UPDATED April 2004

2004 TRAVEL SCHEDULE
Please call in and sign up for seeing us in our upcoming trips to projects including [a home we designed in  Sedona], Dallas, the southwest,  and the west coast in 2004. We have already been to San Francisco, Boston, Buffalo, New York and numerous other locations to do major projects. We will be building in Vermont and Amherst Mass this year, besides working in Monmouth beach N.J., Wooster, Mass, Scarsdale, NY,  Greenwhich Ct. Walpole N.H. and other locations.
We are able to cut costs for multiple inspections that are done in any given area, so get together with a friend and we can set up a time in our schedule! We also will speak to groups about houses and toxics if you have a support group or several interested parties.

Just a note here on the problems we are facing with sub standard housing due to improper design and construction methods, improper use of materials and problems created by neglecting environmental and site conditions. You know, so much has changed in the world of materials and design over the last 40  years, that most designers and builders are out touch with the issues that affect how design and material use can affect our health and investment. This is true going back into the 50's  when building because a big investors sport, and methods that were developed in those days because the acceptable standard for years to come. Many of those standards are now becoming known to be terrible in terms of their affect on human health. But the legacy continues, all over the world. The eastern slopes of the Rockies from north to south in Colorado, condo developments in resort areas and metropolitan areas all over the country, even single home design and construction is full of poor design and material misuse that will cause, and is causing health problems and premature decay.
Now a days, there are so many problems within each area of the building trades, it is virtually impossible to create a healthy building unless each area is analyzed completely for risk assessment by experienced professionals.
Even manufacturers recommended methods can not be trusted, and many of the materials and methods are here today and gone tomorrow! The list of potential problem areas is endless, so much so that even those who have extensive experience in many areas, are left in total ignorance in other key areas. Be very careful to set project perimeters before you hire personnel, and make sure those who will be addressing and taking responsibility for those primary concerns, are experienced and have the knowledge to deal with each item completely.
 

1. INTRODUCTION

We have just returned from a trip across country, visiting numerous different sites and types of buildings, from Vermont to Colorado, California and back. In all areas, we were inspecting homes for signs of toxics and conditions that make the owners ill. What we see on these trips is quite astounding. Because of the change in materials, equipment  and methods over the years,  we as a society have outgrown the old standards for building properly and safely. Health standards never entered into the builders or designers concerns, but now, because of all the problems, this is a dominant factor. Yet there are no real  universal standards for healthy homes, or for determining what is an unhealthy one. Another words, you are on your own if you want to find or build a healthy home, and the standards you set will be according to your experience only.
There are as many opinions on the subject as there are people. Everyone, influenced by their own experience and knowledge, has a view of what they consider to be healthy or not healthy. Therefore there is conflicting information on almost everything! Also, perspective dictates terminology. The sealed combustion gas furnaces we hear are totally safe is the biggest crock to come along since DDT! Non toxic paint is toxic at least 50% of the time! Formaldehyde free carpets are safe- please!
This is all marketing. All these areas must be explained and qualified, or the information is incomplete.  Incomplete information is false. [ sealed gas furnaces leak gas outside the combustion chamber! safe paints many times go off in the can before you buy it! carpets are made of scores of toxic chemicals, not just, and much worse than formaldehyde! ]

This is all perspective and qualification.

We realize there are many questions in this area and want to help illuminate issues by answering some below. Our biggest concern is that you;

1. identify your own goals and perspective so you can achieve those goals;

2.and learn to qualify all information you receive so you know what you are hearing is accurate.
 

2. QUESTIONS, ANSWERS AND NOTES ON INSPECTIONS
 

To inspect or not to inspect- that is the question.

And for many people, spending a large sum of money on a property of home analysis seems an extra burden they  would rather avoid.
Sure that added expense seems like too much for many people to consider, but the consequences of not having a proper  inspection can be devastating.

Why have an inspection?

Most people do not have the faintest idea about the condition of a building, including the quality of construction methods, equipment and materials, site and construction issues that affect the overall long term investment, and current maintenance and repair issues or costs. That alone may determine whether or not the investment is a wise one or a huge hole in the ground for us to pour our  hard earned cash!

When it comes to health, there are less than a handful of truly qualified people in the world who can accurately analyze all the site and building issues that will have an impact on our health. From all the inspections we do a year [which probably total close to 100 each year], we figure that 95% of all housing is sub standard for health. Another words, most homes have situations, equipment, or materials that have been improperly used or installed, and cause at least moderate health problems, if not more significant reactions. Certainly for chemically sensitive this is true, in fact we can safely say that over 99% of all housing is a health risk for chemically sensitive people.

