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 | With the Enviro Health screening, you get the benefits of having the higher risk areas of your home addressed, without incurring the fees of licensed specialists. |
| Many times the information from a screening inspection is more practical, because you are provided with the overall context of what needs to be done in your house. |
| A screening evaluation makes an environmental home inspection more affordable for the general public. |
Here is a sample list of what licensed specialists might charge to rule out the presence of what they are testing for:
$2000+
Asbestos, plus lab fees
$300-1,200 Lead, plus lab fees
$2,000
Microbial $2,000-3,000, for an equivalent number of samples
$300
Electromagnetic fields $200-300, covers much less than I check for
$200
Water quality test
Specialists could be at your home for hours. Obviously, someone such as myself, who is on-site covering these topics plus many more, cannot go into the detail of one person looking at just one issue.
With a screening inspection, however, I look at the more important areas which could be of significance to your health. Sometimes, referral is made to a specialist, but this is usually not necessary.
If you wanted a complete lead inspection, you'd call in a licensed lead inspector who uses XRF (x-ray fluorescence) technology to scan every painted surface in your house for the possible presence of lead.
Using an x-ray "gun," the inspector would point at a surface and depending on a computerized evaluation of what part of the signal was absorbed and what part reflected, you would be told whether there was lead somewhere in the layers of paint at that location.
Every painted surface is evaluated. One window, for example, might have ten surfaces. Every wall in every room would be checked, because a previous owner might have used different paint on the walls in a room.
By the end of the inspection, you would know every area that was positive for lead paint. You might not know which layer of paint contained the lead, but you would know if there was lead paint somewhere.
This type of testing is thorough and expensive, ranging from $300 to over $1,000, depending on the size of the home. The equipment is very costly (about $20,000) and periodically the radioactive source has to be replaced.
The EPA recommends ONLY this type of testing for a pre-purchase inspection. From realtor feedback I have received in the NY area, very few purchasers are contracting for a lead inspection.
After an XRF inspection, the question becomes, "What do we do with this information?" Let's say there was an indication of lead paint on a living room wall. Do you have the paint removed? Do you paint over it?
First you have to know whether the paint is on the top or the bottom layer. The XRF may not be able to tell you that. If the paint is under 6 layers of non-leaded paint, so what? Let it stay there. It only becomes a concern if you are planning to sand the wall or disturb it while renovating.
What I do:
In contrast, a screening inspection uses a much less expensive chemical test. The test I use looks like a cigarette. You press the tube near both ends to break ampules containing reaction chemicals. They mix, you squeeze them out the tip, and rub the tip on the surface to be tested.
If the tip turns pink when rubbed on the sample, that's positive for the presence of lead. It's a simple test, although it doesn't tell you what's under the surface. Of course, in your own home, you could scrape or sand down through the layers of paint and test each
layer if you wished.
A screening inspection takes account of where the most important areas are to check for lead. The surfaces of those areas can be scanned with the chemical detection method. You can learn what you need to know.
You may buy a box of lead test kits and test paint and other articles that may
contain lead throughout your whole house if you wish.
If you are thinking of renting or purchasing a home, and will not opt to have the EPA-recommended XRF testing done, then at least chemically check windows, deteriorated paint, paint in any rooms where children will spend time, etc. Don't neglect this testing - one way or the other.
Further, I'm not just interested in lead paint. I want to know about lead
solder in your drinking water pipe - and whether your water filter is removing
dissolved lead. I want to know if the cup you bought for your child is painted
with leaded paint - and whether the well-worn dishes no longer have a protective
coating against lead. I'm interested first and foremost in your health, not in
cataloging all the painted surfaces that may contain lead.
This example of XRF test compared to a screening test can be repeated for other areas of the EnviroHealth inspection.
Here are two other examples.
A visual screening for ACM (asbestos containing materials) will not confirm the presence or absence of asbestos, but you will learn enough to protect yourself from common sources of asbestos. In comparison, if you called in a certified asbestos consultant, you could end up spending a couple of thousand dollars, between the consultant's fee and laboratory tests.
Air testing for unknown odors is also expensive. EnviroHealth screens many parameters affecting air quality, short of including a test that may add roughly $500-$800 to the standard fee. Laboratory air testing is always an option if needed. However, I can make many recommendations for healthier air just by a visual examination of what is in your home.
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© 2001 May E. Dooley -
Enviro Health Environmental Home Inspections |
