So you see mold, had a past moisture issue, or feeling ill and someone suggested mold or air quality issues –
now what do you do?
Mold inspections for residential and commercial properties have become a common occurrence to safeguard the health and well-being of occupants, and to protect the equity of building owners investments. These inspections are frequently begun after a water intrusion has occurred and concerns by inhabitants or a property sale and transaction is in the works.
Quality mold inspections will typically begin with a thorough visual inspection of the property. The inspector will be looking for any signs of current or past water intrusion since water or moisture is necessary for mold growth. The inspection will look for moisture around plumbing fixtures, attics, crawlspaces, or basements, and anywhere else a problem may be present, as it is sometimes the case with small leaks in plumbing in the wall cavity, as the moisture may not always be evident in those circumstances. The inspector may use additional tools such as a moisture meter, borescope or infrared camera to look for the moisture, and take environmental readings such as relative humidity, CO2 and temperature of 1 or more areas.
Depending on what the inspector discovers, they may recommend taking air, bulk or surface (direct) samples to test for the presence of mold. It is imperative that the source of any moisture be identified and repaired to prevent future mold growth.
Once the results are analyzed the the laboratory, the inspector will combine those results with the inspection notes and photos in a detailed report, and provide a recommendation with precautionary recommendation(s) for possible solutions.