In regards to one of the most important investments you will ever make, a qualified inspection only makes good financial sense. In regards to health, it is simply imperative that you know what all the health risks are, and what you future health situation will be, relative to that environment where you spend the majority of the hours of your day..

Who's qualified?

There is a lot of bad press out there about home inspectors. And rightly so. Most home inspectors are not qualified to inspect homes properly- simply from a structural standpoint, even if they are licensed by the state!! In deal after real estate deal, we find huge holes in reports, in terms of the identification of structural, mechanical  and other costly "damages" that the new home owner was totally unaware of.
"Qualification" is not determined by a piece of paper hanging on the wall, or a system that approves persons according to a certain testing method. Qualifications are determined more by experience, skills and determination, another words a commitment according to a persons personal situation and goals.  As with any other business relationship, it is best to talk around, and set up a list of all the goals you want to achieve by doing this inspection. If  you do not set the criteria, you will probably end up with some one who will give you 60% or so of the important concerns. [ 60% means that you will not have any idea of what you are getting into- this is simply not enough to make a sound financial commitment with].  Once you have talked around and set up your standards, you start to know the questions you  can ask any inspector that give an indication that they know what they are talking about. We must determine who is qualified through the questions we ask our inspector. We must have some evidence or proof  that in fact qualifies a person to do the type of inspection we want.

Where do I start?

We need to list the items that are important for us to know. Take your time and give this some serious thought. In many instances it is easy to come up with general items. W usually have friends or personal experiences of our own that give us some idea of what we want or don't want- even if those experiences were bad!!! Linking up with inspectors is also a good way to start. Play dumb. Ask a lot of questions- even if you know the answers!!! This will clarify their ability to be honest, thorough or complete.
Make your lists, set up your criteria, call inspectors, find out how extensive their inspections can be, talk to friends, don't rush, and listen to your heart!
Remember, you must take responsibility for the outcome of this endeavor. Having just any one come in, doesn't mean you will be protected with a good inspection.

What questions should I ask?

Basically, a persons back ground is critical to know about. If this inspector took a course to get certification, and has never worked in the field as a builder or trades person, there is probably a severe limitation to their skills. Remember that their area of experience is where their strength will probably lie. If they have no past experience in an area, do not depend on theoretical knowledge to get you accurate information!!

If  you have specific health problems, use someone who has experience with those specific health problems.
For example, if you are concerned about health issues, or have chemical sensitivities, and want to avoid problems of that nature, use some one who IS chemically sensitive! You already know that people who don't have these sensitivities don't have the faintest idea what you are talking about, relative to these issues. Why even consider them?

Does it matter what type of house we are interested in?

Certainly! Different types of designs and constructions, all have varying methods and materials. Then add on the variability's that different climates and site issues introduce, and these all affect the methods, materials and problems you may be facing. Unfortunately today, travel and resources have made it possible for people in any climate to build any type of design, using varied materials and methods. This is a delicate area and it may not be the correct thing to do in crossing designs, materials and methods into different climates. In fact, this usually creates both structural and health problems within a very short period of time. Sure the house is built and it may look great! But this does not mean it is done well, or that it will be a good long term investment, or that it will be a healthy place to live. All these items affect the long term quality and healthiness of a building. In fact, even going by the book these days can and does create serious health problems. Standard acceptable building practices today, even certain code requirements may have not one tiny bit to do with creating a healthy home. They in many cases, set the stage for extremely unhealthy buildings.

We have scads of examples in this area, and as you read through the pages and pages of information on this site you will see time after time people selling items, equipment, materials and so on, all not disclosing the full facts or the truth about them. The fact is- they simply do not know the truth, nor do they really want to  know! Especially about issues that affect health. It is a non subject to most people- UNTIL they have health problems or until they think it will make them money!!!!

We have kind of gotten off the subject of the initial question, but this is the essence of the whole subject. Designers, architects, builders, sub contractors, inspectors- have very little if any idea, about all the issues that make a building healthy or not. Yes they may have key words to pass around in conversation, and due to all our efforts of publishing this type of information that we have on sites like this-and from their own experiences, people have picked up a certain amount of knowledge in certain areas. But I can assure you, limited knowledge only. And limited knowledge is dangerous.

This is why there are so many problems, and why it is so difficult to get a truly healthy home, or even proper information that defines what that may be!
People in general do not know how serious this area is, how detailed it is, or what all the affecting issues can be. The health issues we are facing today are huge!!! The problems have gotten very serious while we have not paid attention. These are no longer small selective or individual concerns that only affect a small "nutsy" group of unfortunates. Everyone is at serious risk!! The stakes are huge. The contributors and almost endless and are definitely relative to the number of materials we have in our living environments, whether we know about them or not!!! This is a very serious concern facing everyone. Yet we as a society have not begun to be concerned about them at the level we need to be concerned with.

