Asbestos in the Attic

Question - David H. asks; I noticed on my home inspection report that there is possible asbestos material in the attic. Why is this and can it be harmful to me and my family?

Answer - The reason there could be asbestos materials in your home is that it was widely used in the construction industry prior to the late 1970's because of its durability, fire resistance and insulating factors. The only way to find out if the material is in fact asbestos, is to have it tested by a company that specializes in this field. Removal is only necessary for remodeling or if it appears deteriorated, then this could be an option. However in most cases the presence of asbestos containing material is no cause for alarm and you can leave the materials in place. Remember it is the dust from asbestos that is potentially harmful, so if it has been disturbed or will be then proper removal and disposal need to take place to prevent the release of particles into the air.

Can you tell me about toxic mold?

Question Melinda B. asks; Can you explain the hype about toxic mold? Is it real or is it just something that's made up?

Answer - Two words, its real. True, toxic mold does not affect people equally. Some people can live in a home with mold problems and not know it, but others can become extremely sick. Toxic mold more often affects small children, the elderly and people with allergies and respiratory conditions.

There is also the potential for lawsuits, someone who purchases a home and then finds out later that the house is infested with toxic mold will look to sue somebody, weather its the previous owners, the home inspector, both agents or all the above.

So what exactly is toxic mold? It is when commonly occurring molds produce toxins are found in excessive amounts indoors and produce concentrated amounts of toxins that can be harmful to your health. If you are purchasing a home or suspect you have a mold problem, you should contact a professional extraction company specifically trained to extract visible and unseen airborne mold. If it turns out there is a mold problem, you can then contact a professional remediation service to remove the mold. It is recommended that you use separate companies for each service as there is sometimes a conflict of interest if one company is used for both sampling and removal.

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Serving: Alameda county, Amador county, Butte county, Contra Costa county, El Dorado county, Glenn county, Marin county, Napa county, Placer county, Sacramento county, San Joaquin county, Santa Clara county, San Mateo county, Solano county, Stanislaus county, Shasta county, Sutter county, Tehama county, Yolo county, Yuba county.

Partial list of cities served: Sacramento, Roseville, Folsom, Granite Bay, Elk Grove, Ranch Cordova, South Lake Tahoe, Davis, Woodland, Stockton, Lodi, Galt, Yuba City, Marysville, Vallejo, Vacaville, Fairfield, Concord, Walnut Creek, Napa, Oakland, Berkeley, Fremont, San Jose, Santa Clara, Modesto, Tracy, Pleasanton, Santa Rosa, San Rafael, San Francisco, Chico, Oroville, Red Bluff, Redding, Orland, Corning, Paradise.

Golden State Home Inspections LLC • P.O. Box 658 Folsom, CA. 95763
Member of NACHI-National Association of Certified Home Inspectors
Ca. State Contractor License #913615
Phone: 800.441.0804 • Fax: 530.676.3098

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