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The issue of home inspection standards is sometimes a touchy subject among certified home inspectors, but when it comes to the issue of mold - home inspectors agree that the standard response to mold should be extreme aversion. With this in mind, licensed home inspectors confronting mold will certainly benefit from the International Associations of Certified Indoor Air Consultants' (IAC2) Mold Inspection Standards of Practice.
IAC2 is a certifying body for home inspectors who have met certain education requirements in the area of indoor air quality. Members of the National Association of Home Inspectors (NACHI), for example, receive a free membership to IAC2 when they pass certain courses. When you become a home inspector, you enter an industry where continuing education is important - it's never too late to learn, as the expression goes.
IAC2's standards clearly lay out the ground rules for home inspectors when confronting mold; the standards make it clear, among other things, that a mold inspection is not a home inspection, nor should it be considered a proper indoor air quality inspection. It's important that students entering home inspection schools understand that a real estate inspection and a mold inspection are two different things.
"A mold inspection," according to IAC2's standards, "is a non-invasive visual examination of a building to identify and report on conditions that have led to water intrusion, water damage and conditions conducive to microbial growth."
The inspector is not required, for example, to enter the attic, touch insulation or walk on the roof during a mold inspection. On the other hand, an inspector is required to inspect visible duct work, gutters and the ventilation of attic spaces, to name just a few requirements.
The standards indicate that a mold inspection is not "technically exhaustive" and is not designed to find concealed or latent defects in the house. Mold inspectors should also know that IAC2's standards only apply to housing structures with four or fewer dwelling units.
Whether someone is already a seasoned home inspector or just beginning to consider home inspection training, familiarity with these standards of mold inspection can only benefit their inspection knowledge. To read the mold standards in their entirety, visit IAC2's site at www.iac2.org/sop.php
1 Comments:
Great information on Mold Inspection. Thanks!
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