Table of Content
Not all home inspectors have the right licensing for these tests. After final questions, I call the genie out of the bottle to pack up my gear (I wish!) and ride off into the sunset. I block out the report and then, about a week later, study the air sample results, and insert them and any additional recommendations into the report. A final read-through…and off the report flies into cyberspace to the homeowners. Because I can take pictures of what we’re seeing on the monitor, you will get photodocumentation of your mold with your report.
If you have utilized our services within the previous year, you are eligible for a 50% discounted rate of the original inspection fee on a One Year Follow-up Inspection. Let us help ensure that your property issues have been corrected – and no new problems or concerns have developed. Generally, if the lead-based paint is in good condition, not cracking or peeling, it is not a hazard.
Water Quality Testing
Those outcomes, plus the inspection data and recommendations, are what to expect from your environmental home inspection – at least with my environmental home inspection. If your house doesn’t have proper airflow, several issues could arise. Some types of insulation break down into formaldehyde over time, which can cause issues when inhaled. This is especially problematic for people who suffer from respiratory illness. MDE certification for both water sampling and lead inspections.
If you’ve bought or sold a home before, you’ve probably heard advice about having the home inspected. Contact Appalachian Environmental Testing & Consulting and let us know. We pride ourselves on the quality of our work and integrity of our customer service.
Environmental Testing – EPA Testing Before Purchasing a Home
Depending on your situation, you may find one of these an adequate solution. Removing lead-based paint, for example, may be as much trouble as it is worth. First, just the act of stripping the paint from the walls is likely to create dust and debris which is more likely to be ingested.
Mold can be hidden in the walls, under a coat of paint, and beneath carpeting. Home inspectors will look for visible signs of mold, but unless they see it or smell a musty odor, a prospective homebuyer is unlikely to find out if a house has mold. Mold can be present wherever water or moisture has seeped into a home—around leaky pipes, windows, roofs, or basements that may have flooded and not properly dried.
Soil test
I also do culture plate air sampling for in-house examination…for every room of the home, plus a sampling of air ducts and room air purifiers . Water testing costs range widely, based on the number of tests you need and the types of tests performed. A check for a single water issue can run as low as $25, and an assessment for all possible impurities might run as high as $400 or more. Radon is a radioactive gas that’s the second leading cause of lung cancer in the country. Without adequate airflow, radon can accumulate in the basement and lower levels of the house.
If the condition is hazardous, the paint will either need to be removed or sealed in such a manner as to eliminate the hazard. It seems that we hear a lot about environmental concerns these days. Much of it is simply the result of a greater awareness than in the past.
In most cases, if visible mold growth is present, sampling is unnecessary. Since no EPA or other federal limits have been set for mold or mold spores, sampling cannot be used to check a building's compliance with federal mold standards. Surface sampling may be useful to determine if an area has been adequately cleaned or remediated.
Then we go on the grand tour, where you introduce me to your home. You share where past leaks have been, where you have put on an addition, where someone might have symptoms, and so on. It’s natural that you hope your home will pass the examination with flying colors and you won’t have anything to worry about.
My training is from an American branch of a German school, the Institute for Bau Biology. We are trained to look at anything that might adversely impact on health – in air or water quality, mold, or exposure to electromagnetic fields. This is a screening inspection, not involving lab fees for the most part.
I will also write up what needs to be done to safely get rid of the mold and reduce the risk that it will come back. I am an independent consultant and have no conflict of interest in also providing the remediation. During the 2 minutes wait time, you work with a moisture meter to check for water leakage under windows, around sink and tub plumbing, and around the base of toilets . If you find leakage, we may do further testing for mold in those areas. Many factors could be a sign a property needs special examination. Here are some things home inspectors look for to determine if environmental home testing might be necessary.
Given these hazards, you should consult a certified contractor to complete this kind of work. Short of removing the paint, you may be able to get by with covering the old, lead-based paint with a coat of sealant specifically designed for this purpose. Once again, a certified contractor will be able to recommend an appropriate solution. Financial assistance is even available in certain circumstances.
If the property isn’t near an industrial area or where an industrial complex once stood, you can expect to pay closer to the lower end of that range. Lead-based paint and asbestos were used extensively in houses and all sorts of other buildings erected throughout the early and mid-1900s. The United States banned lead-based paint for homebuilding in 1978. If you’re buying a house built before the 1990s, it would be wise to test your home for lead and asbestos. Testing the tap water in your home rules out many potential drinking hazards, such as chemicals, heavy metals, mold and fungus, and other impurities.
INSPECTIONS
Here, a mold inspection and test may help to confirm if a mold problem actually exists in the home. If you have had any plumbing leaks or water issues and there is any suspicion that elevated mold levels might exist in the air and/or behind walls. Asbestos is another toxic substance that was previously used in home building materials. While asbestos isn’t dangerous until it becomes airborne, it is definitely necessary to have your home tested before doing any renovations or repairs. You’d be hard-pressed to sell a home with such a label attached to it. And yet, many older homes in the United States might qualify.
