Molds are a form of fungi that grow naturally and play a key role in decomposition outdoors. Molds are typically found in soil, plants, and dead or decaying matter. Molds survive by absorbing whatever material they are growing on. Indoors, however, molds can potentially threaten your home or building and your health. Like a plant spreads its seeds, molds give off spores to reproduce. These spores land on moist areas indoors and outdoors and begin to thrive. Molds can harm the structures they live on and the persons in them. An evaluation of the regions, moisture control, and proper remediation are essential to protecting your health and home.
Even if you can’t see it, you may suspect mold by a musty odor. You may also imagine hidden mold if you know there has been a water problem in the building and its occupants report health problems. Mold can grow anywhere when moisture conditions permit.
Mold can occur due to many types of leaks; leaking roofs, leaking or condensing water pipes, especially pipes inside wall cavities or pipe chases, leaking fire-protection sprinkler systems, landscaping, gutters, and downspouts that direct water into or under a building. High humidity (> 60% relative humidity) can also be a culprit, such as unvented combustion appliances like clothes dryers vented into a garage. Some moisture problems are not easy to see. For example, the inside of the walls where pipes and wires are run are common mold growth sites. Mold is frequently found on walls in cold corners behind furniture where condensation forms. Other possible locations of hidden moisture resulting in hidden mold growth are: poorly draining condensate drain pans inside air handling units, porous thermal or acoustic liners inside ductwork, roof materials above ceiling tiles, the backside of drywall (also known as gypsum board, wallboard, or sheetrock, paneling and wallpaper and the underside of carpets and pads.
How Can Mold Be Harmful and Dangerous?
Mold can grow on virtually any organic material if moisture and oxygen are present. Some molds produce on wood, paper, carpet, food, and insulation. Because mold eats or digests what it is growing on, it can damage a building and its furnishings. If left unchecked, mold can eventually cause structural damage to building materials. All molds have the potential to cause health problems. Once molds grow indoors, a musty odor is observed, followed by symptoms such as headaches, breathing difficulties, allergic reactions, skin irritation, or elevated asthma. All of these depend on the person, the type of mold, and the building itself.
You can prevent damage to buildings and building contents, save money, and avoid potential health problems by controlling moisture and eliminating mold growth.
Mold Testing
A mold inspection can be preventative or needed due to a problem, such as a water leak, visual mold findings, or health concerns. Inspection of the affected areas may help locate the mold contamination source, identify some mold species, and differentiate between mold and soot or dirt. Our mold inspection includes all the laboratory fees for the samples taken and a full report, including the visual inspector’s assessment/recommendations to remediate any areas of fungal contamination.
Mold testing involves a series of steps for proper handling of the conditions and to inhibit future problems:
What does the inspection look like?
Our mold inspections consist of evaluating the home’s current conditions and inspecting for possible moisture intrusions where mold amplification is likely. The inspection will include using a thermal imaging device, which provides an x-ray type of vision into the wall/ceiling/floor cavities without any damage. Since moisture leaks can often be hidden behind walls, the thermal imaging device is an excellent tool for locating potential leaks that may otherwise be unseen. The inspection will also include using moisture meters to detect building materials’ moisture levels. An example of what a thermal imaging device can show is to the right.
How do you sample for mold?
The inspector may recommend three types of samples to the onsite representative at the inspection time. The total number of samples is determined onsite based on the inspector’s areas of concern and what is authorized to be collected during the inspection. It is knowing the exact number of samples before the inspection is impossible.
If possible, samples are collected from inconspicuous areas to minimize any aesthetic impact; if this is not possible, Signature Environmental will confirm an appropriate sampling location with the property owner (or onsite representative) to minimize the visibility of the sampling area.
How can I prepare for the mold inspection?
To get an accurate representation of fungal spores present, keeping the windows and doors closed as safety permits and air purifiers in the “off” setting for at least 4-12 hours before the inspection is recommended. Ensure that all areas that may be wanted to be inspected are accessible such as pulling furniture away from walls or ensuring no doors are locked for the inspector.
When will the report and results be available?
This depends on the turnaround time that the paying party selected. Once the laboratory has finished analyzing the samples, a report will be generated explaining any areas of concern, risk assessment, and remediation recommendations if necessary. All documents will be sent via email in PDF format to the client. Unless otherwise indicated, the report and results will be sent only to the client/paying party. Please do not ask us to distribute this information to other people. The paying party is free to share the information with anyone they wish. This states that anyone who wants to know about your results cannot get the information from us without a subpoena. This includes real estate agents, lawyers, sellers, buyers, tenants, property management, etc. The paying party will be the only data recipient unless authorized to release information specific to other individuals on the original agreement.
What Can Happen if Mold isn’t Found?
While most types of mold aren’t toxic, they can still cause health problems if they aren’t taken care of. The most common health problems are allergies, allergic reactions (which can be severe), sinus infections, lung inflammation, respiratory infections, asthma attacks, and breathing problems.
Black mold and other toxic molds can cause asthma attacks, fatigue, depression, sinus infections, and severe breathing issues.
Can I Test for Mold Myself?
The Environmental Protection Agency advises hiring a professional mold inspector because mold exposure can be dangerous – especially without the proper equipment.
If you find any molds, you need to take a sample and send it to a lab for testing to ensure that it isn’t toxic.
Purchasing the right equipment and getting the lab results would be pretty costly. You could also miss a spot containing mold, and the continuous mold growth in your home will cause health problems.
How Much Does a Mold Inspection Cost?
Pricing varies depending on the size and type of home. We recommend calling us at 888-860-2688 and speaking to someone who can gather information about your home and provide an accurate quote. Not every situation or home is the same, so the more information we have, the more precise quote we can provide.
Mold Grows Quickly:
Mold needs only moisture, temperatures above 40 °F (4 °C), and organic material to survive. Mold can grow in 24-48 hours, preferring areas with no sunlight, limited airflow, and little disruption.
Mold Destroys Your Home:
Because mold eats or digests what it is growing on, it can damage a building, its furnishings, and personal belongings. If left unchecked, mold can eventually cause structural damage to building materials. Molds gradually destroy the things they grow on. You can prevent damage to buildings and building contents, save money, and avoid potential health problems by controlling moisture and eliminating mold growth.
Cleaning Visible Mold is Not Enough:
Mold can grow in fiberglass insulation, on top of ceiling tiles, inside HVAC systems, behind drywall panels, in wall cavities, and behind wallpaper. Even when visible, it’s often impossible to tell the difference between mold, soot, and dirt without testing. The mold is just the beginning; some are extremely hard to find!
Bleach & Detergent Will Not Eliminate Mold:
Bleach and detergent are useful for removing mold on nonporous surfaces. However, materials such as ceiling tiles, carpeting, and wallboard will have deep mold penetration and may need to be replaced. Removed mold will regrow if all sources of moisture and humidity are not eliminated.
Mold Cleaning is Hazardous:
It only takes 3-5 mold spores to cause an allergic reaction, and some molds contain carcinogenic or deadly mycotoxins. Cleaning and air movement will cause mold to release its spores — it’s easy to accidentally knock hundreds of thousands of spores loose from a single patch of mold. Because of this, containment procedures using HEPA filtration are necessary to prevent contaminating the entire house or building.
Our inspections use state-of-the-art thermal imaging cameras, moisture meters, borescope cameras, source sampling, and air sampling to accurately assess the conditions in the areas of concern.
An infrared inspection can detect the following:
