In the United States people would initially heat their homes with wood up until the early 1900's. Then the use of coal became popular from 1920 to 1940,  and then oil heat was king post WWII. Natural gas came into play in the 1990s  and finally natural gas (1990's).   Homes built pre-1990 have a high probability that oil was a fuel source at one time.  After World War II oil was plentiful and cheap,  the United States was a steel-making machine.      Cheap oil and industry-dominating steel production = heating oil tanks, buried and above ground for commercial and residential properties.

As of today, oil has been replaced largely by natural gas that is piped into homes which removes the need for calling for oil delivery to fill up a tank.  When neighborhoods that originally never had natural gas were piped for gas homeowners slowly upgraded as their heaters needed replacement.  What happened to the oil tanks? For the most part, they were abandoned, disconnected from the heater, and left where they were buried in the ground or in a dark corner of the basement up to about the mid to late 1980s.   In the 1990s some tanks were removed, some were abandoned in place by filling with an inert material like sand, concrete or foam and some were simply left where they were.

This brings us to today why should anyone be concerned about an oil tank, oil comes from the ground.   Well, New Jersey has no past or present drilled oil wells, we are not an oil-rich state, simply put oil is not naturally present in the ground in New Jersey.   What we are burdened with are regulations.   Yes, there are regulations governing oil tanks.  The most broad-reaching regulation is the Spill Act from the 1970s which says any release of a contaminant to the environment is reportable to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP).   On top of this law are regulations that dictate what amount of oil is permissible and what is not.  Levels above what is permissible require what is known as remediation.   Other laws are construction defining what you must do to a tank when you remove it from service (either remove it or clean and abandon it in place).   You are also burdened with the definition of a Responsible Party (RP).  An RP is kind of like a store policy that says you break it you buy it.  In terms of an oil tank that leaks and requires remediation, well if you own a property or buy a property with an oil tank that leaks, well you are responsible for addressing it, hence the Responsible Party term.  This is why home buyers are wary of oil tanks.  This is why homeowners selling a property with an oil tank have problems, nobody wants to have the financial burden of cleaning up an oil tank leak.   Let me add another layer to this, banks, and mortgage companies are wary of providing financing for a home purchase if an oil tank was or may present.  Oil contamination can and has devalued homes, somewhere it makes sense for homeowners to walk away from the mortgage, leaving the bank with the problem.  

How often do I hear ......"You have the black mold"!

Mold is a four-letter word you don't want to utter or hear.   Mold is alleged to be the cause of so many health issues and typically by people self-diagnosing themselves.

If there was black mold, you would also hear about brown, grey and white mold.  Black mold was invented by the media and is only the color of a mold, just like brown and grey, and white colored mold. 

Most all molds have names that are very difficult to pronounce and many types of mold are black in color when you see a black-colored mold you could be seeing over a hundred possible types of mold. 

The list below is a snip of a fungal library, you can see molds under A, B, F S, what you can't see under the B list is a Black Mold or any molds in the list that are named for a color. Naming a mold for color is not performed.

Pro Tip

If you have mold you have a water problem which caused the mold.  Bottom line you don't have mold unless you have excess water. If someone says you have black mold, you are being scammed.

True Story

A guy built his own house, that had a crawlspace.  He installed vents in the crawlspace, as was required by code.  He also opened the vents in warm weather and closed them in the cold weather, as he was told to do.  Fast forward 10 years, he is selling the home, and the buyer's inspection process finds mold in the Black MOLD crawlspace.     He became our client and we had to explain to all parties that black mold doesn't exist and that there was indeed mold in the crawlspace, from moisture in the air caused by the opening and closing of the vents.  Had he sealed the vents and operated a dehumidifier in the space, he would have removed moisture because moisture is the fuel that drives mold growth, but that is not what the construction codes say.

You see at Curren Environmental, we are environmental professionals, we provide advice regarding a variety of Environmental topics, mold being just one of them.  No hype, no trying to scare you, science-based assessments of problems and their associated solution.

Want Expert Mold Advice?

888-301-1050

Are you buying a house with mold? Is mold harmful? Should I be concerned about mold?

Mold is ubiquitous in our environment, but not all homes have mold and visible mold growth is a sign that something went wrong.

