Background
NES was asked by a Brewster homeowner to undertake a mold/moisture inspection to include the collection of fan-disturbed air samples to document current conditions in the lower level of his home subsequent to concerns raised during a pre-purchase home inspection.
Reportedly, the prospective buyer made an offer to purchase contingent upon a favorable Mold Inspection. The inspection company hired by the prospective buyer determined that the home’s unfinished basement needed mold remediation and steered the seller to a preferred remediation contractor who submitted a cleanup quote approaching $7,000.
Seeking a second opinion, the homeowner hired NES.
Investigation
NES did not observe any visible mold growth; nor did we detect any musty odors during our tour of the home. To “put some science” on the mold question, NES collected two fan-disturbed air samples and shipped them to a properly accredited mold lab for analysis.
Lab Results
We compared the lab results against NES’s health-based clearance guideline of 1,000 Pen/Asp (“moisture indicator”) spores per cubic meter of air (S/m3). Both air samples recorded a Pen/Asp spore concentration (430 S/m3) well below NES’s health-based clearance guideline. Based on our observations and the lab data, we concluded no mold cleanup was needed.
Conclusion
The seller shared the NES investigative report with the prospective buyer who then called NES for more details. Long story short, after speaking with NES, the prospective buyer proceeded with the home purchase; no expensive remediation was needed.
