Inspecting Your Home for Mold & Water Damage : Part 1

Interview with Brian Karr

Join us for Part 1 of our interview with guest Brian Karr, renowned Indoor Environmental Professional (I.E.P.), where we discuss the first steps a person might take if they want to evaluate their home for signs of mold and water damage. Brian shares why the typical inspection of your home or building is likely to overlook some key clues. (You won’t want to miss what was overlooked in his own home!)

In this episode, we bust a few common mold myths, share some helpful (and funny) analogies, and provide some actionable information that you can implement today in your home!

Episode Highlights:

  • What should you do if you know or suspect water damage or mold? (2:14)
    • Mold Myth #1: If you don’t see or smell mold, you don’t have a problem 
  • What is an Indoor Environmental Professional (I.E.P.) and why would you hire one before hiring a remediation company? (5:50)
    • Analogy #1: An I.E.P. is like Meredith Grey and your Mold Remediator is like Derek Shepherd (for all you Grey’s Anatomy fans out there!)
  • What does a typical IEP inspection look like? (8:04)
    • Why the history of the home matters
    • What are water events (note: little “events” can cause big problems) (8:50)
    • Mold Myth #2: If an area is dry, there can’t be mold (11:16)
    • Dry mold is still a health hazard (11:26)
    • 5 signs of Hidden Mold Growth (14:27)
    • Why you can’t just rely on a moisture meter and infrared camera (16:15)
    • Two goals in every inspection (17:22)
    • Analogy #2: Mold is like a factory (17:34)
    • The Human Cloud Effect (20:35)
    • Why an I.E.P. investigation approaches the home the same way a functional doctor approaches the body (22:44)
  • What are some preventative things Brian does in his own home? (23:50)
    • How a very tiny stain under his sink was the only clue to a much bigger problem (24:54)
    • Analogy #3: Mold is Like an Iceberg (26:00)
    • Prevention Tip: How checking under you sink every month can help prevent a bigger problem (28:22)
Episode Spotlight

A secret to looking for hidden mold is to look for signs of water damage! If you see these signs -  test, don’t guess!

1. Rust & Efflorescence: Water causes chemical reactions resulting in rust on metal, or a white powdery substance on concrete. 

2. Staining: This may be the most obvious sign of water intrusion, but often times staining is overlooked because there is no visible mold growth.

3.  Bubbling: When water soaks into certain building materials it creates a visible bubbling effect. 

4. Cracking & Peeling: Water can also eat away at building materials causing them to crack, peel or rot away. 

5. Buckling & Separating: Water can cause building materials to warp. When this happens, they can pull away from each other or create a bowing effect.

To listen to part 2 of the interview, click here.