Mold can have an adverse health effect on people. Mold affects different people differently. Clearly if you are not allergic to peanuts or dairy products, consumption of these food items (within reason) will not cause you harm.  The problem with mold is people are subjected to it unknowingly after they move into a new residence and after days, weeks or months health concerns arise.   

Should you have a mold inspection prior to a home purchase?   Yes, if you want to ensure the home doesn't have mold, years you should have a mold inspection.

Mold can be harmful in a variety of ways.  Inhaling mold spores creates a reaction, which is your body finding that it doesn’t like the mold and your body fights the spore.

Think about how pollen can create a reaction in susceptible people. Now certain molds can produce mycotoxins and microbial volatile organic compounds which can affect humans. These are created by mold growing, you are inhaling these compounds when you smell the musty odor associated with mold.

Understand mold digests organic material, a great example is how mold breaks down your compost pile outside. So mold in a building will consume organic material, such as paper, sheetrock, cellulose, wood, and other items. As these materials are consumed, compounds are made (think stomach acids) by the consumption of the material as well as the building materials breaking down into other compounds. Paint is paint, right? Or is paint a number of compounds that are the ingredients of paint? The paint is present on a sheetrock wall, when this wall has mold growth, mold breaks down the paper and the paint causing off-gassing. A person can be allergic to the compounds that mold creates when consuming your home. Now mold is really resilient and will grow when conditions permit the mold to grow and will go dormant when the conditions are not conducive for mold growth. So, if you add water and warmth to a room, mold can grow. Take away the water and put temperatures below 50 degrees and mold goes dormant, waiting to grow another day. If you intermittently smell a musty odor, it mold gets wet and grows. The smell goes away when the water goes away. This situation means you have a water leak that is intermittent.

Mold inspections can test for hidden mold and molds that are not actively growing. An abundance of invisible airborne mold spores can be a health hazard to humans when inhaled.

Is mold everywhere? Yes pretty much anywhere on earth mold is present, that said we have completed thousands of mold inspections, and not all inspections find mold. So if someone tells you every home has mold, well, it may be accurate, but it depends on what level of mold growth and airborne spores are present.

When Mold is present it points to an issue, could be a water issue, moisture, leak and much more. Want to speak to a mold expert?  

856-858-9509

HUD's New Final Rule, 24 CFR 35, dictates that lead dust should be below the following standards:

Less than 10 µg/ft2 (micrograms of lead per square foot) on floors, 100 µg/ft2 on windowsills. 

100 µg/ft2 on window troughs

When a lead wipe sample fails, it indicates that lead dust is present on the surface sampled.

The lead risk assessor should be able to point to the causes of the wipe failure so appropriate corrective action can be implemented.  To be practical, you are not wipe sampling when deteriorated paint is present.  So, when a wipe sample fails you must look to see how many failed.  Is it systemic through the property or in an isolated area?  So if you have four (4) floor samples and one fails, it needs to be evaluated as to why only one failed. 

The amount of lead that meets clearance criteria is a very minimal quantity and is often not visually seen with the naked eye. In recent years the lead dust limit for floors was four (4) times higher than its current standard. This could lead to failures if surfaces were not properly cleaned, even when deteriorated paint is not present.   All wipe sampling represents a snapshot in time regarding lead on a given surface. Once failure has occurred the area must be cleaned or recleaned until post-cleaning wipe samples meet criteria. A successful method of cleaning involves sequential cycles of HEPA vacuuming and wet wiping surfaces. Wet wiping can be performed with cleaning compounds specific to lead.  Lead dust is chemically sticky, so utilizing a  cleanser to break the chemical bond is critical.

You may find the lead dust is from deteriorated paint, which would require abatement or interim controls.  Interim controls are a set of measures designed to reduce temporary human exposure or likely exposure to lead-based paint hazards, including specialized cleaning, repairs, maintenance, painting, temporary containment, and ongoing monitoring of lead-based paint hazards or potential hazards. You can think of interim controls as dust removal, paint stabilization, and/or control of friction/abrasion points on building materials that are in good condition and repairable.     Seriously deteriorated surfaces that cannot be “repaired” will require replacement/abatement. 

 When the order is for interim controls, the following criteria shall apply:

1. The person performing the interim controls shall: Complete training in accordance with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration Hazard Communication requirements at 29 CFR 1910.1200 (see (a)1i and ii above, have successful completion of training as a certified renovator for New Jersey through the Department of Community Affairs;

The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) certifies Renovation, Repair, and Painting contractors. These firms are certified to perform renovation, repair, and painting projects that address lead-based paint in homes and childcare facilities. This work is often involved in interim control methods. Information may be found online at: https://www.epa.gov/lead/leadrenovation-repair-and-painting-program .

