Indoor Air Quality Solutions, IAQS

Molds would perhaps be one in all the very first annoying things to have inside the house. There would be times when you would just want these things to be gone from the house but things such as mold removal or mold inspection or infrared inspections are not as easy as it might sound. If you feel that you want to enhance your indoor air quality, you need to go for either indoor allergen testing or thermal imaging inspections. Doing these things all by yourself might mean risking your own self. For that reason it would be a better option to consult Orlando Mold inspection companies. The professionals of those companies are expert at these and have a lot of experience.

There are in fact a number of different Orlando Mold inspections Companies in the city. But out of those which is the one that you would like? There are a few reputed companies which had been serving the city of Orlando for years in helping to fight those annoying organisms. It is undoubtedly true that when it concerns mold inspections Orlando Mold inspection companies of the city have appeared to be the first and the last choice of the majority of people. The companies make sure that they provide and do the suitable steps to fight as well as prevent those toxic and annoying molds.

Orlando Mold inspection companies are concerned about the health of people, and moreover the companies are also concerned with the dangers which their employees tend to face each time they conduct Orlando Mold inspections. The companies make certain that their employees are completely equipped with everything that is required as well as all data. Their employees are properly trained as well. In addition, the workers follow a specific guide to inspecting mold. These Orlando Mold inspection company professionals would work in a manner as you would want them to.

1. The companies send certified technicians for examining the mold affected area thoroughly. These professionals are people who do the inspection and investigation.

2. As soon as the technicians have taken a note and diagnosed some area having black mold growth, they would immediately take a sample from that surface as well as from the air around mold. That way, they are able to compare whether the amount of mold exist enormously on the surfaces of your house or not.

3. Apart from their visual assessment as well as taking samples, the technicians would in addition make use of infrared cameras which would be helpful in evaluating and diagnosing the source of moisture inside the house. This is one of the very essential steps in mold inspection, and without doing this, it could be extremely difficult to understand how to take care of mold properly.

4. Since, nowadays, technicians have samples; they might get their comparisons and assessments done. This could be the time when the mold inspection companies of Orlando would be sending those samples to the laboratory for inspection.

5. At the end the technicians come up with suitable action on how to keep these toxic organisms from growing in the house again.

•John P. Lapotaire, CIEC
•Certified Indoor Environmental Consultant
•Microshield Environmental Services, LLC
•www.Microshield-ES.com

If you ever have purchased a house or are planning to purchase your very first home, no doubt you know it already that it is sensible in having a home inspection as one of the many conditions in the agreement of purchase and sale. You could as well wish to consider adding thermal imaging inspections also. One of the prime things which is required to be borne in mind during the purchase of a house is the atmosphere around the house. If it is a humid atmosphere, then be sure of the growth of molds within the house.

These are extremely toxic organisms and could turn out to be fatal in severe cases. There must be a control to their growth. Where mold growth control is concerned, there could be nothing better than Orlando mold inspection companies. These companies utilize several methods in keeping the indoor air quality of the house clean and fresh. Some of their methods include infrared inspections, indoor allergen testing and last but not the least, thermal imaging inspections.

Rather new to residential real estate market, the thermal imaging inspections might turn out to be a stable fixture for every real estate transaction in nearly the similar fashion as that of what traditional home inspections had been for a long time.

What are Thermal Imaging Inspections?
Unlike the traditional home inspection that could be seen, thermal imaging inspections are able to debunk problems which remain hidden to the naked eye. Thermal imaging inspections make use of infrared cameras that provide very useful information with problems like those of energy loss, water leakage in the basements, wood destroying influx as well as electrical faults.

Mold Growth
Traditional home inspectors would generally inform you that they are unaware of any mold issues beyond what could be found on the surface. In case there has been mold growth behind tiles or paneling for instance it might not be clearly visible on the surface and has every reason for going undetected. Thermal imaging inspections would show up the issue to you.

Water Leaks
Often traditional home inspectors would find water leaks in ceilings or basements which could be seen on the surface. Thermal imaging inspections would reveal if the problem continues to exist as well as the source of the problem.

Energy Loss
The effective use of energy tends to be the main concern for home buyers these days. Thermal inspections reveal where heat loss is taking place around doors, windows, attics and ceilings.

Thermal imaging inspections are able to detect the following problems which are not visible through some surface inspection:

• Congested electrical circuits
• Hidden electrical faults which could cause fire
• Unseen leaks in the roof
• Un-insulated wires
• Hidden leaks in plumbing setup
• Any structural defect or problem
• Leaks in Air conditioner compressor

If you’re close to purchasing a home of your own, it is possibly a great idea to consider adding thermal imaging inspections. For the majority of people, this could be the sole largest lifetime investment. This is very useful in knowing the actual condition of the home where a person intends to live for the rest of his life.

