We were referred to homecore by our realtor who we trusted as he used homecore for his own homes. I met Chuck and he was very professional explained what he was doing and did a tour of the home showing me what needed to be done. None of this was major. He provided a binder with lots of information and was very professional. These were the good things, but this was not the end.
The selling agent was there and advised us that the previous owners had mould in the attic and it was remediated, and the cause was soffit suffocation which he reported to me was common and he looked and the mould was removed properly and this won't be a problem. Well he was very wrong. Less than a year later the mould was back and we just spent close to 10 k having the mould removed and insulation redone properly. Chuck really missed some basic and tell tail signs of a problem with the remediation. 1. If it is day time and you don't see any light the attic is probably not breathing, 2. if you use baffles there should be one every other rafter. 3. Further when using the paint covering method of remediating mould it can only be done for small areas. Every contractor I had look told the same story. This was a major miss. I know we all make mistakes but this was a big one.
Nice guy but this can't be overlooked. I would not recommend this company.
- Approximate cost of services:
- $500.00
- Company Response
Hi Patrick,
I'm very disappointed in your review of Chuck and our services. Our policy at HomeCore has always been to provide our customers with the best inspection possible and, having carefully reviewed your inspection report and photos, Chuck and I are both of the opinion he did just that. While many of your comments were actually quite positive, including that Chuck was "very professional", you then go on to suggest that Chuck missed some tell-tale signs of a problem with a recently done mould remediation in the attic.
At the time of the inspection (February 9/13), The Listing Agent made everyone aware that there had been a previous mould problem in the attic and that the vendor had hired Healthy Environmental to undertake the remediation. Chuck confirmed remediation had taken place and that, at the time of inspection, there were no obvious signs of remaining mould. Had you contacted the company before signing a new remediation contract you would have learned that the white powdery product you see in the attic is actually an anti-microbial filler called RX Remedy and not a "paint covering" as you were told by a contractor interested in getting your business.
Contrary to your comment about the attic ventilation, Chuck did inform you (see the Structure page of your written report) that the soffit vents were blocked and must be cleared. He also recommended additional attic insulation and to seal around the hatches. Failure to follow these recommendations means that the root cause of the original problem was likely not addressed resulting in the problem redeveloping.
We strongly encourage all our clients to call us when something unusual or potentially costly occurs. It has, unfortunately, become quite common for many contractors with a vested interest to know just what to say to get a homeowner to part with their hard-earned dollars. We have no such vested interest and are genuinely happy to provide our clients with ongoing guidance and support after their inspection. Had you responded to our inspection follow-up email, you would have received additional information alerting you to be extremely cautious of and how to best proceed with any company you will undoubtedly need in future. Had you contacted us before proceeding, we may have been able to give you some valuable guidance that could have saved you a lot of money.
We sincerely hope that the work you undertook to deal with this recurring problem has accounted for and dealt with all the possible causes of mould in your attics. These include ventilation, insulation, and air sealing of all penetrations from the house to the attics. Missing any one of these steps means you could find yourself in a similar position again next year.
Rob