I was the first home inspector to bring Infrared scanning to home inspections in South Florida. The reason for this was that you really couldn’t have a complete inspection of a residence without an infrared scan. Infrared technology allows me to, in effect, "see" and "hear" through a house's walls, floors and ceilings, uncovering hidden problems that may go undetected in an ordinary visual inspection*. I now have added another dimension to the inspection process: Mold Testing.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), “Molds are usually not a problem indoors, unless mold spores land on a wet or damp spot and begin growing. Molds have the potential to cause health problems. Molds produce allergens (substances that can cause allergic reactions), irritants, and in some cases, potentially toxic substances (mycotoxins). Inhaling or touching mold or mold spores may cause allergic reactions in sensitive individuals. Allergic responses include hay fever-type symptoms, such as sneezing, runny nose, red eyes, and skin rash (dermatitis). Allergic reactions to mold are common. They can be immediate or delayed. Molds can also cause asthma attacks in people with asthma who are allergic to mold. In addition, mold exposure can irritate the eyes, skin, nose, throat, and lungs of both mold-allergic and non-allergic people.”
Any complete home inspection should include: Visual, Infrared and Air quality (Mold) testing. Sometimes I will do an inspection for obvious reasons. Mold has been seen. And really, If we see the mold there is no reason to test. You have visual mold. You’re aware of it; remove the moisture/water that is helping it to grow and monitor it to make sure it doesn’t grow back. But, a lot of times the mold is hidden, and even with the Infrared camera, it’s difficult to locate. It could be inside the A/C ducts or inside a wall behind a vanity or sink base cabinet. It can’t be seen and hasn’t produced enough of an odor to be detected or the odor is being covered up.
I don’t charge extra for my interior infrared scans of home that I’m inspecting. And now I want to do Mold testing as a freebee too. For a limited time if you give me the code “BLK” when setting up your home inspection I will do the basic mold test at no additional cost.
* HomeSafe does not claim that IR can literally see through walls
Mold usually takes about 3 days with moisture present to begin to grow. Continued moisture will keep the mold growing. If you see mold growing, you need to know that there has been moisture present for days and think about why the area is not drying out or call in a restoration company for help. Please stop by my black mold removal home remedy site sometime. Keep it up..
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