Sampling and Lab Testing
The National Association of Certified Home Inspectors (NACHI), the world’s leading home inspection association, is pleased to announce its new venture with PRO-LAB, one of the world’s leading environmental testing laboratories. Our InspectionNOW staff has been fully trained and certified to perform a number of essential Lab analysis and is always striving to provide you with the precise information and peace of mind for your future well-being.
Some issues can’t be seen with the naked eye. We want to make sure none of them come back to bite you after you’ve closed on your new property. At Inspection NOW, we believe in offering thorough, accurate sampling and lab testing to make sure you know exactly what you are getting yourself into.
The International Association of Certified Home Inspectors, or InterNACHI, is the world’s most prominent home inspection organization. We proudly partner with them and PRO-LAB, an environmental testing laboratory, to receive clear results from our tests. The staff at Inspection NOW has been fully trained and certified to perform lab tests, including mold, lead, air quality, water quality, asbestos, and radon testing.
Learn what your future property’s concerns are by getting in touch with our team now. We have staff on hand at all times to take your call, and we often do same-day inspections for your convenience. It’s time to enjoy greater peace of mind and enter this new chapter of your life with complete confidence. Call today to begin.
Asbestos Lab Analysis (Recommended for homes built before 1978)
The presence of asbestos-containing materials in a home is not hazardous unless the material becomes damaged or disturbed. Damaged, deteriorating, or friable asbestos that becomes dry and crumbles into a powder may release asbestos fibers into the air that can be inhaled and can pose a health risk for the residents.
No amount of asbestos is considered safe. Products that contain greater than 1 percent of asbestos minerals are considered to be asbestos-containing. The more asbestos you are exposed to, the more likely you are to get an asbestos disease. Asbestosis and lung cancer are dose-related diseases.
Lead Based Paint Lab Sample (Recommended from homes built before 1978)
Exposure to lead-based paint usually occurs from ingestion. Lead-based paint does not present a health hazard as long as the paint is not chipping, flaking, crushed or sanded into dust. Low levels of exposure to lead can cause health effects such as learning disabilities and behavioral problems in children. Exposure to lead paint dust or chips can cause serious health problems, especially to children and pregnant women. So, if you live in or own an older home, you need to know how to protect yourself and others.
Do all homes built before 1978 have lead paint?
If your home was built before 1978, there is a good chance it has lead-based paint. In 1978, the federal government banned consumer uses of lead-containing paint, but some states banned it even earlier. Lead paint is still present in millions of homes, sometimes under layers of newer paint.
How do I know if there is lead in my water?
The only way to know whether your tap water contains lead is to have it tested. You cannot see, taste, or smell lead in drinking water. Therefore, you must ask your water provider whether your water has lead in it or better yet contact us to collect a sample to have a professional lab analysis of the quality of your water. You cannot put a price on the health of you and your loved ones and Inspection Now gives you that piece of mind.
What is dangerous lead level in water?
EPA has set the maximum contaminant level goal for lead in drinking water at zero because lead is a toxic metal that can be harmful to human health even at low exposure levels. Lead is persistent, and it can bio-accumulate in the body over time.
Is it OK to shower in lead water?
Although we do not condone any contact with lead contaminated water, bathing and showering should be safe for you and your children, even if the water contains lead over EPA’s action level. Human skin does not absorb lead in water. This information applies to most situations and to a large majority of the population, but individual circumstances may vary.
Does boiling water remove lead?
Heating or boiling your water will not remove lead. Because some of the water evaporates during the boiling process, the lead concentration of the water can actually increase slightly as the water is boiled. Avoid cooking with or drinking hot tap water because hot water dissolves lead more readily than cold water does.
What is Radon?
Radon is an odorless, tasteless gas which cannot be seen. But why do you care? Uranium in soils decays creating a radioactive gas – Radon – that is attributed to causing over 20,000 deaths per year (according to the EPA). Radon gas is noxious throughout the U.S.A.
Your home is a trap for radon gas, allowing it to build up and preventing it from dissipating into the air naturally. Radon can enter through unsealed crawl spaces, cracks in floors and foundation, and the water supply.
Is it necessary to get high radon mitigated?
Just like smoking cigarettes, it is not certain you will obtain lung cancer from high radon levels.
However, a radon level above 4.0pCi/L is proven to result in lung cancer; in fact, it is the leading cause of lung cancer in non-smokers. By not mitigating high levels, you are only exponentially increasing your chances.
Chinese Drywall Inspections, does it apply to me ? (Recommended for homes built between 2004 and 2007)
Many Florida homes and office buildings built since 2003 contain defective drywall manufactured in China. During Florida’s construction boom between 2004 and 2007, many builders imported Chinese drywall due to a shortage of U.S.-manufactured drywall. A test commissioned by the Florida Health Department and conducted by Unified Engineering, Inc. found that the Chinese drywall contained sulfur-containing gases including strontium sulfide which turns into hydrogen sulfide when exposed to heat. Another laboratory conducted air samples of homes that were built with Chinese drywall and found traces of carbon disulfide, carbonyl sulfide and dimethyl sulfide. Some Indicators of defective drywall are:
- Home may have a slight or strong, sulfur, rotten egg or even acid type smell.
- Stove top, Air conditioning coils, oven elements, and refrigerators may be failing at an unusually high rate—often within a year or less.
- Silver jewelry or flatware may be tarnishing within months or even weeks. Mirrors might turn black.
- Homeowner or family member may have experienced symptoms of severe allergies, nose bleeds, or upper respiratory problems since moving into the home.
If you suspect that you may have Chinese drywall in your home, call us for information on how we can visually inspect your home for Chinese drywall.
In a Visual Chinese Drywall Inspection we will look several items to determine if the house may be have been affected d by checking:
- Was the house built or remodeled between 2003 to present
- Rotten egg or sulfur-type smell in the home
- Corrosion on air conditioning coils, or HVAC units
- Corroded or black electrical wiring
- Corroded or black copper pipes
- Corroded or tarnished plumbing fixtures
- Look for the words; “CHINA” in red ink or “KNAUF” in black ink on the back of the Drywall
If any of these symptoms are noticeable during the course of your visual inspection, then bulk samples of the drywall will need to be sent to an accredited lab for analysis on the components and determine the levels of gases and whether they are above average.
Is Chinese drywall bad for your health?
The health effects (respiratory irritation, headaches, sinusitis, eye irritation, throat irritation, malaise/weakness and others) reported by families are consistent with known health effects from sulfur gases, and with symptoms reported by others living in homes constructed with Chinese drywall.
Is drywall dust toxic?
Over time, breathing the dust from drywall joint compounds may cause persistent throat and airway irritation, coughing, phlegm production, and breathing difficulties similar to asthma. Smokers or workers with sinus or respiratory conditions may risk even worse health problems.
When did they stop using Chinese drywall?
Chinese drywall began arriving in the United States in 2001 and was imported in larger quantities after the 2004 – 2005 hurricane repairs and continued in quantity until 2007. Chinese drywall continued to be imported and used in home construction throughout the US
Did Home Depot or Lowe’s retail stores sell Chinese drywall now causing health, corrosion and insurance concerns?
Both home improvement stores have said their companies did not buy or sell drywall manufactured in China.
