Unusual Home for this area has elevated levels

[Brian E. Kelly]

Calcium Chloride test might be usefull.
ASTM F 1869

http://www.vaportest.com/Webpages/ca...oride_test.htm

[Doug Edwards]

It sounds like you are trying to solve their problem for them with the recommendations. That was the point of my original post earlier. This is now "mitigation" of the problem and no longer inspecting. This is thin ice to be standing on unless you are trained in this area. There are all kinds of recommendations and even professional mitigators will not always agree what is the best action to take. Before you realize it you can become right in the middle of the problem with no good way to extract yourself. At some point the HI needs to know "when" to say "I have done all I can and now you need to call in the experts in this field." I am playing devil's advocate here because I see too many HIs who go out on limbs trying to be helpful and knowledgable but jump, not step, way outside their area of responsibility and get over into areas where they have no business. The HI should not try to "solve the problem" for the homeowners, buyers, because WHAT IF YOU ARE WRONG? Are you prepared for the possible consequences if what you suggests makes matters worse. SOPs are guidelines and many will argue they are the minimum standard, but they are there to provide the Inspector with a modicum of protection if adhered to. Once you go beyond the scope of a home inspection you open yourself up for all kinds of liabilities. Just some food for thought. As I always say, you can do what you want as it is your business and how you run it is your business. Good luck.

[Randy D. Stufflebeem]

My thoughts as well Doug!
Randy

[Brian E. Kelly]

Good advice Doug

[Scott C. LeMarr]

Well I am certainly not going to disagree with what you have said about when to step out, however they came to me looking for an expert. Am I not suposed to be the expert in mold assesment?

I am not going to tell them how to rid themselves of the mold, but I feel since I still have not found the source I have not done my job. Once the source is found it is up to them who they hire for remediation and how they go about it. I still feel it is my job to determine the source of the mold. I can walk in to a musty smelling house and tell them they have mold, charge them XX dollars and leave. I provide a service with the testing, besides I am getting one hell of an education at the same time. We will be going back on 9/25 with a thermal imaging camera.

At my suggestion they called one remediator and he asked where the mold was they told him they did not know yet, he said call back when you know. Obviuosly this one will not get the job.

Now to your point when to get out.............this could be the hard part and I agree with all that you have said. Is this the proverbial rock and hard spot?

As always I welcome comments and opinions from all,

Scott

[James E. Braun, CMI]

Remediators do not look for mold. Legally they are only required to follow a remediation protocol. A professional like an Industrial Hygienist writes the remediation protocol. My Industrial Hygienist understands my above average training in mold and allows me to do all the air and tape sampling, picture taking, and mapping of the mold site. If there is a job where there is possible mold growth like in several walls or I can not find the mold (the problem area can be as small a quarter) I ask him to come in. Better to be safe than to risk somebody's health. The more experience I get the less he needs to come in. I learn something each time we inspect a house together.
UV lights or HEPA filters will not do much good. If the mold count is high, they will not make a dent in air quality. If your client has symptoms commonly caused by mold, advise him to move out until the remediation is completed.