Indoor Air Quality & The Real Estate Deal
Monday, April 8, 2019
Augusta Civic Center, Augusta, ME
Click Here to Register On-Line
Click Here for a Printable Registration Form
Weather note for Monday, April 8, 2019: A mix of rain and snow without appreciable accumulation is predicted for the morning drive. Please take extra time and drive carefully to get to the seminar!
About the Program
Indoor air quality problems in buildings not only affect occupant health and productivity, they may also cause structural damage requiring costly repairs. It is imperative that all professionals involved in real estate understand these issues and how they can impact–for good or ill–a real estate transaction. This full-day seminar will provide attendees with an understanding of the role indoor air quality plays during the purchase and sale of real property.
The program will:
- Identify the most common contaminants found in Maine indoor environments, how and why they occur, and why we care about them (their impact on people and structures)
- Provide a better framework for the initial walk-through inspection that goes beyond the amenities in the kitchen and the color of the paint: what to look for; how to look; where to look (both inside and out); how to use all of your senses to identify issues; and better questions to ask both buyers and sellers.
- Teach specific strategies to address three critical issues: radon, mold/moisture, and ventilation; with an understanding of the cost and processes needed to resolve them.
- Share resources to help all real estate related professionals better address indoor air quality in buildings
Who Should Attend
Real estate agents; real estate appraisers, mortgage loan officers, code enforcement officials, home inspectors, assessment and remediation professionals, restoration companies, insurance professionals, architects, engineers, public health, and anyone interested in the impact of indoor air quality on the health and value of Maine real estate.
Program Schedule
8:00 a.m. Registration & Continental Breakfast
8:30 a.m. Introduction
Program Moderator:
Donald Newell, Better Homes & Gardens The Masiello Group,
Unity, ME
8:45 a.m. Common Indoor Air Quality Pollutants and
Why They Are a Problem
Michael Sauda, MPH, CSP – University of Maine System, Orono
9:45 a.m. Break
10:00 a.m. Get the Most Out of Your First Walk-Through
- What to look for and why
- Using all of your senses
- How to look beyond the amenities to the things that impact indoor environmental quality
John Lindley-Howard, Breakwater Inspections, Rockland, ME
11:00 a.m. Solutions to Common Problems: Radon
- Radon Testing – When, Why, and By Whom
- General Approaches to Fixing Radon Problems in Existing Homes (water and air)
- Costs
- Discussion: testing strategies during real estate transactions
Jeff Twitchell, Air & Water Quality, Inc. – Freeport, ME
11:45 a.m. Lunch (included in registration fee)
12:30 p.m. Solutions to Common Problems: Ventilation
- How air moves around a home: where does the air people breathe really come from
- Ventilation options and recommendations for Maine homes
- Costs
Kurt Johnson, Fresh Air Ventilation Systems, Inc. – Lewiston, ME
1:15 p.m. Solutions to Common Problems: Mold & Moisture
- How and why mold grows indoors
- To test or not to test
- Whom to hire: qualifications and standards
- Costs for assessment and clean-up
Chris Prior, Envirovantage – Epping, NH
2:00 p.m. Break
2:15 p.m. Solutions to Common Problems: Mold & Moisture (Continued)
3:00 p.m. Q & A, Wrap-up and Resources
3:45 p.m. Adjourn
Continuing Education Credits
We work hard to provide attendees with the credits they need to maintain their professional certifications. If you don’t see the type of credits you need in the list below, please contact the MIAQC office at 207-626-8115.
| Type of Credit | # of Credits | Details |
|---|---|---|
| ACAC | 6.0 hours of credit available | Individuals with ACAC certifications can self-report credit hours. |
| BPI | Approved for 3.0 credits | Program ID#12672 |
| AIA | Approved for 6.0 LU/HSWs | Course #8201903 |
| Real Estate Professionals | Approved for 6.0 Credits | Program # CN276C047LE |
| Real Estate Appraisers | Approved for 6.0 Credits | Program # 87C001 |
| Code Enforcement | Approved for 6.0 Residential Ventilation hours | |
| Radon | Approved for 4.0 Credits | Approved by the Maine State Radon Section |
| USGBC | 6.0 contact hours | Self-Report "Live presentation credit hours" |
| Engineers | 6.0 PDH | Self-report contact hours |
| Home Inspectors (ASHI) | Approved for 6.0 ASHI CE's |
About the Presenters
John Lindley-Howard, Breakwater Inspections, Rockland, ME
John Howard is the owner of Breakwater Inspections, a Mid Coast area property inspection business that was founded 10 years ago. He has 25 years of experience with home renovation, remodeling, and historic restoration. He also has a BS in Electrical Engineering and a Masters in Business Administration. John is an ASHI Certified Inspector (ACI), an InterNACHI Certified Professional Property Inspector, a State licensed Third Party Inspector (TPI), and a Certified Residential Thermographer. He also is registered with the State to do radon testing and analysis, and is a Maine DEP licensed Asbestos Inspector.
