An Asbestos Containing Materials (ACM) inspection is meant to identify Asbestos Building Materials and classify them. The following are how materials are identified and if need be analyzed by a certified lab to confirm content: Visual Recognition– Many common materials can be Visually Identified. The appearance of texture, color, age, and application make some materials easy to […]
Clean your gutters and redirect downspouts away from your house Shovel snow away from doors and entries Caulk/re-caulk your windows and doors Seal windows to improve efficiency Turn off water main valve if leaving for long trips During a cold snap, turn off hose bib, consider installing an indoor valve Check your sump pit and […]
RTS Environmental Services wants to help by providing you with the facts about moisture in the home so you can take the steps necessary to prevent a small problem from becoming a major crisis. Keeping Humidity in Check Whether you use your basement for storage or as a living area, the lower level of your […]
“A Mold /Moisture inspection is also an education in Moisture Prevention.” A great mold inspection begins with honesty, integrity, and an education. At RTS, we endeavor to help you understand those elements of your home which are significant to preventing mold growth, as well as outlining possible areas of improvement for overall indoor air quality […]
In order to prevent mold from growing, well ventilated attic spaces are critical. Without proper venting (air movement and exchange) many bad things can occur, especially involving mold growth on wooden structures such as roof sheathing or truss members. The following are some of the reasons why mold may begin to grow in an attic: […]
Asbestos materials were used in many building materials starting at the turn of the 20th century (1900’s) when industry became available to mine it as a mineral and refine it as a fiber to be used in hundreds of applications. An asbestos inspection is meant to identify those materials in a household and determine if […]
We get that question a lot, as well as… “Is that the toxic black mold?” or “is that the dangerous mold”. Here is a common sense response to this often asked question. After much research and literally thousands of mold inspections, ultimately the answer depends on your own personal susceptibility: Generally when mold of any […]
If I made a list of building features or scenarios where mold growth is almost always an issue, Crawl Spaces or Void Spaces (areas you can’t actually crawl in to access) would be at the top of the list. Here’s why: • Often the floor of a crawl space is below grade and water will […]
Check out some pictures of what we’ve seen in homes across the D.C. Metro area. These are the worst case scenario and are often rare. Mold behind a baseboard in a basement. Mold behind a baseboard. Mold in a crawlspace, with saturated joists. Mold on a floorboard joist.
Asbestos vinyl flooring was widely used until the early 1970’s and so many homes in this area have asbestos containing tiles or flooring mainly in basements and often in kitchens. Typically 9 inch square tiles can be presumed to contain asbestos although testing for asbestos done by a certified asbestos inspector will confirm if it […]