Infrared Thermal Imaging Cameras are a neccesity for moisture detection and identifing possible
sources of mold contamination. Home inspectors, mold inspectors, mold assessors must have an infrared thermal imaging camera
to perform a complete investigation for moisture & mold in Marco Island,Naples, Bonita Springs, Estero, Fort Myers, Cape
Coral, Sanibel Island, including all of Collier and Lee Counties as well the rest of Florida.
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Radon & Mold Professionals Newsletter
November 2007
John
Cosgrove, CIE Doug Wall, CIE
newsletter,
1st of the month
business
directory, middle of the month
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Infrared Thermal Imaging Cameras |
Infrared Thermal Imaging Cameras have become such
"must have" tool in mold / moisture investigation you need to know
about them.
The cameras show temperature differences, often
you can "see" the wall studs which leads many to think of the cameras as a x-ray. This of course is not the case, the
area where the wall stud is often not the same temperature as the rest of the wall. Areas that are
"wet" are usually a different temperature than areas that are dry making "wet" areas visible with a infrared
thermal imaging camera.
Often you can not see stains or signs of moisture with your
naked eye, but the infrared thermal imaging camera can. With the high ceiling we have in Southwest Florida, it is
common to find water intrusion on ceiling you would normally never detect without an infrared camera.
An inspector can scan the interior of a home in minutes with a infrared
camera, to check the same area with a moisture meter would take hours (moisture meters check about 1 sq inch at a time).
Remember: MOLD needs food and water (moisture) to grow.
A mold inspection without an infrared thermal imaging cameras increases
the chances some moisture intrusion can be missed.
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http://www.infraredsolutions.com/html/applications/moistureDetectionF.shtml
"Infrared inspection is a fast, non-invasive method to discover moisture intrusion within the building envelope.
Infrared inspection does not directly detect the presence of mold, rather it may be used to find moisture where mold
may develop. The limitations to obtaining accurate infrared images pertain to the ability of the surface being scanned
to emit heat energy. Gypsum (dry wall) in interior walls emits quite well, whereas highly reflective surfaces do not. Since
the temperature difference between the wet and the dry wall are very slight, a sensitive infrared camera must be used." |
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Infrared Thermal Imaging Cameras have become a invaluable tool for home inspection, mold inspection, moisture detection,
energy audits, law enforcement investigations and much more.
Infrared images http://www.nationalinfrared.com/image_browser3.php |
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"Center Phase of 3 phase electrical connection showing a 50+ degree
temperature rise. Possible loose or dirty connection."
"Suspect Marijuana grow facility detection with color IR imaging"
"Hot water pipe flow detection underneath tile floor" |
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Ceiling Moisture |
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"This image clearly shows an area of moisture infiltration in a high ceiling of a residential
structure. This classic pooling effect is usually indicative of moisture rather than improper insulation. Moisture damage
like this can lead to mold conditions if not properly fixed." http://www.predictive-maintenance.com/energy.html |
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Home Inspectors often don't include moisture intrusion within the scope of their
work (job).
Clients should read their inspection agreement.
Home Inspectors have many other tools for checking electrical problems etc., therefore don't feel
the need for a expensive infrared camera.
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Infrared thermal imaging cameras are expensive, the common Flir B series camera have a starting price
of about $6,000 and go up. Flir's newest camera the B360 is just under $18,000. (pictured
on right)
New! "The new ThermaCAM® B360 is the most affordable feature
rich infrared camera available! The B360 now has FLIR FUSION! FLIR's new FUSION functionality allows for easier
identification and interpretation of infrared images. This advanced technology enhanced the value of an infrared image
by allowing you to overlay it directly over the corresponding visible image. The functionality combines the benefits
of both the infrared image adn visual picture at the push of a button
"If a Home Inspector provides mold inspections, they should
have an infrared thermal imaging camera."
Russel .. Home Buyers Inspection
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Moisture Detection:
Many new cameras insert the infrared image inside the digital photo for easy identification of the
area of concern. Flir cameras call it a fusion photo, Fluke cameras call picture in a picture.
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"The image to the right is what the infrared camera saw. You can see that the water
had gone into the wall over the window."
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The three images above are the same area.
First image just infrared, second is fusion picture of same area, third is digital photo of area. All
areas identified as suspected moisture with infrared should verified with a moisture meter.
