Mold Inspection Services

The following are reasons to have your home evaluated for mold:

1. Visible mold growth exists on drywall, clothes, furnishings, or wood components such as baseboards.
2. You have been diagnosed with extreme allergies, asthma, auto-immune deficiency, or other pulmonary function issues.
3. The home is on a crawlspace.
4. There is a systemic water leak at your property.
5. A recent flood event has occurred.
6. The home has a faulty HVAC system.
7. The home has been neglected or is in disrepair.
8. Fungal odors can be smelled at the property.
9. You may have been exposed to amplified mold or dampness in a previous home.
10. Small children or an elderly person live in the home.

Mold and airborne mold spores are omnipresent. While mold can’t be eliminated from the air, it can be controlled. In short, you cannot eliminate mold, but you can control it indoors. The important idea to grasp is that without elevated moisture levels, there will not be elevated mold. Thus, we prepare remediation plans for mold growth based on the moisture level rather than the mold. Of the 5,000,000 species of fungi, only about two dozen are found indoors. They can be divided into three groups:

1. Xerophillic or opportunistic molds (storage molds). These molds are almost always present. They can survive on the normal humidity levels found inside our buildings, meaning we do not need an active moisture source for these molds. The most common of these are Penicillium chrysogenum and Aspergillus versicolor. Finding these molds in our samples rarely indicates a problem unless we see physical evidence of spore settlement. This manifests as a greenish-grey powder on walls, draperies, upholstery, clothes, leather goods, and so on.
2. Secondary colonizers or phylloplane fungi. These molds require only elevated indoor humidity and dampness (no active water source). Molds commonly found in this category are Alternaria, Cladisporium, Ulocladium, and Phoma.
3. Tertiary colonizers or "water indicator molds." These molds require an active water source like a leak, to grow. They are known to produce mycotoxins and include Chaetomium globosum, Memnoniella echinate, Stachybotrys chartarum and various species of Trichoderma. We may also find Basidiospores (mushrooms) on heavily saturated wood. Water indicator molds require physical/mechanical agitation to release spores. Outdoors, this occurs from the wind.

What many homeowners don’t realize is that in order to give an accurate assessment of the mold risk of a building, the certified mold inspector must understand all the factors that affect indoor air quality.

For example, do you know many researchers believe more people are affected by microscopic insect parts, fine particulates, and dust mites than mold? If air quality consultants are not experienced or knowledgeable in associative contaminants, they may be missing a big component of the indoor environment.

In order to accurately administer and interpret the results of a mold test, your consultant should have a strong background in the following:

Your consultant should be able to collect and analyze samples without the need of an outside laboratory. The lab has no idea of the physical conditions present. All they can do is to identify the specie of mold present. Unfortunately, that is useless information without benefit of many other factors.

If you have your home tested, and the "tester" hands you a "lab report," you should ask for a refund of your money. It is mostly useless information. You should also know that mold labs are well known for having large margins of error in their analysis and identification. Many consultants believe it is over 40%. The Ph.D. mycologist in charge of the lab is rarely the one performing the analysis and most of those who are performing the analysis, have limited experience or knowledge of fungal spore identification and virtually no background in mold assessment.

1. Building science: How is the home constructed?
2. HVAC systems: Is yours working properly?
3. Insects and rodents: Is pest management the real issue?
4. Ventilation: Improper ventilation creates stagnant air and moisture.
5. Fungal spore identification: What type of mold is present and why?
6. What are the background measurements for humidity, dew point, and temperature?
7. What are the small particulate readings?

This chart will help you identify common concerns with mold and how to address them.