2008 Lead Renovation, Repair and Painting Rule beginning April 22, 2010, firms performing renovation, repair and painting projects that disturb lead-based paint in homes, childcare facilities, and kindergartens built before 1978 must be EPA- or state-certified and must use certified renovators who follow specific work practices to prevent lead contamination.

After interim control and or cleaning is performed, the space to be sampled should be kept closed to human entry prior to performing post-wipe sampling. This ensures accurate wipe sample results that are free of outside sources of lead.

If lead wipe samples fail as part of a Risk Assessment in New Jersey under the NJ Lead Safe Law, landlords have 30 days to address the problem so reinspection and sampling can be performed.

If the unit is occupied where a wipe sample failed, the lead risk assessor or the certified evaluator thought there was a serious problem, the evaluator or the local health department could do a complete lead hazard investigation and make a decision on occupancy.   

Call the Lead Experts

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Does the owner of the property have to be made aware tanks weep is being performed?

A tank sweep is a form of due diligence, like a home inspection, every seller has to allow inspections, although they don’t have to agree to fix anything.  Every seller should be aware that the buyer is paying for these inspections, so they are aware these items are a concern.  Nobody likes to be surprised by problems, which inspections by nature are looking for.

The owner should be aware we are doing an inspection specific to oil tanks because if we find a tank we want it removed and I was told they have no knowledge of any oil heat.

Do you need to go inside the building during a tank sweep?

100% you have to go inside the building and inspect for evidence of prior oil heat.  Anyone not going inside is doing an incomplete inspection. To provide a thorough tank scan, Curren needs access to the basement heater room during the scan and no cars in the driveway.

An oil burner switch and an oil burner fuse inside the door are both clues that are indicative of oil heat.  Curren also sees "cut outs" in the flooring of the basement, or lines sticking out of the flooring, both are clues that an oil tank was present on the property at some point in time. 
 

Speaking of visual assessment as part of a tank sweep, one of the photos below suggests an oil tank the other is 100% not an oil tank.  The trained technician knows the difference.

What happens if you find an oil tank during a tank sweep?

When a tank is found the owner/seller must be informed of the tank and that it needs to be removed and tested to verify no leaks.  But it goes deeper than that, a cascading series of events occurs.

1. The settlement will need to be pushed back typically a month or more as you need time to get permits, remove the tank and get soil sample results. Example: We just had a tank located and removed prior to the settlement they pushed back settlement twenty days on day fourteen we removed the tank and it leaked, now the leak is reportable to the state environmental agency, and you will have to do reporting to the government, which takes time.   As we waited a week for the test results, the settlement was not moved back any further, three days before settlement we get all the test results 100% failure and soil remediation required. The Realtor, mortgage company, and buyer were like deer in the headlights as there was no backup plan.

2. Find a tank, the seller must address the tank for the buyer or cancel the contract and disclose the tank to all FUTURE BUYERS, meaning updating the Disclosure Statement.  A Realtor must update the listing referencing the tank. Example: had one where we found a tank, the seller canceled the contract, and got a new buyer but NEVER DISCLOSED the tank.   Buyer found tank AFTER PURCHASE.   Man, the number of attorneys and people getting sued was large and the buyer walked away winning.

3. Find a tank, and see if the seller will take care of it because as you have just read, they need to do the right thing.  Buyer can push back settlement until at least the tank is removed and soil sample results are returned, and it can be determined if remediation is or is not required. Example: Had this situation occur, but the tank was found under a deck, buyers paid for soil testing where we could test, and contamination was found.   We found cancer, but the extent was not known because the deck prohibited access to drill test borings.   The buyer and seller came to some financial agreement on the purchase and the buyer got monies back or off the purchase price.   We remove the tank and performed a remediation, but the contamination was extensive, and the buyer needs more money to clean up the leak but the seller is saying they agreed on an amount and no more funds will be provided.

What are appropriate Due Diligence time frames?

One of the most common issues in buying and selling real estate is unrealistic due diligence time frames & settlement dates.  Settlement dates that are set PRIOR to any due diligence being completed is the biggest failure. If you are involved in real estate and the due diligence finds an Area of Concern (AOC) or a Recognized Environmental Condition (REC) 80% of the time the settlement date needs to be pushed back.

