Healthy Indoors Magazine - USA Edition

26 | July 2020 6. What do your fees include and ex- clude? (Some inspectors charge extra, for example, if they use certain pieces of their equipment.) 7. How do you gather samples, what kinds of samples do you gather, and from what areas? 8. Once I get the results of your testing, will you explain the relevance of the findings? Air sampling for particles can indicate what building occupants are being ex- posed to (such as mold spores) but don't necessarily identify where the sources of the particles are located. Identifying the problem is a vital first step to figuring out the solution. Sometimes the "fix" is relatively in- expensive, such as removing moldy carpeting or tightening a connec- tion on a gas pipe to stop a leak. But sometimes the "fix" is expen- sive, such as demolishing a finished basement. Either way, if you have identified the problem correctly in the first place, you will know that your money was well spent in the protection of your health and the health of others who live in your home. apartment through a space around the pipe. Sometimes hiring an indoor air quality (IAQ) inspector can help you identify po- tential sources of IAQ problems. But you must be sure the person is experienced and knowledgeable, not only about indoor air quality but also about building science. How do you know you are hiring an IAQ inspector who is experienced and qualified? First, make sure that the person doesn't have any relationships that could be conflicts of interest. Such relationships could include having partnerships with re- mediation companies or selling indoor air quality equipment such as dehumidifiers or air purifiers. Here are some questions you could ask when you are considering hiring an IAQ in- spector: 1. How long have you been doing this kind of work? 2. What is your training? 3. What certifications do you hold and from what organizations? 4. Are you a member of a professional IAQ organization, such as the Indoor Air Quality Association (IAQA— www.iaqa.org)? 5. Do you know anything about building systems, such as heating and cooling equipment (common sources of IAQ problems)? ities. They spent more than $100,000 de- molishing all the finished walls to open up wall cavities. There was some minor mold growth on the sheathing around the win- dows, but not because the windows were leaking. They send me some photographs of the opened-up wall cavities as well as the exterior of the windows. I could see that the window-cap flashings at the exterior were bent toward rather than away from the siding, so rainwater was flowing to the ends of the flashing and behind the trim and siding, resulting in some minor decay and mold growth. If they'd known about the flashings, they could have just opened the wall cavities around the windows to check for mold growth and decay. And if they hadn't known to correct the slope of the flashings, moisture would have continued to flow by capillary action behind the trim and siding where the incorrectly sloped flash- ings were located. Water flowed to the end of the miter joint and rotted the trim and framing. May Indoor Air Investigations, LLC In a third situation, a woman moved out of her new apartment after being there for only a week be- cause she felt nauseated when she was there. Representatives from the gas company and fire department found no problem, but they never went into the basement below her apartment. It ended up that a gas pipe serving her cook stove had a loose fitting, and a large amount of gas was flowing out and up into her Jeffrey C. May Founder and Principal Scientist of May Indoor Air Investigations LLC in Tyngsborough, MA (www.mayindoorair.com), Jeffrey C. May com- bines his education as an organic chemist and his over twenty-five years of experience investigating building problems to specialize in indoor air quality (IAQ). He is a former Adjunct Faculty Member in the Depart- ment of Work Environment at University of Massachusetts Lowell, and is author or co-author of four books on indoor air quality (published by The Johns Hopkins University Press), including My House is Killing Me: The Home Guide for Families with Allergies and Asthma. Jeff is a nationally recognized speaker at annual con ferences for the IAQ Association and the Maine IAQ Council, among others. He is a Council-Certified Microbial Consultant (ACAC) and a Certified IAQ Professional (AEE), and is licensed in the NH and FL as a mold inspector/assessor. Jeff holds a B.A. from Columbia College (chemistry) and an M.A. from Harvard University (organic chemistry). See http://www.mayindoorair.com for details about Jeff 's company's services, and www.myhouseiskillingme.com for more information about Jeff 's publications and work. You can contact Jeff at jeff@mayindoorair.com or call 978-649-1055. May's Ways Continued from previous page

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