IAC2 Mold Inspector cheat sheet

A mold inspection is a non-invasive, visual assessment of readily accessible areas; it does not include dismantling building components, opening wall cavities, or moving stored contents unless separately agreed in writing.

The inspection report must identify the moisture source or suspected cause when visible, describe the affected materials and approximate extent, and state the inspection method and any limitations encountered.

Sampling is not mandatory in every inspection; the inspector documents the rationale for collecting or not collecting samples, and client expectations about sampling are established before the site visit.

A moisture investigation precedes mold conclusions: use a pin or pinless moisture meter, a thermo-hygrometer for ambient temperature and relative humidity, and where conditions warrant, infrared imaging to locate thermal anomalies.

An inspection report distinguishes observed mold growth from conditions conducive to growth (elevated humidity, prior water intrusion, condensation on cold surfaces, unvented exhaust) rather than treating both identically.

Remediation guidance is limited to scope-level direction: contain the work area, correct the moisture source, remove or clean affected materials per industry guidance, and verify with post-remediation assessment.

Clearance or post-remediation verification must be performed after the work area is dry and cleaned; the inspector documents visual condition and, when sampling, the sampling plan and results interpretation.

Confidentiality and scope: the report is prepared for the named client only, states the date and time of inspection, and notes that conditions can change with weather, occupancy, and seasonal humidity.

Air sampling options: non-viable (spore trap) cassettes enumerate spores by morphology but do not culture; viable sampling (impaction or swab onto culture media) tests whether organisms grow but misses non-culturable species and slow growers.

Spore trap results are reported as spores per cubic meter (spores/m3); counts per trace are converted using the cassette's calibrated flow rate and sampling duration, so accurate field notes of flow and time are mandatory.

A defensible sampling plan pairs indoor samples with at least one outdoor control collected on the same day; outdoor results establish the background assemblage and concentration against which indoor data are compared.

Interpretation is comparative and pattern-based: elevated indoor concentrations relative to outdoor, or indoor presence of species absent outdoors (for example Stachybotrys or Chaetomium), carries more weight than any single number.

Surface sampling methods: tape lift for direct microscopic identification of growth on a surface, swab for viable culture or direct exam, and bulk sampling when a material must be identified; each answers a different question.

Moisture and humidity measurements (percent moisture content of materials, relative humidity, temperature, dew point) support sampling interpretation by documenting whether conditions support growth at the time of the visit.

Chain of custody and labeling: each sample gets a unique identifier, location, method, date, time, flow rate or area, and collector name; samples are shipped to the laboratory promptly per the lab's instructions.

Laboratory accreditation and reporting limits matter: confirm the lab's accreditation scope for the analysis requested, and state detection limits and any analytical limitations in the report rather than presenting counts as absolute.