Home Observation Paper

Let me begin by stating that at no time during the 8+ months that have gone by since I originally conducted the Mold inspection on this home, not once was I ever contacted by the client to express their concerns. I was only made aware that there was an issue when I recently read the review on Angie’s List. I would suspect that the delay was due to the time span that it took for the land lord to have these clients, who were renting the home, held legally accountable for cross contaminating the home. These clients are now looking for a scapegoat because the husband and/or the “Mold Test Only” company cross contaminate the home, rendering it unlivable. A full visual inspection of this home (including the Arizona room) took place on November 15, 2014. Upon completion of the inspection, we took 4
inspection samples … an indoor and outdoor air test sample, a swab surface sample from a heavily water damaged bathroom sink cabinet, and a swab surface sample from the base of the air handler platform. The indoor air test contained a mix of indoor air that was inclusive of the Arizona room, and one of the swab surface sample taken from a utility room that located within the Arizona room.
The total fee was $300, including all 4 samples. The client’s statement that the room was not inspected or tested was not based on fact, as was her date of inspection, or the fee that she claimed to have paid. I verified these facts by reviewing the laboratory test results, my inspection report, and the client’s inspection payment receipt. The client had stated that rain water from a storm that had occurred in September, had entered the Arizona room from beneath the door that led out to the back yard, and she stated that the moisture may have resulting in a Mold issue. The visual inspection of the Arizona room indicated no visible presence of moisture or Mold, but this was not surprising, since the client stated that she had cleaned the area after the intrusion. In spite of the fact that there no visible cues… with a landscape grade that was about 1½” below the grade of the top of the Arizona room floor, I concurred with the client that there might be a Mold issue contained within the
wall(s). The “testing” that the client adamantly insisted that I do, was to cut multiple holes in the walls, exposing the wall cavities, and possibly resulting in the release of any Mold contamination that might be contained within. I refused to do so. I explained that since they renters, I could not damage the rental property without permission of the owner, or I could be held liable and/or have my contractor’s license revoked. I tried to explain that this type of destructive sampling required advanced planning, the use of specialized equipment, and the donning of personal safety protection... but the client’s became short and began talking over me. I warned them not to disturb the wall cavities, and that doing so, might release Mold spores into the open air, which could result in cross contaminating the inside of the home. I offered to make the necessary arrangements to conduct destructive testing, but I informed them that I would need the home owner’s approval in writing. They said they would discuss it and let me know, but I never heard back from them. The clients states in her review that the husband decided to conduct a “do it yourself” Mold remediation for $100. Let me put this price into perspective....A new cabinet would be required, he would have required an air scrubber, and then the cost of fungicide, personal protection equipment, plumbing repairs/reinstallation, drywall repairs, texture, primer, paint, reinstall the counter top, followed by caulking. The question that I have is “with the cost of a Zip Wall Containment System being $139.00, used to capture and contain the released Mold contaminants, and thereby preventing the cross contamination of the indoor air, how was he able to do a proper Mold remediation for $100?” The answer is that he couldn't.I have spoken to the client, since receiving the review. She stated that they were in litigation…and during her fits of yelling, aggressively talking over me, and before hanging up…she stated that the “Mold test only” company had in fact cut into the Arizona room walls and found “massive amounts of Mold”. Not only that, but the air handler and the indoor air were so heavily contaminated, that they had to move. Upon my questioning, the client unwittingly confirmed my suspicions that the company that “only mold testing” had conducted the destructive testing by cutting into the Arizona room walls without using the required equipment and procedures, which obviously led to the cross contamination of the Arizona room, the air handler and the indoor air. The client would like Angie's List members to believe that the "Mold test only" company that caused this disaster, is a better choice than myself...a properly trained, experienced and PhD certified Mold inspector and Mold remediation technician, who possesses a State of Arizona Contractors License, and has successfully performed mold inspection and remediation projects for over 15 years, and has done so in such extreme areas as medical practices and a hospital operating room that is used for heart transplants.