A Healthier Home

Rick is the best person I've dealt with on this issue, and I've contacted / interacted with about 4 providers. Everyone else was very excited to tell me how I needed to have a "mold test" which is a bunch of garbage. This guy never even mentioned a mold test; he actually just came to the premises and gave it a thorough search, along with consulting me on all of the potential flaws there could be in the home. What you expect a great mold inspection to be, this guy delivers. He gets the job done, and he helps you out as the home owner to figure out what you need to do about your mold. He found mine, and even diagnosed another problem that was NOT mold.

Around 8:30 Rick arrived to take over 200 pics inside, outside, under, over, around and beyond. Besides mold, he found an infestation of crickets, roaches, live electrical wiring, water leaks, trash under house, trash in attic and the list kept growing. Rick was probably there for 3 to 4 hours. My daughter immediately called her landlord to discuss the pics and findings from expert and owner, Rick. By 7 that night the landlord (Mrs S.) was at the duplex. Mrs. S had reviewed Rick's website and several of the pictures. It was clear when Mrs. S arrived that she realized how damaging Rick's findings had been. Mrs. S without much hesistation agreed to release my D from her lease and return her deposit. My D talked with her duplex neighbor who had a much worse mold problem. My daughter coaxed the neighbor through the process to get Mrs. S to release her from her lease and to return her deposit. Both ladies have found new, mold free places to live and are moving out this weekend. My daughter had lots of questions for Rick, not only about the mold and how to prevent spreading it to her new place, but how to approach Mrs. S. He was so helpful guiding her through the process. Because of the great pics, excellent explanations and expert guidance, my daughter is on to a fresh start in Charlotte. Thank you Rick!

All went extremely well. The examination took about two hours, including about half an hour is the filthy, dusty, and mold-filled environment of the crawl space. He helped prioritize remediation steps, recommended cost-saving procedures that will not require professional assistance, and took special care to identify problems that may be exacerbating my wife's allergy issues. He also suggested several low-cost ways to check further about interior environmental issues. Finally, he promised to make himself available for help and guidance as we move forward with the remediation. Could not have asked for more.

It was a wonderful learning experience. He showed me problems I did not know existed. He suggested equipment to combat the problems as well as work that I could do myself to correct it. He put them in order of those that would have the most impact first. He spent about 2 and a half hours with me. He offered to answer any questions I had after he had left by email or phone. He was very knowledgeable about what caused the mold and how to fix the problems. He was very professional and did not make me feel like I should know this stuff. He did not try to sell me any other service. I would recommend him highly.

Rick answered all of my questions, which was a welcomed relief after conversations with my general inspector, that I liken unto talking to a politician... I was so thankful he comes form a place of wanting to help people, and has no ties to products or services that he has to sell to make money. I was super impressed, and would definitely recommend him and use him in the future.

Rick inspectedthe interior of my home, the crawl space and the attic. He checked for water leaks, dust, and mold.

A Healthier Home, Rick Bayless, called me within 24 hrs making an appt immediately. Upon his arrival sat with us for a complete history of situations affecting our home which may cause moisture damage, mold occurrences etc...In addition he obtained medical info. He explained he would use his camera as a tool and inspect our entire home and yard, etc. After doing this he sat with us at one of our computers and downloaded his SD card...there were over 200 pictures with extensive. documentation of moisture contamination to entire crawl space, ducts, insulation, etc. He then went over his recommendations, as well at our request gave us names of persons that could help us. This fellow is very professional, friendly, and honest. He does none of the clean up or repair but does the diagnosis, prognosis with proper repairs...he will assist you in doing a pre and post discussion with contractors prior to work done and materials purchased...this alone is worth so very much . He emails the report to you as well as to contractors etc. This went so much better than i dreamed but will be quite expensive because we put it off so long as we do not trust many people like this...but our belief in Angie's List and then in the description of him and his background made us feel comfortable calling him.

We bought a builder's spec home on a short sale that was 75% complete, and with no insulation in the attic and a few years of just setting, we really wanted to understand if we had any environmental issues with the home that needed corrected before we finished the construction. After explaining our situation to Rick on the phone, he was very confident he could help. However, he wanted to do it immediately as it was convenient for him and while my husband was not going to be available, we decided to go ahead, knowing that we could depend on the report that was sure to follow the inspection. Rick came and inspected the home, providing commentary on what was going on and what needed to happen. I told him that I was not the expert and he assured me that part of his fee included a list of corrective actions and a phone conversation with my husband. The inspection was almost three weeks ago and still no list. I even called and spoke to Rick on the morning of 7/23 and he said he was working on the list and would have it to me that evening. Here it is now 7/28 and still no list. Rick knows we are waiting on this information and conversation with my husband to make decisions on how we will insulate the attic. At this point, I am not expecting anything, and we just wasted $499. If you looking for a specialized home inspector that will publish a report of their findings (which should include pictures and commentary on any problems, and suggested corrective actions), then keep looking. this is not it!

