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mold: Housekeeping issues---at what point does one realize there is something not quite right? - 01/20/12 09:00 AM
I don’t have a long winded blog post for you today.
I just have one simple question---followed by a bunch of pictures. After you have looked at the pictures, I hope you will answer the question in the comment section below.
THE $64,000.00 QUESTION?
At what point does one realize there is something not quite right?
Sometimes the worst things about questions---are the answers.
Sometimes the answers just create more questions.
Sometimes things are more than just poor "housekeeping."
Charles Buell, Seattle Home Inspector
… (69 comments)
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mold: Moldy crap Batman---those are some incredible claims! - 02/25/11 01:03 PM
The other day I read a post here in the rain that would have us believe that mold can cause bleeding lungs, cancer, ameobiasis, cholera and even typhoid fever.
As I read through the list I thought, “Holy crap---those are some incredible claims!”
I can be a pretty skeptical person, and if there is anything I have learned over my lifetime, it is that if things don’t smell right they probably don’t taste very good either. An interesting thing about the word “incredible” is that it easily can be interpreted as “not credible.”
Let’s face it----if these claims are true (or … (43 comments)
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mold: Mold is Gold---not Black - 12/16/10 08:58 AM
I am not going to attempt to discuss the entire topic of mold in this post.
Even though mold may not be visibly present in the building---its spores are literally everywhere. For mold to grow, it needs air, food, suitable temperatures and water.
In the indoor environment the one of these that we can effectively control the most to prevent its growth is water. If we can’t control moisture we are going to have a real problem controlling mold.
Mold can grow on most surfaces. Even dust is a suitable food for mold growth. In the cleanest of households … (46 comments)
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mold: Hopefully they threw away the mold! - 06/12/10 08:49 AM
As a Seattle Home Inspector, I don’t get too caught up in the whole debate about whether mold is a big deal or not. I know that for some people it is a big deal regardless of whether it is “actually” a big deal or not and that if you get lawyers involved it will be a big deal regardless of whether it is “actually” a big deal or not.
Basically mold is a water issue, and the important thing is to fix the water issue and repair the damage. Testing for mold is typically a waste of … (56 comments)
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mold: Urgent message to all Washington State Real Estate Agents! - 01/29/10 11:23 AM
Actually this message is directed to anyone involved in any part of the real estate transaction in Washington State. All agents, appraisers, loan officers, and inspectors should be concerned about several bills currently working their way through the House and Senate in the State of Washington that in one way or another relate to home inspectors that will affect the entire real estate transaction. This will be the first in a series of posts designed to bring to your attention the major concerns around these bills. While some of these bills may never even make it out of committee, all … (59 comments)
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mold: Got Mold? Got Myth? HOT DAMP! have I got some great news for you!!! - 07/30/09 03:27 PM
Finally, some serious relief from the glut of disinformation, wrong information, and just plain hype about mold----however well intentioned it might have been.
In 2004 the Institute of Medicine's mold study group concluded that there was "insufficient" evidence to find a causal association between the presence of mold and ANY of the claimed adverse health effects. Now---hot off the presses----comes the July 2009 position paper of the World Heath Organization on indoor molds and indoor air quality. What comes out of this position paper is that the association between "damp" living spaces and "some" slight increase in adverse … (38 comments)
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mold: Break the mold! - 03/23/09 06:22 AM
I know that MOLD is a four letter word, and only a few other things found during the course of a home inspection causes more angst for all parties involved.
As inspectors, not only are we the ones that have to bring its presence to the attention of the buyers, but we also have to figure out some way to talk about it in the Inspection Report.
In spite of the fact that if:
it “looks” like mold,
is “wet” like mold,
conditions are “conducive” to mold,
it “smells” like mold,
it is “apparent” on surfaces known … (26 comments)
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mold: You never know when Mold is going to bite you in the butt! - 08/26/08 03:10 PM
Bathrooms can be very wet and humid places.
Water splashed onto floors,
wet shower walls with closed curtains or glass enclosures,
wet towels hung to dry,
and boys with bad aim, can account for a lot of humidity in a bathroom. This is especially the case if there is no exhaust fan----or if the fan is not functional or doesn't get used.
These conditions make for a great place to grow a good batch of mold. While some of this will be apparent on grout lines, the corners of the tub and shower, and on walls and ceilings, the … (29 comments)
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mold: Does your inspector have a Proboscis in his tool bag? - 08/23/08 09:16 AM
Most Home Inspectors walk around with some pretty cool tools in their tool belts or tool bags. They have assorted flashlights, screwdrivers, cameras, mirrors, electrical testing equipment, moisture meters, and even marbles. Some will loose their marbles every now and then---but most get the job done.
Not only do we have to know what these tools will help us do, but we must also be mindful of what they cannot do for us. For example the moisture meter is an indispensible item in our tool bag and it can be our "seeing-eye-dog" on the inspection.
The better moisture … (23 comments)
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Charles Buell, Seattle Home Inspector
Seattle,
WA
More about me…
Charles Buell Inspections.com
Address: Seattle, Shoreline, Everett, Lynnwood, Bothel, Kirkland, Bellevue, Mercer Island, Edmonds, Renton, King County, 17123 22nd Ave NE, Shoreline (Seattle), WA, 98155
Office Phone: (206) 478-7371
Cell Phone: (206) 478-7371
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