All the regular "acceptable" standard items, from design to building methods, materials from the foundation to paints, plus environmental materials like air and water, equipment for building and maintenance, and acceptable site conditions- are all inappropriate for setting any standard that may help create a healthy home or building. That is why 99% of all homes and buildings, especially public buildings,schools and offices, are totally toxic!!! It is beyond the regular consciousness!

Clearly, our society is unprepared for identifying and dealing with these problems. Licensed inspectors, builders, architects are barely qualified to the job according to regular standards, never mind go the distance to protect their clients from sub odor level toxics!!!

This is why we read the papers and see articles and stories that go on and on about trying to identify toxics that are making people sick!!! Though no laughing matter, the situation is truly unbelievable. These health issues are all documented in individual case histories of the the allergic, sensitive and chemically sensitive.  The identification and remediation of all these problems is so EASY!!!!! [IF and only if you have experience in this area]. Other wise it is a huge puzzle that takes tons of $$$$ to TRY and find out about through people who have certificates on the wall but no experience with!!

AIR QUALITY people???  are they any good?

I work with leaders in this field all over the world who don't have the faintest idea about the exact connection between the products and the chemicals used in them. This means there is only speculation as to what chemicals are present to begin with, so the specific toxics they are testing for are just their guess!!  Big corporations and municipal organizations love these institutionally trained and certified guys!!! They have walls full of degrees and certifications!! But in standard training systems, there is no structure or methodology to educate these people about the link of  the scores of  toxics in many materials, and the level of chemical or exposure that make these toxic to people. So the understanding of  modern chemicals and their toxicity is mostly out of their grasp. They charge a lot of money and will look for standard contaminants that they have heard may be a problem, but usually can not identify any of the scores of other toxics that are equally or more toxic, or associate the health problem [symptomology] with the toxic!. The end result is you get very  incomplete information. Therefore, any clean up work is also not complete and many problems continue to persist.
Again the issue is perspective and consciousness. We have an infinite number of toxic chemicals on the market and in our products that we do not consider to be dangerous.We have no idea of what to look for, since we consider so many chemicals to be safe, and the level of toxic we consider to be a risk is way too high.
The truth is, we have no perspective of what is a serious risk. These chemicals are seriously dangerous and they are affecting peoples health and killing them all over the world, at levels well below what we consider dangerous..

This is not to say that all air quality people are dead heads, because they are not! These are highly trained specialists who have a specific format they are efficient and very knowledgeable about. Their skills can play a very important part in scientifically proving the presence of specific toxics in an environment. The point is, to find out  if  the IAQ people can identify the sources, levels and types of ALL the toxics to begin with.  Not just some of them. Have them answer that question before you go head long into a very expensive method for trying to identify toxics. In order to do exact testing of quantities, they MUST know what to look for and to test for to begin with! If they are not experienced with chemical sensitivities [another words having it], and they can not identify the all exact types of toxics and the material risks, they will not be able to identify all the problem items- pure and simple. There is a specific process to follow to be successful, and to do the work properly. First have some one identify all the risk items and types of contamination to begin with, then have indoor air quality testing reveal the exactness of those findings by determining the levels that are present.

In situations where law suits are involved, or when big municipalities are involved where bureaucratic tape or remediation programs need approval and funding, almost always we must rely on IAQ people to show the toxics are scientifically correct.
But this is part of a team effort. They must have some one identify the risk toxics to begin with, or the results will stay the same as what you usually see in the papers in these sick building case histories. Astronomical costs for test after test and remedial efforts that don't solve the problem.

I was at a conference with a well know IAQ specialist, and then spending some leisure time with them- when the conversation come up regarding the identification of toxics in their ongoing project work, where they were hired to identify toxics in sick public buildings. One of them looked straight into my eyes and said to me " there is no way we can identify the chemicals-toxics that are present. We would have to run thousands of tests to determine what they are. No body knows what types of chemicals and biological contaminants are in these materials!"

I was astounded!!! I always thought these guys at least knew where to start with this issue!
Of course you can identify what toxics are in site situations and materials!!!! But you have to know where to start.
This is something I have spend years putting together data on. It is an area that is totally unknown by most specialists, but there is a formula to training yourself in the area.