The one thing that really stands out in my mind about Rick Bayless' energy audit of our home was the word "thorough". He did the most thorough job imaginable. Didn't miss a thing ... inside or out. Money well spent. He found the attic to be in much need of additional insulation, ductwork in the crawlspace that needed air sealing, and other assorted items needing attention. But, the attic and the crawlspace were the big ones ... by far. The reason I got in touch with Rick was because of our unusually high electric bills. Way beyond normal for a house our size. He quickly discovered we were losing heat and cooling because our attic lacked insulation and the air ducts were leaking air into the crawlspace. Both have now been fixed and the difference it made has been striking. The house feels so much better now, with indoor temperatures more even throughout the house than before. We've raised our thermostat setting and it feels just great. Heat pump doesn't run nearly as much as before. Much more efficient. Will result in greater energy efficiency and lower costs. Duke has raised their rates by 32% over the past 6 years. If you increase your last bill by 32%, you'll see where things are headed over the next 6 years. The only way to offset rate increases like this is to make your use of energy more efficient. That's where Rick's energy efficiency advise is so important. He will make sure you know exactly where your energy losses are occurring so they can be fixed. Has made a world of difference for us. AND it will help protect against further Duke Energy rate increases in the future ... about as certain as tomorrow's sunrise. Can not recommend Rick Bayless' energy audits highly enough!

The service was fine. They got the job done in about 3-4 days. The scheduling was really easy and they called me right back to set up the service.

He was completely thorough and provided with a list in order of what was most important to start with, So helpful

When he knocked at the door, the clock in the foyer was chiming the precise minute he was scheduled to arrive. He was personable, but thoroughly professional and was very detailed in the inspection. We only recently moved to the Monroe area and purchased a house. Even after a lengthy and expensive home inspection before closing, Rick uncovered discrepancies that should have been identified in the previous inspection. He made helpful suggestions how to remedy most of the tasks that need to be done. He also provided the name of a contractor who could help with the items that are beyond our ability to accomplish. He not only addressed our concerns about moisture control and mold, he observed many energy issues with the HVAC system and had good suggestions to remedy. Rick spent over 4 hours and crawled into attic and crawl space areas to inspect that I would not be comfortable entering. He spared no areas and was succinct and clear in his explanations. I am confident that when the actions have been completed that he uncovered we will be in a much more healthy living atmosphere. Since Rick is independent, he is not bound by other contractors to sell work that is not needed. Much of what he pointed out we can do ourselves at very little expense. When owning a home, there are many things we want to do and then there are things we must do. We have chosen to invest in the home infrastructure. The cosmetics may have to come later. Don't spare the expense; it is entirely worth the investment.

The review went great, and I tagged along with Rick for the entire time. Rick called in advance and said he'd be late due to a previous inspection at another home that took longer than originally planned. Once here, he gave dozens of tips on improving our indoor air quality, conserving energy, saving money, and preventing insect intrusions. Rick prioritized action items, the vast majority of which are straightforward enough for me to implement myself. It was frankly surprising how many things were not as good as they could be in our 6-year-old home! We will probably invest in a duct-cleaning service, but other than that, for now all projects are either free or low cost with a trip to a local home improvement store. I have already implemented a few of his suggestions, and I have a nice to-do list for this weekend. :) I strongly recommend Rick to anyone looking for suggestions for improving the healthiness of their home.

I contacted Rick 5 days ago, and he was able to make an appointment immediately. Did not have to wait long for a call back. He drove approx 120 miles from Asheville to perform his service on my home in Maryville, TN. He called the day before to confirm the appointment and time, and he showed up on time. We spent 7.5 hours crawling all over the house, first with an outside house inspection, a couple hours in the crawl spaces (a quick break for lunch), inspected all of the HVAC components (furnaces, returns, supply lines). I have three different units, so this took some time. During the whole process I was at his side taking notes, and he took a bunch of pictures (over 80). I am now going to type up my notes and arrange for a call with Rick to discuss how to prioritize the list. The list is long, and it will take me some time to complete. However, most all of the items are tasks that any homeowner can perform. While he pointed out a number of problem areas, I at least now understand how I can greatly improve the efficiency, health and comfort of my home. Since Rick does not sell a specific service such as insulation or HVAC products, he is able to give me unbiased recommendations on how to make my home better. I definitely recommend his services.

