QuanTEM Laboratories - Fast, Accurate, and Professional

QUANTEM   CHRONICLE

an informative  newsletter  for Environmental Professionals

February 2010 
In This Issue
IAQA- Tampa FL
Inspector's Chinese Drywall Challenges
How A Professional Mold Inspection Could Save Your Life
The Top 10 Toxic Products You Don't Need
Spring Mold Inspector Training
 
 
 
Visit QuanTEM
in 2010! 
 
 
IAQA / ACCA Booth 610 
 Tampa, FL
March 7-9
 
 
EIA 
Booth 19 
 Austin, TX
 March 28-31
 
 
 
AIHce
Booth 1240
   Denver, CO
 May 24-26 
 
 

John Barnett, PresidentMessage from John Barnett, President

 

I APOLOGIZE:

 

Sending out the QuanTEM Chronicles for the past five years has been a joy.  Through this news letter we have met many of you whom we might not have otherwise.  Your comments have always been constructive and in almost every case, positive.  Occasionally we have some fun with it; but, the main purpose is to highlight information which directly affects our industry.  It's not our intent to sell you on an idea as much as to provide items and articles which can be of value and, in many cases, thought provoking. 

 

 

Last month we included a link to an article in the LA Daily newspaper entitled "The Toxic Mold Rush".   This article didn't shine a very flattering light on Mrs. Sharon Kramer and she was kind enough to bring this to our attention.  Mrs Kramer wasn't happy about seeing this article resurrected.  For this I apologize to Mrs. Kramer and to our readers.  It is not our intent to link to or promote  articles which engage in personal attacks.  No person or group gain from this type of publication.  Please know, this won't happen again. 

 

For every topic there many opposing view points and rest assured we will dig out as many of these as we can. The exchange of diverse opinions and views is what makes this country great and it's what keeps our industry growing.  Now, can you be of help?  Yes you can, if you see an article or have penned one which is beneficial to our industry, please let us know.  We would like to consider linking to your offering.

 

 

Thank you for your continuing support of QuanTEM.

John E. Barnett
President
QuanTEM Laboratories, LLC

jbarnett@quantem.com

 Florida Inspector Shares Chinese Drywall Challenges  
 
by Sandy Bourseau 

Originally published: July 2009 by ASHI Reporter 
Identifying and attributing corroded components in a house to Chinese drywall appeared to be a slam dunk to viewers of ABC's Nightline program "Dream Home Turned Nightmare: Chinese Drywall Plagues Florida Homes."

The Reporter turned to ASHI Certified Inspector Michael Conley, Straight Inspection Service, Anna Maria, Fla., to see if he agreed it was as easy as it appeared to be on the program.

"Yes and no," he said. 

"There are indicators that can point to the possibility of Chinese drywall; however, some of those same indicators can be explained by other means.

"For example, recently, I inspected a house where the homebuyers suspected the presence of Chinese drywall because there were black ground wires in the main service panel.

Standard test for corrosive drywall"Upon investigation, there were no other indicators except those black ground wires in the main service panel, which was located in the garage where a golf cart was being stored and recharged. The black ground wires were the result of off-gassing of battery acid in the vicinity of the panel. The cause had nothing to do with Chinese drywall.

"It's prudent for inspectors to be cautious about what they say.  There is no official protocol for identifying this stuff, and the general mood today is for homeowners to panic when they hear it's in their house. We, as an industry, should not cause undue stress unless we can be sure it's what they have."

To access the entire article, please visit the ASHI Reporter

How A Professional Mold Inspection Could Save Your Life 
 
Aquired from The Mold Blogger Jan 5, 2010
 
The growth of mold and mildew in a structure is a problem for buildings of all kinds, despite their age or the environment in which they're situated. It would be a mistake to assume that only older buildings can suffer from heavy mold growth, or that structures in dry, arid climates are safe. In fact, mold can be found in both residential and commercial buildings anywhere in the world.
 
There are many different factors that can contribute to the proliferation of mold, including catastrophic events like floods, environmental contributors like heavy rainfall or humidity, interior plumbing problems, faulty construction or maintenance (e.g. a leaky roof), and so forth. Another mistake that many people make when it comes to mold is in assuming that they would notice if the problem were present.
 
To access the entire article from The Mold Blogger, click HERE.
The Top 10 Toxic Products You Don't Need
 from HealthyChild.org, on Fri Feb 12, 2010
 

It's become so common in our culture to assume we need things - a lot of things. Over-consumption is not only a strain on our bank accounts and environment, it can also be harmful to our health. Whether there's a warning label or not (usually not), many of the things we buy have associated health risks.

Here are ten
toxic products, in no particular order, that you don't need. And, once you read about them, you probably won't want them either. Be aware that different homes may have different products that are more toxic than these. This is just a basic list of some of the most commonly purchased products that are almost entirely unnecessary, but pose significant risks.

 To access the entire article from healthychild.org,
 click
HERE.
Spring Mold Investigator Training
Barbara's Corner Barbara Holder, Customer Service Manager
 
 
Each month, I will post my Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) with answers and tips that will help you save time and money.  
  
     

What You Should Expect From Your Environmental Lab 

- Accurate Results

- On Time Results

-Staff with a professional and courteous attitude

- Experienced staff willing and able to discuss the environmental industry

 

Quantem Laboratories has been here for 21 years providing you with the best service and professionalism in the industry. We strive daily to ensure that your experience with Quantem Labs is a positive one. As always, we welcome any comments and suggestions you may have that can improve our service to you in any way. Simply clink on the email link below or give me a call.

As we all know there are times in our industry that our customers will challenge us with a large volume of samples. During these times your laboratory should always communicate with you about the progress of your samples. As our clients know, I will call if we are experiencing one of those times.  If you have projects in which the turn-around-time is crucial, we will ensure that you have your results. If they can wait, we will say thank you and work on those that can't. Communication is vital in this industry as you well know. I will always strive to communicate any issues with you proactively. On the same note if you do have a project that requires special instructions  or will be one of those challenging large volume projects, please feel free to call me to give me a heads up.

Would you like to ask me a question?  Email me here.  

 
Barbara Holder has been with QuanTEM since October 2004 as our Customer Relations Manager.  Barbara plays an active supervisory role with all customer interactions with QuanTEM.
 
Barbara's Corner Produced & Edited by:
Barbara Holder, Customer Service Manager
QuanTEM Chronicle Newsletter
Produced & Edited by:
Scott Leavell, Business Development Director
Suggestions or comments?  Email me here
QuanTEM Labortories, LLC
2033 Heritage Park Drive
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73120 
(800) 822-1650 voice
(405) 755-2058 fax
 
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