Charles Dobbs

We will soon be publishing an article to discuss our views about www.forensic-applications.com/moulds/mvue.html

Hi Gary, See the article my wife is submitted we are submitting today titled “Mold is Like Religion and Politics!

YOUR QUESTION IS IN 2 PARTS Why testing for mold? Why are non-medical professional calling themselves “air quality consultants? Why testing for mold? There are many reasons why mold inspectors are needed to perform both, inspection and collect samples. It is the same idea as why people get a termite inspection in a real estate purchase. It’s mainly for peace of mind and because mold, like a termite problem, can be quite costly to fix. And, besides affecting building structures, mold can also affect health. If people are on a budget and have to choose between a mold inspection or sampling, we ALWAYS recommend taking air samples. This is a scientific way to assess the air quality in relation to mold. Once in a while we detect a mold problem only through sampling. Many mold remediators do not remediate a mold situation without having an independent report that says that there is a mold problem. Some require a mold remediation protocol. The mold inspection report describes the red flags along with pictures, and the laboratory report tells what’s going on at the microscopic level and what people are breathing. A post-remediation sampling tells whether the remediation has been carried out properly and it gives the remediator and the client a written confirmation that at this point in time, the air quality was ok in relation to mold. That air clearance gives the ok that reconstruction can begin. Another good reason is to rule out the presence of mold or see if a person’s allergies are related to mold that may be unseen. Sometimes people ask for their home to be tested at the recommendation of their allergist who may be running out of options, when their patient is not getting better with medicine. Another reason may come from an employee complaining of being sick and claiming there is mold in the building. Most of the time these complaints turned out to be unfounded, but the boss has now proof to the contrary. He can show the laboratory results and interpretation of the data to OSHA people, in the event that it would ever get to that level. We could go on and on with all kinds of reasons. Why are non-medical professional calling themselves “air quality consultants? About our credentials - Some of you are asking us to justify our rights to performing mold inspections and sampling. We are not doctors, or microbiologists, nor do we claim to be “air quality consultantsâ€

I don't see any significant credential here. "Certified Mold Consultant" doesn't exactly ring my bells. - Jim Katen, Oregon Hi Gary, Picking on the new guy without knowing me. I went to your website to get to know you, and to my amazement I saw we have a lot of things in common. Beautiful lovely wife, I do too. I call mine “The Agitator Generalâ€

I don't see any significant credential here. "Certified Mold Consultant" doesn't exactly ring my bells. - Jim Katen, Oregon Hi Jim, Question of semantics - I think the “certifiedâ€

Hi Kurt, We see all types of cases - from people who are hysterical and have four HEPA filters going in a small apartment because “. . . they could not breathe without them!â€

Hi Scott, You are right, many insurance companies no longer cover mold. This move puts the responsibility entirely on the homeowner. We believe in prevention - thus the title of our book Mold Matters - Solutions and Prevention Charles

Hi Kurt. I wish we were called “Air quality mold Assessorsâ€

Hi Les, No, we don’t tell you how to spot mold. Like we said in the article a good home inspector can spot red flags that are conducive to mold growth, just like a mold inspector. In fact, in a home purchase, we recommend that a home inspector inspects the house first, then we can just come and collect samples - surface or bulk samples if MLS (mold-like substance) is visible, and several air samples with one outside control to assess indoor air quality in relation to mold, whether MLS is visible or not. The online course is not just for home inspectors, but we believe that everyone who takes the course will gain a better understanding on the subject of mold and its prevention. The knowledge gained in our course will help home inspectors write better reports by giving clients more tips on mold prevention. And clients will be very appreciative! Topics covered in the online class are: what is mold, how mold affects health and building structures, how to handle major water intrusion, the process of mold assessment, quality control in sampling, and mold prevention tips. By the way, this is going to be our first teleclass. We will ask attendees to evaluate the class. For evaluating the class attendees will receive our free e-book on mold prevention tips, even if the comments are not favorable. Charles

Thanks, Mike Charles

By Charles and Danielle Dobbs - Mold Inspectors Let us start by saying that mold inspection is not an exact science and its detection can be quite tricky. Mold likes to play hide and seek. In this business one cannot assume that if it walks like a duck, and quakes like a duck, that it’s a duck. But it smells like a duck, you say, and the owners are experiencing respiratory problems. Well, it might be mold that’s causing this, but it could also be volatile organic compounds (VOCs) off-gassing from new building materials. And what if you don’t see, hear, or smell the duck, does it mean it’s not there? Some home inspectors or novice mold inspectors even go so far as to swear that the home is “duck freeâ€