Inspecting Your Home for Mold with Brian Karr: Part 2

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)