Quick example, completed Phase I ESAs for a site in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, both found potential USTs. Both required a geophysical, at one of the sites the property owner of 29 years swore there were no tanks, but they had zero paperwork to support that statement. Fast forward three (3) tanks were found between the two sites. Now you have to get NJDEP & PADEP permits and register the regulated tanks, both sites took about 50 days to get government permits.

Understand that Due Diligence has Many Layers and steps.

Take for example a farm being purchased that required a Phase I ESA, the due diligence period was set for 30 days with settlement on the 31st day.   The concern of the parties was whether the Phase I could be completed in 30 days, 90% of the time it can be, for the record most Phase I's can be completed in 2 weeks, sometimes 3 weeks.    But the real issue is the parties left no time for a Phase II, if required, and most all farms would require some form of a Phase II and that's coming from 30 years of experience.  Even if you tell people testing is likely going to be recommended, no one listens and no one extends the due diligence period, but everyone gets upset when they have to change the settlement date. Sure the seller could have done their own Phase I & II prior to selling the property and saved time and headache, unfortunately, few sellers are that forward thinking.

Let’s say, a property has had remediation completed, and multiple areas on a property were remediated. We just had a site that fits that bill.   A Phase I is still completed to protect the buyer but the Phase I has to review state environmental reports that were submitted, which can take 4 weeks to get copies of reports.  (Fact most owners have incomplete reports or cannot find the reports).   Obtaining records from the government is not quick and yes a one (1) month wait is not uncommon.  The 4-week due diligence period must be extended.  

On the site we just dealt with, which was commercial, it was disclosed that multiple AOCs had been remediated and closed out with the state.  But this site had other areas that were not remediated that warranted testing, multiple, like $42,000 worth of testing.  Granted the property was 10.7 acres, listed for close to 3 million dollars, so it should not be surprising that AOCs existed on the property and were not evaluated by the seller, I mean few people who own real estate want to find a problem. The buyer still wanted to proceed with testing and purchase, and the seller did.  Well, the seller ended the contract, they were concerned problems would be found they would have to address.  Now, did the seller side warn them that this scenario was possible, hard to say but I would venture a guess the answer is no.  Is the seller wise in thinking another buyer will come along to buy the property without testing? They can hope but are unlikely.  The buyer was more than upset that a deal valued in the millions would be stopped in its tracks due to their desire to test and ensure they were not buying a contaminated property.  The buyer also was willing to contribute to some amount of remediation.  

But let’s say the deal kept moving forward and the seller gave another 30 days of due diligence.  The testing could be completed in this 30-day window, but if remediation was warranted, 30 days is not enough.   But the seller says we can price out cleanup and negotiate a price reduction within 30 days.   Still an epic unrealistic situation as Phase II is just evaluating if contamination is present not the extent.  Say three areas out of 14 need remediation (an unrealistic low number but just play it out).    Your next step is to define the 4 areas which could take another 30 days maybe 90 depending on soil and groundwater.   This situation actually played out on another site and the due diligence was 9 and 1/2 months.

Pro Tip

All you bankers, real estate professionals, sellers, buyers, and lawyers listen up.  Ask your environmental professional what they would estimate for a reasonable due diligence, when a Phase I & II may be necessary.  Before you ask do not give them your desired date of settlement, you will likely bias their answer. Although as environmental professionals we are not clairvoyant, we can assess sites from a desk, and utilize experience from other sites we have evaluated many times before to say you may want to budget 60 days or 90 days, if it's less, well then you can settle sooner.  You should also consider if any cost sharing will occur with Phase II between buyer and seller and what the seller's pain point is on paying for remediation.   

For example, the client had a retail strip of stores with historic groundwater contamination. The economical solution was to monitor the groundwater for 8 quarters to show a declining trend and permit the contamination in place.    The 2-year budget was $86,000, which was also the amount the seller was willing to place in escrow after the sale for the buyer to use to pay for the work. But the $86,000 was a budget and could trend higher or lower.   This confused the buyer as well as the fact that there would be costs after the site is signed off that the owner would be responsible for and this is assuming groundwater trends lower. Some sites do not and you need to perform remediation to push levels lower.   This is another situation where all parties were not transparent regarding time frames and costs and what each party was willing to accept.

