Heavenly Hands Inspection Process...

THE CUSTOMER INTERVIEW:

In order to properly assess the condition of your home, boat, or motor coach, I need to know some of its history. It is my job to ask the important, often over looked, questions that will help me do my job "the right way".

THE INSPECTION/ASSESSMENT:

I visually examine both the exterior and interior to pinpoint problem areas. Is there visible mold growth in the kitchen, laundry room, or hidden in a bathroom wall? These are all common locations for mold growth. My assessment is designed to locate problems and probable areas of mold growth. I look for problems with the home and all covered systems as well as sources of excessive moisture. Common sources may include: Cracks in exterior cladding, roof leaks, plumbing leaks, high humidity due to poor air conditioning systems. I have a back ground in construction, remodeling, repairs, and investigations. I know what to look for and where to look for it.

THE CAUSE:

Now that I have a little history and have completed my inspection/assessment, I am ready to put together my report and recommendations. In the case of a mold assessment, I will develop a sampling/testing plan specifically tailored to your unique situation. My sampling may involve mold sampling, bacteria sampling, VOC testing, particle counts, and allergen screening. This allows me to determine specific types and levels of contaminants that may be affecting your indoor environment.

THE INSPECTION:

There are several levels of inspections. I will explain the levels to you and make a recommendation as to which level I believe is right for your situation. It is up to you to decide which level of inspection I will perform. I will provide you with an "Environmental Assessment Agreement for Further Sampling" prior to the commencement of any sampling. This will remove the chance for misunderstanding on what level of service I am to provide.

Limited Sampling: To detect the presence of mold contamination in client defined areas. The limitation of the Limited Mold Sampling service is that other sources of mold may be present in other areas.

Mold Screen Inspection: This level of Inspection utilizes a visual assessment of the entire home, boat, or motor coach and identifies "red flags" for mold. If "red flags" are found, I will develop a sampling/testing plan specifically tailored to your unique situation. I will provide a written sampling plan. You will then need to decide which samples you want me to perform. This is the most popular inspection service in real estate transactions and in situations where there is an unidentified source for a mold or air quality problem.

Clearance Testing: Clearance Testing is designed to determine the success of remediation efforts. Clearance Testing is provided for those remediated areas within established containment zones.

Post Clearance Testing: Also designed to determine the success of remediation efforts. Post Cleaning Testing is used where there were or are NO containment zones in place.

WHAT WE ARE LOOKING AT:

The Indoor Environment can be a source of one or multiple pollutants.

Is it MOLD, ALLERGENS or VOC's?

Once identified, I will proceed at your request and approval to test. This testing may take many forms.

MOLD TESTING

If my assessment has revealed the need for further testing, comprehensive mold testing will serve to provide you with three important pieces of information:

  1. Is mold present?
    I will use the appropriate types of sampling to determine if a suspected area contains mold growth


  2. What type of mold is it?
    Is the mold growth Stachybotrys, Aspergillums, or Cladosporium? Distinguishing between different types of mold growth is impossible without laboratory testing. For your protection, I only use Accredited and Certified Laboratories.

    The lab testing will:

    • Accurately determine the species of mold growth in your property.
    • Accurately determines the quantity of mold.

    Mold spores can be found in the cleanest of buildings, therefore we measure the quantity of mold to determine if a mold problem is present.


  3. Types of sampling we perform:

    • Airborne
    • Surface
    • Bulk
    • Dust
    • PCR
    • VOC

BACTERIA TESTING

My assessment may reveal the need for Bacteria Testing if dangerous bacteria growth is suspected.

An example of bacteria is E. Coli. E. Coli can lurk in sewage contaminated water which may be present indoors if a toilet has recently backed up into the home. Our swab sampling analysis can detect E. Coli and other types of Coli forms.

I may recommend bacteria sampling if there is a need to:

  1. Determine inhalation exposure.
  2. Identify the presence of hidden sources of bacterial growth.

VOLITILE ORGANIC COMPOUND (VOC) TESTING

My assessment is not limited to mold sampling. This type of testing can prove fruitful when the cause of an indoor odor cannot be identified. A VOC test can be used to identify thousands of different types of organic gases.

Studies conducted by the EPA have found that VOC levels of common pollutants are 2 to 5 times higher inside the home than outside.

VOC's come from a wide variety of sources including: Paints and lacquers, cleaning supplies, pesticides, building materials and furnishings, office equipment such as copiers and printers, and even some cosmetics.

ALLERGEN TRIGGERS SCREENING

There are times when a suspected mold problem will turn out to be an ALLERGENS issue.

People with allergies and asthma think of their home as a safe haven. Unfortunately, houses carry their own unique allergens such as dust mites, animal dander and cockroaches.

Doctors have determined that these indoor triggers are a major source of asthma and allergy symptoms.

An Allergens Assessment is useful in revealing the presence and exposure to pollen, grass, ragweed, algae, diatoms, fern, moss, spores, fungus, cat and dog dander, insect parts, skin cell fragments, dust mites, fiberglass, soot, rusts, carbon, and Mold spores.

Now that you have decided what level of service you desire, the assessment, and/or sampling has been completed, and the samples have been tested by the lab, it is time for me to tell you what I found. This is another area that separates me from the competition.

THE REPORT:

Your report from Heavenly Hands Home Services is written just for you. It is confidential, and as such, it will only be released to you and those you choose. The report will include:

  • Introduction.
    This section describes what I found, what I did and where I did it.
  • Background.
    This section describes the history and the nature of the problem. Notes taken from the interview will be placed in this section.
  • Scope of Work.
    A description of work performed as per the Home Inspection Agreement or the Environmental Assessment Agreement, including a description of the physical areas of focus and limitations of the inspection/assessment.
  • Site Visit Findings.
    Information gathered from the inspection/assessment will be summarized here, as well as, any stains, growth, odors or problems found are listed in this section.
  • Measurements.
    Measurements including temperature, relative humidity and moisture meter readings are listed in this section.
  • Sampling.
    Any samples taken are described in this section.
  • Conclusions.
    Here I will summarize the problems identified in the assessment and how they were supported by the lab results.
  • Recommendations.
    If I have arrived at the conclusion that there problems, I will recommend what steps you should take to resolve the issues. I will cite any standards or guidelines in the justification of our recommendations. We will provide a cost for creating, if requested, a Recommended Guidelines for Abatement Report (Protocol).
  • Photographs.
    I will attach photographs taken on site.
  • Lab Report.
    We will attach the Lab Report, if any.
  • There are numerous other customer services I provide, too many to list.