Our methodology

Before the visit

1. Intake and property plan

Every assessment begins with an intake that documents the home's size, construction and remodel history, rooms used most, installed filtration and HVAC systems, prior water events, and the questions that prompted the visit. The intake supports the environmental assessment and is not a medical history. It determines which rooms we measure, which laboratory samples we collect, and how we interpret the results.

Instruments and units

2. What we measure, and with what

ClearHome measures each category with professional-grade instruments and, where included, accredited-laboratory analysis. The report states, for every reading, the parameter, the unit, and whether the value came from a real-time screening instrument or a laboratory method. The specific instrument models, serial numbers, and calibration dates for your visit are recorded in your service agreement and in our calibration log.

Sampling sequence

3. Baselines and sampling

Indoor readings are interpreted with outdoor conditions and room use in mind. We record a local outdoor baseline so an indoor value is not read as though the home exists in isolation. Water samples are collected using the laboratory's containers and instructions, and the record documents the tap, treatment path, date and time, flushing or stagnation condition, and any preservative or temperature requirement. Where a filter is present, before-and-after sampling can show whether it is working for the analytes in the panel.

Laboratory handling

4. Laboratory analysis and quality review

Included water and mold samples are submitted under the specified conditions to the laboratory identified in your service agreement. Water is analyzed through Tap Score by SimpleLab and its network of accredited partner laboratories; mold dust DNA (ERMI / HERTSMI-2) is analyzed by a specialized mold laboratory, Mycometrics or EnviroBiomics. ClearHome states the accreditation and method that apply to the selected panel rather than using "certified lab" as a general label. We review on-site data and laboratory results together rather than treating a single result as the entire story.

Quality control behind every assessment:

• A calibration log for every instrument, with recalibration on the manufacturer's schedule.
• Chain-of-custody on all laboratory samples, with timestamped photographs of sampling locations.
• A standardized field data-capture form so any technician produces comparable data.
• A second-reviewer check of anomalies and calibration sanity before the report is finalized.

The Clear Home Index

5. How findings are scored and prioritized

Raw numbers do not tell a homeowner what to fix first. The Clear Home Index grades each reading against a stated reference range and then weights it by how the room is used, so a condition beside a child's bed can outrank the same value in a rarely used storage room. Recommendations are prioritized by measured severity, room use, feasibility, and confidence in the finding. The index is a planning tool, not a medical diagnosis or a government safety certification.

Findings are placed on five bands:

The reference ranges behind each band are drawn from published guidance, including the U.S. EPA, the World Health Organization, ASHRAE ventilation guidance, IEEE PAR1789 for flicker, and the CIE method for melanopic light, alongside recognized building-biology reference levels. The specific source behind every range is identified in your report. Where no residential standard exists, for example power-line EMF, the report identifies the source used, states the uncertainty, and keeps measurement separate from any medical-risk determination.

Source hierarchy

6. How we compare results

The report separates enforceable public standards, health-based goals or advisories, and ClearHome planning ranges so they are not presented as though they mean the same thing. Where authoritative guidance exists, we cite it. Where a category has no residential standard, the report says so and explains what the reading can and cannot establish.

Limitations

7. What our methods cannot do

• Measurements describe conditions present at the time of assessment. Many parameters vary by hour, season, weather, occupancy, and product use.
• A limited test cannot establish the absence of every possible contaminant, locate hidden mold from one sample, or prove that a home is safe.
• Screening instruments show relative patterns; compound-specific identification requires an appropriate laboratory method.
• ClearHome does not diagnose a medical condition, determine the cause of symptoms, or perform corrective work.