When purchasing a new home or office, you should consider requesting for a mold inspection. Mold inspection is not the same as a typical housing inspection. It involves a different process and goal. How do you determine whether it is worth it to conduct a mold inspection on your property? There are a couple of different scenarios in which you might require a mold inspection. We will discuss when a mold inspection is necessary and its processes.
What is mold?
Mold is a fungus, and like all fungi, it thrives in moist places and can spread within 24-48 hours. Mold spreads by emitting spores – microscopic particles often as small as a single cell. These spores are airborne and float until they settle on a surface. Mold spores are everywhere, both indoors and outdoors. It would be practically impossible to remove all mold spores from a building without installing some type of giant industrial cleanroom filtration system.
Fortunately, mold spores only grow into mold when they land on a moist surface. This means that a dry interior can assist you in keeping the mold out. This includes cleaning up spills, repair roof leaks, plumbing, or HVAC system and ensure high water usage areas (bathroom and kitchen) are properly venting moisture out.
There are two main reasons to clean up and remove any mold growths in your property: mold damages the surface it is growing on, and mold may intensify allergies or asthma.
When to inspect for mold
Some mold growths are visible. Seeing mold growth on your walls or moldings in your home means it is spreading through the air. Mold may also grow in areas you cannot see, like between walls or in ducts. It may also develop microscopic colonies that may escape the eye. Some situations which will warrant you to check for any mold problems include:
- Water damage – flooded basement, a leaky roof, or a broken or damaged pipework causing water spillage. This all warrants a mold inspection. Any wet area and not quickly dried (within 24 to 48 hours) could become contaminated by mold.
- Purchasing a new property – the only way to determine the level of water damage experienced by the new property is to conduct a mold inspection.
- After a property has been unoccupied for months or years, humidity could have built up inside, leading to mold growth. This is a problem, especially in warmer areas with high humidity.
- After mold remediation – no one wants to go through the often expensive and difficult mold remediation processes. Constant mold inspections are considered as a best practice to ensure they are checked.
- If you observe some green, black, blue, or white growth in your property, consider a mold inspection to ensure you discover it all. They are often not limited to one location.
What happens during a mold inspection?
We have two types of mold inspections that we offer. One is a visual mold inspection were one of our licensed mold inspectors comes down to your house with a moisture meter and thermal imaging and inspects your entire house. With this meter and camera our mold inspector is able to see what is going on behind your walls with out damaging anything. Based off of what the mold inspector sees he can base off of that if you have any leaks and mold.
We also offer air testing and swab testing inspections. One of our mold inspectors comes down and takes air samples in the affected rooms or where ever he thinks it is necessary to take the air samples or swab tests. Then we ship these samples over night to our licensed lab and we give you the results the next day.
Base off of these results we can tell you what mold Remediation job will have to be done in order to remove the mold. When we do both of these inspections we also find the source of the mold so we make sure to prevent it from coming back once we finish the job.
Finding the right mold inspector
Seek contractors with specific experience and specialized expertise in mold inspections and remediation. Enquire about how many mold remediation they’ve carried out within the last six months. Call around your area and obtain a few estimates. There might be a wide price range, so shopping around could save you a few hundred dollars.
Check your state health department or labor department to see if mold inspectors are required to have a special certification or license. If so, you want to make sure you only work with a properly certified contractor.
At 24 Hour Mold Removal, we encourage you to contact us (718) 336-7500 for 24 hour emergency service, and one of our representatives would be eager to assist you with your needs.
We aim to offer you the best customer satisfaction. Get in touch with us today and receive more information about our services. You will be glad you did!
