The Advantage is Fear

Hi James, reminds me of when I to my hometown in Western NY.  It is only then you notice the toll the weather takes on homes, cars and even people.

So true Jim, it happens in every industry, AC guys can be tough too. Like any trade there are good guys and bad guys out there. I keep a running list of folks I know and trust, i also encourage my clients to call and ask (even years afte they hire me to inspect their home).

Such a sad story, I hope all works out for him

How sad for Mr D. but also surprised that he didn't get additional estimates.   Heard about the AC report in New Jersey where the news team pulled out a single wire and had five AC contractors come by to work on the AC.  All came up with high bids and fixed items and ordered parts that weren't required.  You really need to have a team of well trusted service people.

I hate stories like this... and sad the homeowner didn't get another inspector, like you, to help in determining what really needed to be done.

Your story, and the one above about the door with lead paint on it, are a sad commentary on some trades people and just like unprofessional home inspectors give their trade a bad name that can be really hard to shake.

A different story on a local handyman. There is a guy in my town called Handy Randy. I got his business card off a bathroom wall at the local connivance store. I had him install some heat tapes on my roof to help stave off ice dams. A couple of weeks later I wander out to go somewhere and he's on my roof. He was driving by and noticed one of the wires was loose and just thought he'd fix it. My house is a three story Victorian, you don't just jump up on it. This is the type of story I wish everyone had about the trades people they deal with!

The bottom line here is that if you have air movement or moisture vapor movement from the indoor space to the attic space you can have moisture issues in the attic.  More important than addressing the purported mold in the attic is what is being done to seal the envelope---the barrier between the indoor space and the attic space and balance the pressure differentials between the indoors and the outdoors.  Without these aspects handled you can throw all kinds of money at a variety of "solutions" and not accomplish a damn thing.  While the fancy gagets might help---they should not be "essential" to take care of an issue that is actually fairly simple---but all too often completely neglected at the time of construction.  A furnace for example that is creating a negative pressure on the interior of the home is a problem in and of itself and needs to be corrected.  As we get away from combustion appliances that require indoor air for combustion/dilution and move to direct vent type appliances, we will have less of these kinds of problems.  Exhaust fans should not put a house under negative pressure either,if they have a proper means of replacing the air they are exhausting.  Typically, except under a few instances, the house should almost always be under slight negative pressure due to stack effect and wind.  Ductwork in attics is a bad idea as well---unless it can be guaranteed that they can neither loose air to the attic or gain air from the attic.  Again the ductwork would be one of the things that should be considered as a breach of the barrier between indoor and attic spaces.  If increasing the attic ventilation helps introduce more moisture into the attic there is a huge breach of the envelope barrier somewhere.  Just find it and fix it.  Moisture in the crawl is an obvious issue and that should be addressed regardless of other issues.  Moisture in the crawl space is not an "attic issue" it is a crawl space issue---again fix the problem.

That is so sad. Yes, some people are so fearful that they don't stop to think - or get a second opinion.

When taking air samples, a sample must be taken outside to use as a comparison.  If the mold levels of the individual molds are similar to or lower than those found outside that home, then it is considered to be normal.  However, if the levels are higher than outside or if there are types of mold found indoors that are not found outside, they are considered to be elevated.  It's actually simple and quantifiable.

That being said, there are those looking to take advantage.  This morning my client told me a mold guy quoted him $1500 to come and take sample in a home under 2000sf!  I told them I could sample every level and the outside for $400, but didn't see any indicators of mold present and don't recommend it.  I should find that mold guy and offer to work for him at half the price.  

Sounds like the owner should have hired a qualified and disinterested third party.

CT does not recommend sampling as a first step, but there are times that even they support it.  While some of their points are valid, I don't agree completely.  By sampling visible areas and proper air sampling, you can plan a better remediation as the plan is not always the same.  For example, if Aspergillus is found on the swab and Chaetomium is found in the air sample, there likely is a hidden moisture issue that needs to be addressed.  I was called in for sampling and clearance testing and the remediation failed twice for different reasons.  Eventually, they did a more intrusive investigation and found and fixed the hidden issue.

They are correct about no air standards for mold and I understand your concerns.  However, the unusual circumstances you described should be taken into consideration by a knowlwdgeable professional.  I have an expert that I can speak with tohelp with those interpretations.  Some types of mold are an issue at the lowest levels while others are more normal at higher levels.  Without knowledge of the differences the numbers alone are not always clear.  This points to the need for good professional and not those looking to take advantage to make a buck.

We may have to agree to disagree on some areas.  You are absolutely correct that mold is an indicator of an issue that needs to be addressed.  If that problem is not addressed (leak, poor ventillation, high humidity...) remediation is not effective and is a waste of time and money.  A true professional will state this and havce that either as a part of the remediation or make their remediation plan contingent on the unserlying issue being addressed either first or as part of the plan.  Clearly, you have not had the luxury of working with anyone on this level.

On the other side, mold is proven to be a health issue of varying amounts to most people.  At a minimum, it makes most people's allergies worse (there is a reason the news reports outdoor mold levels along with tree and hay fever pollen).  For others (my wife, many friends, and some clients) their reactions are more severe.  While their are no govenmental standards, there are many organizations that publish standards and protocol to follow (IAQA, ESA).  

There is a responsible middle ground that I am afraid you are missing.  Mold is NOT the big scary enemy.  It does not always require professional remediation, in fact every home has mold yet very few have significant issues.  There are those cases where remediation is necessary as part of a larger plan. It's like antibiotics.  Some people take them for a cold yet they do nothing.  Ear infections will frequently go away without medication, but there are times when antibiotics are needed.  If a doctor always prescribed them you would question his competence.  If he never prescribed them, he'd probably lose patients (not in a good way).

Best to get inspectors who have a known reputation and are vetted by friends or family. Very scary.