The Florida Department of Health has developed this brochure to address some
of the most common questions and concerns about indoor mold, how it affects
human health, and ways in which you can prevent or remove it.
What are molds?
Molds are types of fungi. They grow in the natural environment. Tiny
particles of molds are found everywhere in indoor and outdoor air. In nature,
molds help break down dead materials, and can be found growing on soil, foods,
plants and other items. Molds are also very common in buildings and homes. Mold
needs moisture to grow. Indoors, mold growth can be found where humidity levels
are high, like basements and showers. Molds produce microscopic cells called
"spores" that are spread easily through the air. Spores can also be spread by
water and insects. Live spores act like seeds, forming new mold colonies when
they find the right conditions.
The Home Inspection
Process
A home inspection is a comprehensive
visual inspection and accompanying report of conditions that exist in a
residential property at the time of inspection.
The process starts when a potential client contact the
home inspector and discusses with them their needs for a home inspection. If
based on these preliminary discussions, the client and the inspector agree to
the job, the home inspector will then complete a job order. In general, the
job order will document information such as; client’s name(s), contact
information, reason(s) for inspection, special concerns of the client,
information on the property which is to be inspected, when the inspection is
to be performed, how it will be paid for and gather some marketing
information.
This information will be used to define the scope of the
inspection and prepare the home inspection contract for the client to sign.
This contract will define what is to be covered in the home inspection,
authorizes the home inspector to enter the property (which in fact still
belongs to the seller) and is needed to extend the home inspector’s insurance
coverage to the job.
The home inspector will then arrive at the property at
the scheduled time and perform the home inspection. At M.T. BUILDINGS HOME INSPECTION LLC, the
home inspection will be performed in accord with the Internachi standards of practice, which are outlined in the signed
contract. The on-site portion of the inspection will take two to three hours.
A detailed fifteen page checklist will guide the home inspector through the
inspection and ensure that no aspect of the property is overlooked.
The data gathered at the property are then compiled into
a smooth report that is provided to the client. This report will feature a
checklist report on all items inspected. this checklist will be accompanied
by both written commentary and photos as needed to explain what is being
reported.
It should be noted that home inspections, done in
compliance with the Internachi Standards of Practice, are not a code inspection.
In general, home inspections, done in compliance with the Internachi Standards of
Practice, use the standards of the International Residential Code 2006 , should
not be considered a scope of repair work or an engineering report.