Licensed Inspector & Consultant

Q. Describe the most common types of jobs you do for your clients.

A. Since I have a Florida Home Inspector License and a Florida Mold Assessor License I am able to do more during my home inspection for my client. I am also EPA certified in air conditioning so I can really open up the air conditioning and completely check out the system including Freon levels and duct work. My clients find it very convenient that I am also a Citizens Certified Advanced Wind Mitigation Inspector. This way they do not need to call in another inspector to get the wind mitigation inspection done to get savings and credits on their homeowner's insurance. I am one of the few inspectors in Florida that can do all these inspections my self. It saves my clients money, time, and most of all aggrevation.

Q. Describe three recent jobs you've completed.

A. I recently did a mold inspection in the Green Acres or Lake Worth area of Florida. It is a suburb of Palm Beach. My client lived in a very nice but older condominium community. She kept getting sick and could smell a very musty odor while she was in her kitchen. It was pointed out that the condominium next door that was connected to her condominium unit with a common kitchen wall was full of mold. While I was in this neighboring condominium unit I saw that there was mold on every service in the unit. Floors, ceilings, walls, furniture carpeting etc. It was very bad, luckily I had on my respirator to protect myself. As it turns out the next door unit had flooded and there were gaps in the kitchen plumbing letting this moisture and mold pass through to my clients kitchen. Underneath her kitchen sink and inside cabinets was a lot of mold. I then took air samples and direct swab samples so that we could prove to an insurance adjuster that there was a problem in her condo. I took many pictures and wrote a report backing up the claims that she had issues that needed to be dealt with and paid for by the insurance company. After I wrote the protocols, or the prescription for the remediation work I was able to bring in a local remediation contractor to put together a proposal to meet those protocols to send to her insurance company for coverage. In conclusion everything was done correctly, I did clearance air testing to make sure that there was no mold missed and my client had a healthy and safe condominium to move back into. This job went smoothly because she called in a Florida Licensed Mold Assessor to help her with this situation. The mold assessor can only be loyal to the client. The mold assessor does not work for the insurance company or remediation contractor and must report to the client only. Every mold issue is manageable if done with the help of a Florida Licensed Mold Assessor.

Q. What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?

A. Florida State Law requires all Home Inspectors, Mold Assessors and Mold Remediators to have a State of Florida License through the Department of Business & Professional Regulation. It is also a Florida law that Licensed Mold Assessor can not do the mold remediation on the same project and vice versa.

Q. If you were a customer, what do you wish you knew about your trade? Any inside secrets to share?

A. Bleach does not kill mold on porous materials it only discolors it. It will grow back. Mold needs two things to grow: a food source and a moisture source. 65% humidity in the home can be enough moisture for mold to grow. If mold has moisture and a food source the only other thing needed is the feeding apparatus (Hyphae) to become a living and growing colony. A musty smell in a home usually means that all three elements are present for the establishment of a mold colony. All mold and Indoor Air Quality issues are manageable when using the right inspector and mold remediation company. Let your mold assessor stick around for the remediation as your consultant on the project. Insist that your Florida Licensed Mold Assessor do Clearance Testing when the project is done to insure that the remediation company to the job correctly. Remember the Mold Assesor's loyalty is to you his client, not the remediation company.

Q. What questions should a consumer ask to hire the right service professional?

A. Meet the Mold Assessor, ask him questions to determine his experience. Ask for references and by talking to him or her determine if they have passion for what they are doing. If they act like it is only another job they will not have that passion for your families health and well being.

Q. Why does your work stand out from others who do what you do?

A. My work stands out because I have passion for what I do and the needs of my clients. I am one of the few inspectors out there that is a Florida Licensed Home Inspector and a Florida Licensed Mold Assessor. I am also a Citizens Certified Advanced Wind Mitigation Inspector and have an EPA certification in air conditioning. I am also a trained indoor environmentalist who has experience with VOC's which are Volital Organic Compounds. These are chemicals in your home that are put off by different building materials. Some people are allergic to these compounds and living unhealthy lives in their homes. I am able to bring in equipment to test for these VOC's. I have had results come back that showed a client was having problems because of the chemical that was used to clean is carpeting. This can change someones life. We are a one stop shop at Jacob Mermin Inspections which saves my clients time, money, and aggravation.