In order to successfully conduct this inspection, I would need to be free of pressure from the others involved in the argument regarding where there is or was fungal contamination, and who is to blame for its presence. I would tell them all that the inspection would be conducted in an organized manner, following my checklist and personal observations during the initial walk-through. Since I have already seen suspect water stains on the living room ceiling and behind the toilet in the bathroom, obviously I am going to test these areas. I would have made a mental note of what the tenant told me regarding past contamination. I’ll be checking there anyway.
Having completed a walk-through, I have determined where samples should be taken, have set my equipment on the floor and am ready to calibrate the Zefon Spore Trap Sample Pump. I continue by extending the tripod to the five-foot level, screwing the tripod to the bottom of the pump and attaching the calibration cylinder and hose assembly. Then it is necessary to adjust the pump and allow the calibration cylinder to find the proper level as illustrated in the RES-COM Training DVD, Title Seven.
After completing the calibration process, the next step is to proceed to the location of the first air sample I will collect. If the weather is dry and warm, and the wind somewhat calm, I will first sample the air outside, twenty to twenty-five feet from the front door of the home. This will give me an air sample that is not affected by air flowing into or out of the house. If the air were damp and cold, I would wait until after indoor air sampling was complete to take the outside sample, with the thought in mind that to wait longer would give time for the temperature to raise outside, and the sun to dry things out somewhat.
Next, I would collect an air sample inside, in the living room, at the Zone of Inhalation, approximately five feet high. That room is where I saw the visible water staining on the ceiling. After this sample, I would go to a room such as a bedroom and collect a sample at the height of someone sleeping in bed, a different zone of inhalation from the first. My next air sample would be collected from a wall cavity at the point where the tenant was concerned about mold. The most obvious to me would be under the kitchen sink and I would be able to do this by removing the closest switch or receptacle plate, in this case the one dedicated to the garbage disposal and dishwasher, under the sink. I could run the tubing into the receptacle box, toward the knockout hole in the back of the box, as shown in the RES-COM Training DVD, set the Zefon pump for two minutes and collect the sample from this wall cavity. In addition to collecting a sample from this suspect wall cavity, I would also take one from a “clean” wall cavity, to compare a clean space with a suspected contaminated one. In addition, I perform a water test at the kitchen sink, running first the hot water for five minutes, then the cold water for the same amount of time and inspect for any sign of leakage under the sink, at the drain and water supply lines, as well as the angle stop valves. I shine a flashlight up at the bottom of the faucet assembly and around the rim of the sink to discover if there is spilled water leaking through those areas, indicating faulty sealing around the sink.
After performing these wall cavity checks, I proceed in a linear manner, left to right, top to bottom, through each room, checking for any other sign of water intrusion at windows, ceilings and any other possible place water might enter and be wicked into wood or drywall, causing mold to develop. When I go into the bathroom, I test the wall behind the toilet with my moisture meter, to determine if the staining I had noticed earlier is wet. If it is, and there appears to be any mold, I will collect a tape sample from the flat surface of the wall, put it in the Ziplock bag and label it in the following manner:
Bathroom Wall behind Toilet
Wall Sample
Date
Address of Property.
I took these labeling instructions from the aforementioned RES-COM Training DVD.
Going back to the living room, I want to determine if the stains on the ceiling are wet or if there is mold growing. First, I sample the area of suspect stains by collecting a tape sample, following the procedure for using fresh latex or vinyl gloves, clear scotch tape and Ziplock baggies and labeling as explained above. If there is suspect staining at the ceiling intersection with the wall, where a tape sample could not be taken, I would then use the sterile swab to sample that area. It would then be appropriate to test the stained area with the moisture meter to determine the possibility of recent leaks, and climb into the attic to inspect the area to see where the leak originated. It could be from the roof, a condensate line, a plumbing line running between floors (if there is an upstairs), or any number of similar scenarios. The key is to determine the cause and note it in the report.
If the stained area is wet and it appears there is mold growing, and if there is an upstairs room overhead, I would take a floor cavity sample with the Zefon pump, in order to have the lab determine if mold is growing in that cavity.
At this point, I have collected the following samples:
1. Z1 (Zefon Spore Trap Sample Pump) – outside air sample.
2. Z2 – living room air sample.
3. Z3- bedroom air sample.
4. Z4- wall cavity air sample- under kitchen sink.
5. Z5- wall cavity air sample- clean- inside wall of bedroom with no apparent water intrusion.
6. T1 (Tape or surface sample) - bathroom wall behind toilet.
7. T2- surface sample- living room ceiling staining.
8. S1- (Sterile Swab sample) - living room ceiling/wall juncture.
This would conclude the Mold and Indoor Air Quality testing for this scenario.
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