Rick was great. He not only made and assessment of the damage, he showed me why it happened in the first place. Of course, we had record rain fall that summer, so it's not surprising there were moisture issues. The problem happened because the drainage around the house was not set up correctly, and therefore the water went under the house. Rick showed me exactly what to do to fix the drainage problem. He also recommended a company to re-encapsulate the crawl space and remove the mold. These people did a great job and did not rip me off. I'm very happy with Rick and would recommend him to anyone. He was thorough and knowledgeable, and made me feel like I had support.

They were fine. They seemed to be very helpful.

Rick showed up on time and was extremely professional. He spent over three hours with me going over the options and explaining all the various solutions to fixing the mold problem I have. I also want to commend him for being so patient with me as I had several service calls from other vendors while we were there. If you have any mold issues I highly recommend Rick.

We called Rick and made the appointment AFTER we told him we had seen his listing on Angie's List and wanted to take advantage of the $255.00 Home Mold Assessment. We were completely unaware of being able to "buy today" on-line to be able to insure receiving the $255.00 price. We were buying this package for our daughter's home as a Christmas present. On 12/5/13 Rick showed up right on time and spent 3 hours in the house and crawl space while we took copious notes. We appreciated his knowledge and his continued backing in the months to come to review any questions we had on everything he covered. When it came time to pay Rick he again asked us how we heard of his services and we reminded him of our previous conversation about Angie's List and the $255.00 Home Mold Assessment on Angie's List. He began working his way down from the "normal" price of $450.00 and stated that the Angie's List offer did not include the crawl space so we ended up with a $300.00 price. We felt that with Angie's List we did not have to worry about "buyer beware" so we did not sign a contract ahead of time that would include what he would inspect and at what price. Again let us confirm that Rick knows his job and offers so much information that it can sometimes be overwhelming.

Rick has an extensive knowledge of home systems that is invaluable. He spent more than four hours with us inspecting nearly every aspect of our home and walking us through affordable fixes we could complete on our own. After he helped us create a list of fixes, he also helped us prioritize those repairs and didn't leave until we felt confident in our approach. We know we will lean on his expertise in the future, and we highly recommend Rick and his services! As relatively new homeowners, we now have a good understanding of our home and are prepared to keep it performing as it should for years to come.

I got more than my money's worth, as well as a comprehensive list of ways in which I can make my home more secure from pests.

The provider was easy to work with, and was planning on doing the mold inspection as scheduled. However, due to other circumstances, we had to "walk away" from the contract on a prospective house that we were going to buy. This coupon was for a mold inspection of that house. Now that we are no longer buying the house, we don't need the inspection. The provider was very kind and totally fine with us canceling the appointment and seeking a refund through Angie's List.

I had several contractors come out to my house to assess the mold in my crawlspace. Most of them that came out must of spent 10-15 minutes down in the crawlspace and didn't give me a whole lot of details about where the water was coming in from . I needed someone to do a through assessment of where exactly the water came in from, how to fix it, and to make the recommendations of what we needed to do to prevent our crawlspace from having mold again.Rick came out and discovered that the water came in thru the vent wells and that due to all the rain we had it had come from the downspouts. He also found holes in the ducts and educated me about how the cold air was coming out the ducts causing condensation on the joists and therefore producing mold on it and the insulation. He took lots of pictures and went thru each one with me and provided 30-40 items that needed to be fixed. He found holes in the floor where a drain was and some of the floor joists weren't nailed down or secured. I must of called him several times to make sure I understood his recommendations and questions I had about the list of things we needed to fix. He was very responsive to my calls and was not annoyed that I was calling him again like other contractors would be. I would highly recommend him and it was money well spent. He helped us save money in the long run and I am having him come back to check our mold remediation and our sealed crawlspace.

Took copious notes and worked on his suggestions. He came back a second time to see the things were being done in a way that would work. Nice guy and very helpful. Well worth the $$!

We went with this company because he is an independent inspector, and he isn't tied to any company. Everything went well; he showed up on time, he is lives up to what he promises.

Performance was as stated. contractor was knowledgable and very thorough. We were presented with extensive photographs documenting issues or concerns. Contractor provided detailed verbal review with the homeowner. The only improvement that I would suggest is a written report. Overall, I was very satisfied.