Kurt Johnson, Fresh Air Ventilation Systems, Inc., Lewiston, ME
Kurt Johnson has been the owner of Fresh Air Ventilation Systems, LLC for the last 11 years. While selling Canadian Modular homes he became aware of the need for a professional air exchange company. He went to Canada and got professional training from Heating Refrigeration Air Conditioning Institute of Canada (HRAI) and earned his certification in Residential Mechanical Ventilation Design and Installation. Over the last 10 years, Fresh Air has sold over 500 air exchangers and installed over 600 systems in stick built, modular, and existing homes. More than 50% of those installs were in existing homes. Kurt has been on Board of Directors of the Maine Indoor Air Quality Council for 8 years and has served as the President. He has also attended many building science seminars around the country and has presented both at this conference and the Annual IAQA conference. He also has presented various ventilation seminars for many different groups including Breathe Easy Coalition, MECHIPS, MABEP and the Maine Building Officials and Inspectors Association conference.
Don Newell – The Masiello Group – Unity, ME
Don Newell is a real estate agent with The Masiello Group in Unity, Maine. He returned to serving clients after spending three years managing several branches of the company under its previous name of Town & Country, REALTORS®. He had been working with real estate clients for 35 years before that.
Don brings a lifetime of contacts and the experience in pricing, staging, negotiating and getting the transaction to closing. He empowers buyers and sellers by gathering data and presenting it in a way that allows them to make their best real estate related decisions.
Chris Prior, Envirovantage, Epping, NH
Chris Prior joined EnviroVantage to develop the “small cap markets” division of the company. Before joining EnviroVantage, Prior held positions with other construction firms and was the Director of Operations for a start-up company in Boston. He held a NH real estate license for 10 years and owned a commercial laundry facility.
Chris has passed the Maine Pesticide 7C3 Master certification exam, specifically for projects dealing with mold remediation and water damage restoration. He is now one of only 14 people that possess this specific license.
Mike Sauda, University of Maine System, Orono, ME
Michael D. Sauda is currently Director of Safety Management for the University of Maine System. In addition, Michael has been appointed as Institutional Biosafety Officer and Radiation Safety Officer for the University of Maine’s research efforts. With over 30 years of experience in safety, health, environmental, and facilities management, Michael earned an undergraduate degree in Industrial Hygiene and Environmental Toxicology from Clarkson University, a Masters in Public Health degree from University of New England and is a Board Certified Safety Professional. Michael is also Chair of the Maine Occupational Safety and Health Board where he has served Maine and its public sector workers for 13 years.
Jeff Twitchell, Air & Water Quality, Freeport, ME
Radon in Air Background: In 1983, Jeff Twitchell performed his first radon testing on a super insulated home that he built for himself and was the first home he mitigated. In 1986, he participated in the first hands on mitigation course offered in the State of Maine. Jeff was 1 of only about 50 people selected nationally to be trained by the EPA to provide instruction for other mitigators. He continued his mitigation instruction for the EPA for approximately 10 years. In 1989 he joined with Mike Gelberg to create Air & Water Quality (AWQ). He has since worked on schools in both Maine and Canada.
Radon in Water Treatment: In 1991, Jeff was frustrated by the lack of water treatment companies that could handle the pretreatment requirement of the water radon systems they were installing. As a result, he chose to use his chemistry degree to see what he could provide for the company in the way of water treatment. Jeff has developed one of the leading water treatment companies in Maine. He holds a Class II operator’s license, radioactive materials license, as well as a Maine license for radon water and radon air mitigation. He and his company are the only water treatment company in Maine to be licensed to handle radioactive materials produced from water treatment. He has made the company the “go to people” for many schools and small public water treatment systems. AWQ has handled many arsenic and uranium problems along with iron, manganese and odor issues for schools and other facilities across the State.
