about the “drive-by”, cheap inspectors who undercut our prices? Do you think that the client is well served by them?
Around here, there are GCs who are not Architects or SEs that believe that they can modify or change plans, written by Architects, as they see fit, change the specs or the details. I see this all the time. Then, the house goes south and the owners try to blame me.
My only point was:
If you are not qualified and specifically trained to do something (whether it is inspecting, building or repairing) don’t do it. It may be “legal” (i.e., not specifically prohibited by law), but that does not make it right.
If a homeowner needs a repair, they should be willing to pay the money required to have the job done right and get someone to do the job that is specifically trained and qualified.
Okay, I got up out of the other side of bed this morning and I am no longer under the stress of my certification test[FONT=Tahoma][size=2]. I had the chance to review your initial post, as well as mine.
[/size][/FONT]I will apologize again in advance [FONT=Tahoma][size=2]([/size][/FONT]as I already apologized in my first post[FONT=Tahoma][size=2]). I overlooked the second part of your question where you asked if passive mitigation practices can lower a 19 pCi/l test to the action level. I feel that this is an appropriate question to ask from a certified radon tester because it technically falls under radon mitigation protocol. Asking a experienced radon mitigator or tester who may have seen a reduction of 19 to 4 pCi/l is one thing, but the first part of your question is what set you up for the responses you received.[/size][/FONT]
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[FONT=Tahoma][size=2] I took radon testing certification about 10 years ago at Auburn University and radon mitigation certification about a year later, so it’s been a while for me. But it sure seems that even in the most basic radon training for testing, this question should have been quite adequately covered.[/size][/FONT]
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[FONT=Tahoma][size=2][size=2]These subjects of “sub membrane depressurization” and “dilution air[FONT=Tahoma][FONT=Tahoma][size=2]” address the issues of vapor barriers and foundation ventilators.[/size][/size][/FONT]
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[/size][/FONT]As a matter of fact[FONT=Tahoma][size=2], the EPA Consumer’s Guide to Radon Reduction (which is a document you should be providing to all of your customers) states on page 10; “radon levels can sometimes be lowered by ventilating the crawlspace passively” as well as comparing another effective method to reduce radon levels in crawlspace houses involves covering the earth with a heavy plastic sheet".[/size][/FONT]
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[/size][/FONT]This bulletin board is a wealth of information[FONT=Tahoma][size=2], but we are not here to train home inspectors. We are here to support one another. When you obviously have not taken the first step to help yourself with information readily available, why do you expect us to spend our time on you?[/size][/FONT]
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[/size][/FONT]Nobody yelled at you. Nobody said anything that requires a moderator to remove our post[FONT=Tahoma][size=2]. You received exactly what you deserved. No one used profanity or hurt your business, if anything we are saving your butt![/size][/FONT]
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[/size][/FONT]We have a lack of tolerance at times[FONT=Tahoma][size=2]. Because as Will Decker pointed out…[/size][/FONT]
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it appears to us through your post, [size=2]t[FONT=Tahoma][FONT=Tahoma][size=2]hat you are one of these.[/size][/size][/size][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT]
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On Friday I was taking my final examination for Level II infrared certification and received a telephone call[/size][/size][/size][/FONT], [FONT=Tahoma][size=2]which I could not answer[/size][/FONT] because I was taking a proctored examination. When I returned the call, they already found another home inspector but then commenced to ask me my inspection services and prices, at which time they abruptly cut me off saying I was grossly overpriced because they found three other inspectors that would inspect their house and do thermal imaging, HVAC inspections and tests for mold for $230 (and I don’t do mold). I had just spent $1700 and a weeks worth of work to obtain just one certification and they expect an inspection for $230.
[FONT=Tahoma][size=2]I’ll quit now[/size][/FONT], I’m becoming agitated again and my spellchecker will probably quit working!
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