Last example and let me dumb this down for you.  

A residence had a leaking tank, which was discovered during due diligence.  The future cost of remediation was determined, what was not discussed was the time frame to remediate and when state would review and sign off (typically 2 weeks to 6 weeks to 2 months, depending on your state).     Well at settlement these time frames were discussed and the buyer backed out at the settlement table.  Now the blame on this one was the environmental company not timelining the remediation (parties not asking either).   People went in with blinders on and the deal fell apart.

If your due diligence finds environmental concerns, know that environmental has no drive-through lane, no same-day delivery, heck not even a delivery date.  Like medicine and law, it’s a practice, a somewhat inexact science, but data sets are out there if you are willing to listen.  So rather than say due diligence is 30 days, ask what the consultant thinks is the reasonable time frame.   Play out a couple of scenarios so all parties have an idea of what could happen, plan for the worst, and hope for the best.

Due Diligence Questions?

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No, auto repair, auto sales, car dealerships, and repair shops do not fall under ISRA regulations.   It is a common misconception that auto repair is an ISRA-regulated industry, perhaps because you are generating waste liquids and at one time in the past waste oil had a hazardous classification in New Jersey.  I say this because I have been asked this question going on 25 years.

Now a facility that performed auto repair and now operates as an ISRA-applicable business, can hold environmental liability for the ISRA-applicable business. You see operations of auto repair can have an environmental impact.   Inground lifts, ASTs, USTs, slop sinks, parts washing stations with solvents, floor drains, waste oil, etc. all are AOCs (Areas of Concern) for auto repair shops.  The USTs are generally covered under their regulations.  The other AOCs are things to be looked into for an ISRA evaluation.   NO matter what the current ISRA applicable business is, the ISRA will evaluate for the historical use of the property, which is taken under consideration when evaluating for AOCs. So, a solvent parts washing station used 30 years ago may end up being investigated under an ISRA, even though the current operations never used it, because the site did.

Compressor areas, which auto repair facilities have, and AST storage areas can also be an AOC, sometimes the AOC will require investigation, and other times visual assessment of these AOCs can remove the need for testing.

What businesses are most likely subject to ISRA?

ISRA is meant to hold certain businesses (manufacturers of anything typically) accountable for contamination caused to properties.  However, the law held companies accountable not just for anything they did but for whatever else happened on the site, even if it happened prior to their operation at the site.

The ISRA regulations base applicability on the business classification (NAICS Code).    But a business can be misclassified.  Say the business makes circuit boards (a regulated industry), but their NACIS code is tied to design.   NJDEP will view what the primary business is and trigger ISRA. 

The first step in the ISRA process is hiring an LSRP (Licensed Site Remediation Professional) to perform a Preliminary Assessment or PA.   The PA completes an audit of the property and allows the LSRP to assess the environmental issues of the property and ultimately provide an RAO (Remedial Action Outcome).  An RAO is the result of the ISRA process.

ISRA Experts

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ISRA Questions?

ISRA Process Explained

New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) signed into law the New Jersey Site Remediation Act (SRRA) in May of 2009.  As of May 7, 1012, all owners or operators of a contaminated site RP’s (Responsible Party) must hire an LSRP, who will guide and oversee environmental activities at the site.

Generally speaking, you should expect that LSRP involvement will be necessary on any contaminant except number two (2)  heating oil. So, gasoline, kerosene, pesticides, metals, PCBs, hydraulic oil, etc., would have to have an LSRP oversee testing and remediation.

The regulation also changes what is known as an NFA (No Further Action) letter. Prior to the law, once you remediated a site you received an NFA. Now, NFAs are issued for UHOTS (Unregulated Heating Oil Tanks), heating oil discharges from USTs under 2001 gallons which are the unregulated heating oil tank definition pertaining to size.  So, all other sites now get a RESPONSE ACTION OUTCOME (RAO).

Before the LSRP program was implemented and after contamination or a release was identified, and the NJDEP had been notified, the Responsible Party (RP) was required to hire an environmental consultant who would investigate the contamination on the site, and ultimately provide remediation if necessary. This old approach would require owner consultants to submit reports to NJDEP and await a response, which could take months or years to receive a response.   It was a slow program for sure and many sites fell through the cracks with no driver from NJDEP requesting investigation and testing of a site, many properties had no work performed. For sites that made forward progress the NJDEP would issue a No Further Action Letter (NFA), which was the gold standard for closing out environmental contamination.

