Services

LEAD Risk Assessment & Consulting

Lead-based paint is a Neurotoxin.  In or around one’s home it is a major source of lead poisoning.   Children under 7 years old are the population that is most likely to be poisoned.  That is because they are most likely to put inappropriate objects in their mouths and because their bodies absorb minerals more easily than do others.   It only takes a very small amount to poison and thus affect a child for the remainder of their lives.

If your home was built before 1978 it may contain lead-based paint. If it is located in the District of Columbia or in the State of Maryland and it is a rental property, then you are required to have the property cleared and to provide a copy of the clearance to your tenant unless you have Lead Free Certification. (Important Note: see the definition of Lead Free Inspection below.) In that case you only have to provide your tenant with a copy of that proof.

It is possible that you may have obtained a Limited Lead Free Certification in Maryland. If you have that certification you are still required to have the exterior inspected once every two years.

If your home is not a rental property you are not required to have your property inspected unless you have a day care, a foster child under 7 years old or a foster child.

Statutory Definitions D.C.:

Lead-free property – a property that contains no lead-contaminated soil, and the interior and exterior surfaces do not contain any lead-based paint or other surface coatings that contain lead equal to or in excess of one milligram per square centimeter (1.0 mg/cm 2 ). [Statutory]

Lead-free unit – a unit for which the interior and exterior surfaces appurtenant to the unit do not contain any lead-based paint or other surface coatings that contain lead equal to or in excess of one milligram per square centimeter (1.0 mg/cm2 ), and for which the approaches thereto remain lead-safe. The Mayor, by rule, may establish a method to ensure that approaches to lead free units remain lead-safe. [Statutory]

Disclaimer: Lead Free Inspection  – is an inspection to determine if a unit or a home qualifies under the regulations to be considered Lead Free in the interior and on the exterior of the residence. It DOES NOT conclusively determine that the residence does not have any lead components as only a fraction of the total components are required to be tested.

Limited Lead Free Inspection (MARYLAND ONLY) – is an inspection to determine if a unit or a home qualifies under the regulations to be considered Lead Free in the interior only.  It cannot conclusively determine that the residence does not have any lead components in the interior. The protocol does not require that every component be tested.

Lead Risk Assessment– an onsite investigation to determine and report the existence nature, severity and location of conditions conducive to lead poisoning, including:

• The gathering of information regarding the age and history of the housing and occupancy of person at risk
• A visual inspection of the property
• Dust wipe sampling, soil sampling, and paint testing, as appropriate:
• Other activity as may be appropriate;
• Provision of a report explaining the results of the investigation

Risk Assessor– an individual who has been trained by an accredited training program and certified to Conduct Risk Assessments.

The affects are insidious. Prevention is simple.

MOLD Risk Assessment & Consulting

Exposure to damp and moldy environments may cause a variety of health effects, or none at all. Some people are sensitive to molds. For these people, molds can cause nasal stuffiness, throat irritation, coughing or wheezing, eye irritation, or, in some cases, skin irritation. People with mold allergies may have more severe reactions. Immune-compromised people and people with chronic lung illnesses, such as obstructive lung disease, may get serious infections in their lungs when they are exposed to mold.

Source CDC “Facts about Mold and Dampness“

Definitions

Mold Inspection – an inspection to determine if mold exists.

Mold Risk Assessment – an onsite investigation to determine and report the existence, the species, the quantity, the location of mold and conditions conducive to mold growth, including:

• The gathering of information regarding actual and possible underlying conditions that has caused or could cause microbial growth.
• A Visual Inspection of the property
• Surface sampling and air sampling
• Written interpretation of Lab results and a conclusion explaining if the mold growth is normal ecology or abnormal under the circumstance.
• Other activities as may be appropriate
• Provision of a report explain the results of the investigation

Mold Abatement and Remediation

…is the removal, cleaning, sanitizing, demolition, or other treatment, including preventive activities, of mold or mold-contaminated matter that was not purposely grown at that location.

Lead Abatement – A set of measures, except interim controls, that eliminate lead based paint hazards by either the removal of paint and dust, the enclosure or encapsulation of lead based paint, the replacement of painted surfaces or fixtures, or the removal or covering of soil, and all preparations, cleanup, disposal, and post-abatement testing activities associated with such measures.