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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.
The contours of the land surrounding your property have a tremendous impact on drainage, dramatically affecting the quality of groundwater and soil around the house. The ground should slope away from the home and be built up so that water naturally drains toward the edges of the property and to a culvert or drain grate. Environmental testing is what goes beyond examining the physical structure and the internal working systems of the home. Mainly, environmental testing looks for toxicity and other invisible hazards within the house and around the property. No amount of visual examination, poking, or prodding during a standard home inspection can make the same kinds of critical determinations that an environmental inspection could.
Water Quality Testing
Over time, lead from older paint can get into the air, water, and even the soil. We highly recommend testing for lead if you’re moving into an older home. The median age of an American home is 40 years old, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, with 40 million of the nation’s 132 million homes built in the 60s and 70s; 21 million homes built in the 40s and 50s; and 20 million homes constructed before 1939. A big chunk of the nation’s housing stock is aging—with potentially hazardous components once a standard in construction, but not acceptable today. Even newer homes have materials that can deteriorate because of water and other natural forces.
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
As a non-biased resource, we do not offer services to remedy any problems. We simply want to make sure you get an accurate, easy to understand test completed so that you can make an informed decision as to what steps to take next. Read more below about the different testing services we offer. If environmental issues are found prior to going to contract, the seller may take care of them, says Dogan. If the environmental situation isn’t resolved, the house will be stigmatized.
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.
A soil test checks for chemicals and organic pollutants around the property. An inspection for soil contaminants is helpful if your property is near an industrial or chemical plant or if there ever has been such a facility near the property. Naturally, your thoughts go to the structure, the foundation, the AC, and other internal systems within the home.
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.
If you or the inspector see any signs of mold at all, have your home tested and treated for it as soon as possible. Many other potential environmental hazards exist inside and outside the home. Certain fungi can be extremely harmful through continued exposure, so it’s always a good idea to test for mold.
During our home inspection, we look for lead supply lines to protect you from the potential of drinking tap water that could cause lead poisoning. Here at Reliable Solutions Home Inspections, we offer a wide range of environmental testing services. We want to help make sure your home is as safe as possible for you and your loved ones.
I keep an eye out for any environmental concern and if the conditions warrant it I mention it I the report. However specific testing is not part of the general home inspection. I can take samples and send them to a certified lab for results.
Despite any advice, if you have any concerns that you want to get checked out, contact a service to do the testing you want. In the end, it’s your peace of mind that matters, and if ruling out any possible hazard eases your concern, we encourage it. Lift Sampling is the most common technique used to test surfaces for mold during a mold inspection. The species of mold, the relative degree of contamination, and the potential for airborne spore production may all be determined through this type of sampling. Many people have allergies to common things found in most households. If you want to find out if your current home, or a home you plan to purchase, has any of the things you are allergic to, we are able to do an allergen test.
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
Before the 1980s, asbestos was used in roofs, pipes, heat lines, attics, outside siding, flooring materials, ceiling tiles and wallboards. When left untouched, asbestos doesn’t typically pose a health risk, however, particles may break down and can pose health problems. If a homebuyer is planning any renovations, asbestos testing should be more than a mark on the home inspection list. Because lead-based paints were not banned until 1978, many older homes are likely to have lead-based paint.
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