Doug Wall
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"Moisture intrusion and potential mold in
walls and ceilings. IR thermal imaging is much faster,
noninvasive, and provides evidentiary-quality, intuitively understandable data having a much higher degree of accuracy and
reliability than other moisture detection technologies used to trace the source and scope of water damage, and thus potential
mold in buildings. Once the IR camera identifies areas with thermal differences, a moisture meter can be used to confirm that
they represent moisture." http://www.adairinspection.com/InfraredThermography
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Short Movie about Infrared Thermal Imaging Cameras (for inspections) |
 Flir B Cam (just click on link below)
Realtors need to understand that a mold inspection
done without Infrared imaging is not a complete inspection. |
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Just Some
of over 60 "wet spots" found by 1 inspector during the month of October. There about 10 inspectors in Collier
and Lee Counties with infrared cameras.
"wet area on high ceiling"
"wet area behind stool"
"wet wall"
"wet wall"
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Business Directory at Bottom of Page |
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New Florida Mold Law |
One very important aspect of the new law the consumer should understand is that Mold Inspectors
and Home Inspectors are two different professions, with separate licenses and regulations.
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When You have MOLD. What are the benefits of a preliminary mold assessment? |
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Certified Indoor Environmentalist - third party assessment: Inspector should not perform any type of remediation so there is no conflict of interest. Our goal
is to provide accurate information without bias so that educated decisions can be made.
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Defined "Scope of Work": Defines the boundaries of the affected area(s) needing remediation. Additionally, knowing
if the airborne levels are in a range of thousands, or hundreds of thousands may affect decisions regarding the timeliness
of remediation, and the continued occupancy of the home.
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Documentation: Many insurance adjusters will not authorize or undertake mold remediation if the presence
of mold growth is not scientifically demonstrated. We identify the presence or absence of mold growth with AIHA EMLAP accredited
laboratory analysis. Elevated moisture presence is identified through non-intrusive visual inspection with the use of infrared
thermal imaging and other moisture detection equipment.
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Recommendations for corrections: Know the extent of cleaning and what specific items/materials can be saved
and how, plus what items/materials should be disposed based on nationally accepted industry standards.
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Receive accurate remediation proposals: Saves homeowners and insurance companies money.
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Achievement of "Clearance" is a significantly higher
percentage: Providing useful information to remediation
companies equals a successful project and allowsoccupants to return home quicker since additional cleaning after post remediation
inspection and testing is reduced or eliminated.
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Assessment cost is covered by most insurance companies:
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Cross contamination? Many times when remediation is performed without a preliminary assessment and a containment
is used; the post remediation air quality will pass inside the containment but will fail outside the containment. Knowing
the extent of airborne microbial amplification before remediation begins eliminates questions of whether cross contamination
occurred.
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Realtors (protect yourself and your client)
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| Recommend only Mold Inspectors that:
- Carry at least $1million of general liability and mold Errors & Omissions insurance.
- Use Infrared Thermal Imaging Cameras in their inspections.
- Provide recommendations for corrections based on nationlly accepted industry standards.
- Are certified for mold inspections by the American Indoor Air Quality Council or
are certified Industrial Hygienists.
AmIAQC
The Only Independently-Accredited Certifications in the IAQ Industry!
Accredited by the Council of Engineering and Scientific Specialty Boards
The recognized accreditation body for
engineering and scientific certification and specialty certification programs.
Only certifications for mold that require experience. |
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Did you know only smoking
causes more lung cancer deaths than radon?
Elevated Radon levels can be found in new homes or old homes, condos even high rises on the
15th floor or above. "The only way to know is to test".
"1 out of 4 homes tested in Collier and Lee had elevated Radon levels" FL DOH
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Mold Clearance
Post Remediation Testing |
Clearance Inspection / Testing should be performed by an independent company that has $1million Liability and
Mold Errors & Omissions Insurance.
New Florida law will require this for inspectors. Why
would a consumer not want their inspector to have
mold errors & omission insurance now.
Ch. 2007-235 LAWS OF FLORIDA Ch. 2007-235
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468.8421 Insurance.-
(1) A mold assessor shall maintain general liability and errors and omissions
insurance
coverage in an amount of not less than $1,000,000.
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Mold Inspections / Protect your client |
What consumers should require of their mold inspector until the New Florida
Mold Law becomes effective:
Note: The new law was signed by Govenor
Crist in June. Many sources believe if litigation occurs, inspectors are required to meet certain aspects of the
law even though the Florida DBPR is not enforcing the law yet.
You may want to consult legal advice concerning this matter.