•John P. Lapotaire, CIEC
•Certified Indoor Environmental Consultant
•Microshield Environmental Services, LLC
•www.Microshield-ES.com

From the IAQA As you already may know, according to the new Mold law passed by the state of Florida, all individuals performing mold assessment and/or remediation must be licensed through the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation as of July 1, 2010. This law was amended last May to give applicants more time to complete necessary education, experience, and testing requirements. The new date to be grandfathered in is March 1, 2011. To find out more about this bill and application requirements, visit their website HERE.

In case you’re scrambling to get your education verification in order or need help studying up for the exam, consider taking a course through an IAQA course provider! IAQA courses have gone through extensive review by a board of industry experts and are approved to prepare students for the certification exams offered through the American Council for Accredited Certification (ACAC). IAQA courses and ACAC exams have all been registered and approved by the state of Florida for the new Mold-Related Services Licensing program. To find out where IAQA courses are, visit our Education page HERE.

Of course, we are always here to answer questions. Feel free to contact us at info@iaqa.org or 301-231-8388.

Thank you. IAQA Staff

•John P. Lapotaire, CIEC
•Certified Indoor Environmental Consultant
•Microshield Environmental Services, LLC
•www.Microshield-ES.com

Florida Mold Law 468.8411 Definitions.–As used in this part, the term:

“Mold remediation” means the removal, cleaning, sanitizing, demolition, or other treatment, including preventive activities, of mold or mold-contaminated matter of greater than 10 square feet that was not purposely grown at that location; however, such removal, cleaning, sanitizing, demolition, or other treatment, including preventive activities, may not be work that requires a license under chapter 489 unless performed by a person who is licensed under that chapter or the work complies with that chapter.

“Mold Remediator” means any person who performs mold remediation. A mold remediator may not perform any work that requires a license under chapter 489 unless the mold remediator is also licensed under that chapter or complies with that chapter.

•John P. Lapotaire, CIEC
•Certified Indoor Environmental Consultant
•Microshield Environmental Services, LLC
•www.Microshield-ES.com

Florida Mold Law 468.8411 Definitions.–As used in this part, the term:

“Mold assessment” means a process performed by a mold assessor that includes the physical sampling and detailed evaluation of data obtained from a building history and inspection to formulate an initial hypothesis about the origin, identity, location, and extent of amplification of mold growth of greater than 10 square feet.

“Mold assessor” means any person who performs or directly supervises a mold assessment.

•John P. Lapotaire, CIEC
•Certified Indoor Environmental Consultant
•Microshield Environmental Services, LLC
•www.Microshield-ES.com

Orlando Sentinel
November 25, 2010|By Jim Ilardi

I applaud the Orlando Sentinel for its special report last month that has brought attention to the issue of toxins in our schools. Mold is not an isolated problem, but rather a symptom of other moisture-related issues. Without identifying the cause and implementing a feasible long-term fix, along with a sound preventive-maintenance program, mold will continue to thrive.

The good news is that once the moisture-related issues have been addressed, the protocol for mold remediation is straightforward. The Florida Mold Bill is now law and went into effect in July to establish professional standards for those who perform mold assessment and remediation in our state.

The three key components of the law that everyone should know about when they suspect they have mold and need a remediation contractor are as follows:
Ensure that your remediation contractor is certified through the American Council for Accredited Certification, the exclusive provider of remediation licenses for the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation.

Ensure that your remediation contractor carries “mold specific” pollution-liability coverage. General liability will not cover mold.

Note that the company that performs the assessment cannot also be the same company that performs the remediation. This instills third-party accountability and holds the contractors responsible for ensuring the remediation was performed to protocol.

The legislative purpose, as listed in the statute, says: “The Legislature finds it necessary in the interest of the public safety and welfare, to prevent damage to real and personal property, to avert economic injury to the residents of this state, and to regulate persons and companies that hold themselves out to the public as qualified to perform mold-related services.”

By hiring only certified professionals and implementing a level of accountability to the industry, we will see a dramatic decline in the amount of repeat work required to perform mold remediation, reducing both health risks and costs.

It’s a simple principle: Do it right the first time, and you won’t pay for it later.

However, when it comes to our schools, state and municipal employees who perform remediation are exempt from these same professional standards. Shouldn’t “public safety and welfare” extend to where our children go to school? Shouldn’t we be “averting economic injury” in our school systems as well?

We need to take a common-sense approach toward providing cost-effective solutions, rather than waste money on replicating existing flaws. The protocol has been established. Now we simply have to apply it.

•John P. Lapotaire, CIEC
•Certified Indoor Environmental Consultant
•Microshield Environmental Services, LLC
•www.Microshield-ES.com