Since May 7 of 2012, all owners or operators of contaminated sites (Responsible Parties) must hire an LSRP since  The NJDEP would no longer oversee site remediation, and under the program, the LSRP is required to proceed without prior NJDEP approval.  Think of LSRPs as deputies of the NJDEP and are required to follow NJDEP regulations, while utilizing professional judgment to investigate and clean up a site.

Upon successful completion of remediation, the LSRP issues a RESPONSE ACTION OUTCOME (RAO).  No NFAs are issued any longer for sites that require LSRP involvement. So your end goal is an RAO for a typically commercial site that has contamination other than heating oil. The rub with the RAO is NJDEP has 3 years upon receiving the RAO to audit the RAO. So you can have a 3-year open window that the NJDEP may want changes to the RAO or disagrees with professional judgment and requires more work. Typically, NJDEP asks for changes to wording on forms, etc., at least for RAOs Curren has issued, we have seen RAS rescinded because some LSRPs are cowboys and stretch judgment regarding not having to follow typical protocols.

LSRP Questions?

RAO questions?

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Mold is a four-letter word, and it seems simple, right? Mold is indoors and outdoors, while outdoors it is needed to break down some parts of the environment, mold growth indoors can be very different. Molds are spores that grow in specific environments and can harm your health when found in abundance inside of your home.   When mold grows on organic indoor surfaces, it then can become airborne mold spores.

Why do you get a Mold Inspection?

A mold inspection is requested when mold growth is suspected. Mold growth is suspected when you either see a difference in color on an organic surface, or there is an odor coming from a room or area. Mold is also suspected if there is a leak somewhere on the interior of a property that was not properly fixed or fixed within 72 hours of the leak.

Mold Inspections are also requested during real estate transactions. During the home inspection, the home inspector may notice a “mold-like substance”, “discoloration” or “an odor that smells like mold growth”. Many home inspectors do not do mold testing, nor mold reporting and refer the buyer to have a mold inspection.

How is a Mold Inspection performed?

Mold inspectors differ in the way they provide mold inspections. An experienced mold inspector would walk the outside of the property and look at the grading towards and away from the building/home. The mold inspector would look for signs of water intrusion that would come from the outside of the property.

After the exterior of the property is thoroughly examined the mold inspection moves to the interior of the property. Once on the inside the area of concern is inspected. The area of concern would be certain rooms, rooms or it may be the entire property.

Once inside the property, the visual mold inspection looks for certain clues for mold such as discoloration, smell, and insects. Yes, insects seem to be around areas where mold growth is present due to the moisture. If requested, or suggested mold testing is done. Mold testing is done either by surface sampling an area where mold seems visual and is questioned, or when there is a finish area and there is a foul smell and there are no visual signs of mold and if someone is curious as to what type of mold spores are airborne.

Mold Testing

There are different ways to test for mold. Curren Environmental provides two types of mold testing, surface, and airborne testing. There are take-home tests that use petri dishes, and some other mold inspectors use a swab sample.

Mold Surface samples are acquired by placing the piece of glass tape side to the area of concern. The sample area is photographed and then placed into a container. That sample is taken to a laboratory where the mold spores are inspected under a microscope for mold spores.

Mold air sampling is acquired by using a small container, the size of a shot glass, and placed on a tripod at breathing height in the center of the room. A photograph of the sample area is acquired prior to starting the mold sample. The sample can be acquired for five minutes or ten minutes. Depending on the debris that is in that certain room, industry-standard most likely uses the five-minute sample (75 liters).

Photographing the area where the mold sample was acquired is a must, if this is not represented in the mold report, you will not understand where the mold growth is and where it is coming from. Also, from a mold remediation standpoint, you will not know how to quote mold remediation without photographs.

What is mold lab data, and do you read it?

Mold lab data is acquired after samples are dropped off at the lab of choice. Once the mold samples are looked at by the lab, lab data is generated. This lab data states the type of mold spore and the amount of mold spores.

Many mold inspectors only include lab data and say that is the mold report – it is not, it is just that mold lab data. You are not expected to read mold lab data and figure out where the mold is, how much mold you have, and why you have mold from lab data. For example, you go to the doctor to get blood work. You see your lab data first, the lab data says you have high cholesterol, so you kind of freak out. Once you speak to the doctor, your doctor says no, that it is not high because you do not have these other three underlying issues. So, you were incorrect, which is what we see with people reading lab data.