Example:
http://www.news-press.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070705/COLUMNISTS16/707050328/1014/BUSINESS
Mold bill became law July 1 By Joe Adams Originally
published on July 05, 2007 "The law requires mold assessors and remediators to maintain general liability, and errors and omissions insurance
coverage in an amount of not less than one million dollars."
"The law also requires that all contracts for mold assessment
or remediation services to be in writing (which includes electronic versions) and the contracts must be signed, or otherwise
authenticated by the parties, in order to be valid."
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Radon causes Lung Cancer |
http://www.epa.gov/radon/ "We know that radon is a carcinogen. This research confirms that breathing low levels
of radon can lead to lung cancer."
The U.S. Surgeon General, Richard Carmona, Issues National Health Advisory on RadonThe Surgeon General of the United States issued a Health Advisory in
2005 warning Americans about the health risk from exposure to radon in indoor air. The Nation's Chief Physician urged
Americans to test their homes to find out how much radon they might be breathing. Dr. Carmona also stressed the need
to remedy the problem as soon as possible when the radon level is 4 pCi/L or more. Dr. Carmona noted that more than
20,000 Americans die of radon-related lung cancer each year. |
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Business Directory |
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Termite Tracker |
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Carrie Finegan
Inspector / Consultant
Phone: (239) 947-2025
Fax: (239) 947-2297
27810 Pension Place
Bonita Springs, FL 34135 |
WallRadon Testing, Inc Radon & Mold Professionals
FL DOH certified Radon Business, RB1938
FL DOH certified Radon Technicians, R1751, R1867, R1778
AmIAQC certifed Indoor Environmentalists
AmIAQC certified Residential Mold Inspectors
John Cosgrove, CIE, CRMI &
Doug Wall, CIE, CRMI
Office: (239) 498-4619 toll free: (800) 881-3837
In seven years we have performed over 13,000
radon tests and over 5,100 mold inspections with thousands of mold tests.
Best Service / Best Report / Best Test
Our insurance coverage has always exceeded the requirements of the new Florida law requirement
of $1 million E&O. |
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How we list Mold Cleanup Companies
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We list mold cleanup companies that hire independent 3rd party AmIAQC certified inspectors or a certified Industrial Hygienist for preliminary inspections
and post remediation inspections and testing.
(minimum certifications)
American Indoor Air Quality Council
"Certified Indoor Environmentalist"
"Certified Mold Investigator"
New Florida Law requires independent 3rd party mold assessors.
http://www.naplesmoldinspection.com/id12.html
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468.84 Legislative purpose.-
The Legislature finds it necessary in the
interest of the public safety and welfare, to prevent damage to the 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.
468.8419
Prohibitions; penalties.-
(1)
A mold assessor, a company that employs a mold assessor, or a company that
is controlled by a company that also has a financial interest in a company
employing a mold assessor may not:
(d)
Perform or offer to perform any mold remediation to a structure on
which
the mold assessor or the mold assessor's company provided a mold assessment
within the last 12 months.
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We try not to list remediation companies that perform their own inspections or use inspectors with "2 day
wonder" certifications. We try to list remediation companies that hire inspectors that carry the $1 million mold E&O
insurance required by new Florida Law. |
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Mold Cleanup |
H2O 911 Restoration
Storm / Fire / Water / Mold
www.H2O911.com
Contact:
Brian Bland
office: ..
(239) 567-0001 (Lee)
(239) 992-0061 (Collier)
toll free: (866) 760-6653
fax:
... (239) 337-9357
cell:
.... (239) 707-7931
email:
brian@H2O911.com
Infrared Thermal Imaging Cameras Mold remediation with
clearence certification |
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Mold Cleanup |
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(239) 542-1000
(941) 624-3100
Collier Sarasota
(239) 434-8555
(800) 226-4060
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Mold Cleanup |
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AmIAQC
Certified Indoor Environmentalists (CIE)
within 100 miles
of Naples, FL
John Cosgrove, Radon & Mold Professionals, CIE/CRMI, 239-498-4619
Douglas Wall, Radon &
Mold Professionals, CIE/CRMI, 239-498-4619
Sean Dyer, Clean Air Inspections,
Estero, CIE
J.D. Thompson, CoolZone, Naples, CIE
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Certified Industrial Hygienists (CIH) that work in the Naples / Ft Myers Area
Paul L. Osley, Chastain Skillman,
Tampa
Rene' R. Salazar, Salazar Consulting Group,
Inc.
