My goal is to provide my clients with a scientific report of indoor fungal environments, identify probable mold, circumstances that can lead to mold, and give preventative suggestions that may limit potential mold issues. These reports provide information for legal and medical purposes.
The Inspection Process
A mold inspection is conducted to help identify if there is a suspected mold problem in a structure. Inspections are often conducted in lieu of selling or purchasing a home, after known water intrusion, for health concerns, or after mold remediation.
The inspector will do a visual check of all requested livable and non-livable areas, which may take several hours depending on the size of the home. Livable areas include rec rooms, dens, offices, bedrooms, and the like. All closets and cabinets are part of the inspection so it is very important that their contents are removed so that a proper visual check can be conducted. Non-livable areas include the garage, attic, unfinished basements, and crawl spaces. Visual assessment in any area or room can only be done if accessibility permits. Inspections are non-intrusive and non-destructive, meaning walls, flooring and insulation are not removed to determine if a mold problem is likely.
The only way written confirmation of mold activity can be rendered is to collect samples and submit those samples for laboratory analysis. Lab analysis provides scientific documentation of mold growth, which is usually provided within 3 business days. This information is often used when clients are involved with real estate transactions, medical issues, home repair and remodeling.
Sampling
Sampling is an important part of the inspection process. Not every inspection requires sampling, some require extensive sampling. There is never any obligation to have samples taken.
The purpose of taking samples is to give the client lab analysis indicating possible mold issues. The two most common sampling methods are direct and air samples. Direct samples are taken directly from a suspected mold growth. The other method is sampling the air. Air is passed through a spore trap cartridge to later undergo analysis at a lab. To accurately evaluate indoor air, a control sample from outside of the structure must be gathered in addition to approved indoor samples. If the indoor samples yield an elevated spore count or differing mold species than the outdoor sample, this indicates a likely mold problem. The third sampling method is called bulk sampling. This is when a piece of material is gathered and sent to a lab for study.
Sampling is an additional service to an inspection, it is recommended only when mold growth is suspected.
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