1. first, [ believe this or not- I know you will think I am insane, but what I am about to say is the most imperative part of this puzzle!] you must have chemical sensitivity. And at an extreme level- a universal reactor. If you don't, there is no way you can speculate about what is a toxic and what isn't. Unless you can physically react to all the items that are a problem- there is no way  in this Gods earth you will believe what is happening to you, or what you are reacting to. It will take you years, even though you have to live with this horrible problem day and night, to understand and believe what is happening to you and what your body is telling you. This experience is well beyond speculation.
But once you stop doubting your body, and start paying attention to it,  it will blow your mind the things it is telling you! This is the window to the truth of the world of toxics, especially sub odor level toxics that are impossible to identify unless you react to them!!

2.second, you have got to have regular and almost constant experience with different materials, equipment, environmental and site issues that are related to health problems. Without this, there is no capability to visually identify potential problem scenarios or risks.

3. you must study actual case histories of  numerous human health problems and their symtomology. This problem of health related reactions is beyond theoretical or speculative imagination In order to have the whole picture, you must be able to link together all of the above parts, or you will always come up incomplete in your analysis.

4. You must study medical data and educational books that detail human exposures and symptomology to have a scientific base for analysis. Reactions and symptomology are a science. There is no doubt about this. In medical history, the body reveals many mysteries that are beyond imagination. Here is the tip of the ice berg, and insight to the growing toxics epidemic.

5. you must be able to track chemical toxics to their carriers. Another words, each product make up has a material or chemical formula. This is the link to the toxicity level or risk in every product. These must be studied so toxics can be traced  to their sources.

Each area of the Tad Taylor 5 part program represents essential elements to proper toxics detection. Without one of these parts, the process is most likely to fail.

MOLD!!!!!
 

Just some notes on mold contamination and our work with mold for the last 20 years.

1. Mold is deadly.
2. Contrary to popular belief, most mold problems can be dealt with quickly and for a moderate cost
3. Most mold contamination sites include other multiple [serious] health offenders that mold  tech people are unable to identify.

The last statement is the clincher. In most of our inspections for mold, we find one or more sources of serious health affecting contaminants, other than mold. This is true in over 95% of our cases. In some environments where mold has been identified as the only problem by leading testing companies, we have found the real problems are actually caused by contaminants other than mold! Testing methods, site work and identification capability, all based on experience, are sadly lacking in a field where a full scope of toxics must be considered. This is a major reason why the clean up and decontamination of toxic sites routinely fails. It is because all the sources of toxicity have not been identified. Parts have been. Yes, mold may have been present. It should be present under normal conditions.Buildings, materials and equipment are designed to grow mold.  Maintenance practices do not consider mold as a problem. Mold is present almost everywhere, almost all the time, unless a very specific effort has been made to eliminate it. Design, equipment, equipment maintenance and other areas affect the ability of mold to grow.
But this is not brain surgery. Mold needs specific foods to grow, and a certain amount of humidity. Eliminate these, and you will reduce or remove the mold!

 Mold trained personell have no idea about associated sub odor level toxics, and dealing with low level contaminants that affect children, women, people with low level respiratory problems or chemical sensitivites or chronic fatigue. Many cases of chronic fatigue and chemical sensitivities are contributed to by or mold induced. This is because the toxics that are given off by common molds are closely related to pertochemical contaminants, and actually can initiate the same symptomology as many common molds. Many mold contaminated sites also have petro chemical contamination as well.

We know there are molds that grow on plastic, oil and other synthetics, as well as lignin and cellulose based products like paper, cardboard and sheetrock and wood by products. We know basements and crawl spaces generate moisture. Anything above 55% relative humidity can provide enough moisture for mold to grow. Very few homes don't have this stuff.

But the flip side of the coin is, 95% of all homes, offices, and schools in America are contaminated with other sources of common household "toxic waste". Put any number of these contaminants together, and you have a compounding affect that should and  will affect the health of children and other people.

The bottom line? When you have a mold problem, consider all the possibilities. Mold rarely exists on it's own as a toxic. When it becomes a health problem, the damage has been done [or at least well started and under way] and other low level toxics will be a problem as well. It is dealing with all of these that will protect your health. Leave out one, and you are no better off than before you started, as the system that has been sensitized by mold, will now be sensitive to a list of other low level toxics as well.

EXTENDED SERVICES
Establishing bottomline criteria for locating safe homes is part of our services. We analyze health specifications to recommend types of houses that may be acceptable to you! Before going to a realtor, talk to us. We can help narrow down the type of building that would be most suitable for you.

Please note, our services include video tape reviews of real estate and buildings for people who live at a distance. We are traveling to different parts of the country, and do inspections as people request. We are speaking to groups and doing inspections this spring and summer out to Colorado, to the south west and possibly  to Florida.  Let us know if we can help out!

FEES
For our inspection fee chart, see our "FEES"  page! Thank you!