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ECOTECH
( MOLD East Coast Florida) |
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http://www.moldtestingflorida.com
Certified
Indoor Environmentalists Mold Inspections & Testing Thermal Imaging Complete Air / water Quality
testing
Toll Free 800 801 1727
(561) 249-4204 * (305) 677-0078 *(407) 459-4822 *(954) 931-6212
"Many Mold inspection companies only perform "Mold Testing". Mold testing
should not be confused with a Mold Inspection. Mold testing refers to collecting air or surface samples which are
analyzed by a laboratory, this procedure will only determine the mold spore count and spore identification. This process
will not help determine what caused the problem, the source or the solution to it; but is very helpful when performed in conjunction
with a full inspection." |
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State wide (service area)
Radon Mitigation Services ( RMS) |
Florida Dept. of Health Certified
Radon Mitigation Business
Phone: (386) 804-2678
Toll free: (800) 344-3746
Website: www.radonfix.com
Gene Yacobacci,
FL DOH certified Radon Mitigation Specialist. |
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Associated Radon Services
(East coast of Florida) |
http://radonserv.com (great website)
Contact us! Associated Radon Services info@radonserv.com (772) 219-4334 --- FAX (772) 287-1341
Associated Radon Services has provided independent
unbiased evaluation and analysis of radon problems in Florida since 1990. We specialize in radon testing and radon entry analysis
in homes, condos, apartments, schools and complex commercial buildings. Our experienced certified Radon Measurement Specialists
and Radon Mitigation Specialist stand ready to undertake any radon risk control assignment. |
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Florida -Mid-State (Radon Testing) |
Providing
Quality Measurements since 1989
Providing radon gas measurements for .... multi-family, single family residential
homes, schools , ACLF, Nursing homes, day care centers, commercial facilities.
Pauline Mannino President 1-888-621-8622 US EPA / NEHA Certified FL State Certified
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Air Conditioning Service (HVAC)
Naples / Ft Myers / Collier & Lee Counties
Lemacks Htg & AC Inc.
1770 Sanctuary Rd, Naples, FL 34120
Serving Lee & Collier Counties
Sales - Service - Installation
Residential & Commercial
Ray Lemacks, owner
Cell:
(239) 370-8838
New & Existing Const.
Office: (239) 348-1734 CAC
1813576 |
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Portrait Photography for Realtors |
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David Michael Di Martino
Estero, Florida
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Indoor Air Quality Management |
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SERVING THE ENTIRE COUNTRY
The experts at IAQM can
assist you with all of your indoor air quality issues.
Call us toll-free:1.888.385.IAQM / 1.888.385.4276 |
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Florida Inspector / Mold Law |
Highlights of New Mold / Inspector Law
Mold Inspector License Requirements:
(Assessor)
- Extensive
Approved Training
- Pass
a state exam
- 4 Years
Experience
- $1,000,000
Liability, E&O Insurance
- Continuing
Education classes
(1 year of experience with specific
College degrees)
Home
Inspector
License Requirements:
- 120 hours
of approved training
- NO
EXPERIENCE
- Pass a state
exam
- $300,000
Liability insurance
- No E&O Insurance required
- Continuing
Education classes
Companies
providing Mold Inspection Services
or Home Inspection Services must be certified by the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation thru
licensed employee.
Note:
Minimum
time to become a licensed Mold Inspector: 3 to 4 Years
Minimum
time to become a licensed Home Inspector: 3 to 4 weeks
Law and more info:
http://www.naplesmoldinspection.com/id12.html |
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Disclaimer
In no event
shall WallRadon Testing, Inc. be liable for any special, indirect or consequential damages or any damages whatsoever resulting
from loss of any kind including profits, in any action arising out of or in connection with the use or performance of information
available from this newsletter. All advertisers or links in this email are for general information purposes only. It is the
sole responsibility of any person viewing these pages to verify by outside means the accuracy of the information prior to
taking any action based on the content of this email and any site connected to it via a hyperlink and you should consult your
personal realtor, attorney, accountant or respective professional before acting upon information contained herein. | | | |
Home inspectors, mold inspectors, mold assessors of Collier and Lee Counties as well
the rest of Florida must have an infrared thermal imaging camera to provide a complete investigation for moisture & mold
in Marco Island,Naples, Bonita Springs, Estero, Fort Myers, Cape Coral, Sanibel Island. Infrared Thermal Imaging Cameras have
been proven time after time a neccesity for moisture detection and identifing possible sources of mold contamination.
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