Mold will be in your house at some level, there are no mold-free homes. There are spore types that are extremely related to health issues and others that are not. It is not for you to figure out, but for your mold inspector to report and relate to you.

What does a Mold Inspection Report Detail?

Mold Inspection reports are not lab data from EMSL or EMLab or any other lab. A mold inspection is a detailed representation of the mold inspection that occurred on the property on the day of the inspection.

What should the mold inspection include?

• Photos, more photos & more photos
• Reporting on where the inspection took place.
• What was done at the inspection, such as Infrared, Air Testing, Surface Testing, etc.
• Whether or not mold exists.
• If mold exists, where is the leak/moisture problem?
• What and where the testing occurred, with clear photos of the actual acquired sample area.
• Discussion on the lab data, and what the lab data means in the perspective of mold growth and airborne mold spores on the property.
• If there is mold growth, recommendations for removal.

Mold reporting after the mold inspection paints a clear picture of what mold is to your property. Where the mold is, where it is coming from, and how to fix the water problem and the mold issue.

Mold Peer Review

A mold peer review is just that, reviewing the information that was given to you from another mold inspection. Usually, mold peer reviews are done because the mold inspector or person who took the samples can't give a clear answer as to whether there is mold growth or airborne spores in the property. Peer reviews typically ask for the lab data, any photos, the inspection report (if any), and the reason for the mold inspection. Many reasons for mold inspections are due to a driver such as a real estate transaction or health issues, rental properties, or when leaks and environmental issues occur, and the homeowner is asking for the home inspection.

Mold Remediation based on Lab Data

Mold remediation is the removal of mold. Mold remediation is based on different factors pertaining to mold at a property. To prepare a mold remediation quote the following is required/needed:

1. Area of concern
2. Size of area
3. Is there sheetrock?
4. Is containment needed?
5. Is the area accessible?
6. Many more questions and depend on the property itself.

When it comes down to it Mold Remediation is HEPA vacuuming, cleaning, and using a fungistatic coating to keep the mold growth from coming back.

What did you pay for in your mold inspection?

An experienced mold inspector will inspect the exterior of the property, and the interior area of concern and provide feedback. Remember, as it is said with almost everything, you get what you pay for. If you want a remediation quote, you may need a mold inspection so that you don’t overpay on your remediation costs…that’s another topic to cover later.

What are the requirements of property owners under P.L. 2021, c. 182?

How does NJ Lead safe law affect a property owner? Landlords are required to have their units inspected in accordance with the law.  If you are a landlord of a residential property built before 1978, your property requires an inspection by July of 2024 or earlier if a tenant vacates prior to that date. 100% of properties require visual lead risk assessment, and some municipalities ALSO require dust wipe samples to be obtained.

The landlord must:

• Complete the lead inspection of the property. 
• If lead paint hazards are found, remediate any lead hazards by abatement or lead-based paint hazard control.
• Provide evidence of the lead-safe certification or better yet a copy of the lead-safe certification to tenants.
• Report all tenant turnover activity to the municipality. 
• Provide a copy of N.J.A.C. 5:28A, and any lead-safe certifications to any prospective owners of the dwelling during the real estate transaction, settlement, or closing.  If you sell the property, the new owner must be aware of any lead-safe certifications.
• Provide a copy of the guidance document, Lead-Based Paint in Rental Dwellings.
• The Rental owner is obligated to provide a copy of any lead-safe certifications to the municipality.

Municipality obligations regarding the Lead Paint Law

Municipalities are required to ensure inspections are performed and may perform the inspection themselves or subcontract. Municipalities must allow landlords to perform their own inspections if they do not want the municipality to do so. Municipalities must maintain a record of all lead-free certifications issued pursuant to N.J.A.C. 5:17. Lastly, Municipalities are required to maintain a record of all dwellings subject to the lead-safe law which includes:

• up-to-date information on inspection schedules,
• inspection results,
• tenant turnover,
•  record of all lead-safe certifications issued
• maintain a record of all lead-free certifications issued pursuant to N.J.A.C. 5:17.

Do you feel like you have lead on the brain? 

Call the lead expects.

888-301-1050