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Why is Mold growing in my home?
Molds are part of the natural environment. Outdoors, molds play a part in nature by breaking down dead organic matter such as fallen leaves and dead trees, but indoors, mold growth should be avoided. Molds reproduce by means of tiny spores; the spores are invisible to the naked eye and float through outdoor and indoor air. Mold may begin growing indoors when mold spores land on surfaces that are wet. There are many types of mold, and none of them will grow without water or moisture. Hidden Mold You may suspect hidden mold if a building smells moldy, but you cannot see the source, or if you know there has been water damage and residents are reporting health problems. Mold may be hidden in places such as the back side of dry wall, wallpaper, or paneling, the top side of ceiling tiles, the underside of carpets and pads, etc. Other possible locations of hidden mold include areas inside walls around pipes (with leaking or condensing pipes), the surface of walls behind furniture (where condensation forms), inside ductwork, and in roof materials above ceiling tiles (due to roof leaks or insufficient insulation). |
Inspection Services
5 levels of inspection services that have been formed, are endorsed by ESA and are used in the mold inspection standards and protocols used by the certified mold inspector. These services range from an inspection that is requested in a specific client defined area, to an inspection that can produce mold remediation specification*. All of the services have a clear understanding and written explanation, within the inspection agreement of what will be inspected. Mold testing, air quality sampling, moisture detection and infrared camera technology are used and available to help determine the condition of your home.
Limited Sampling
Limited Mold Sampling is used to detect the presence of mold contamination in client defined areas of the home. This service provides a fast economical method to determine if and what type of molds are in the air of that defined area. The limitation of this service is that other sources of mold may be present in the home not seen or discovered yet by air testing.
Mold Screen
Mold Screening inspections utilizes a visual assessment of the entire home, identifies "red flags" for mold, and a limited sampling for mold. If "red flags" are found, the client will be advised and offered the chance for additional sampling. The Mold Screen Inspection is the most popular (and best value) inspection service for home sale transactions
Mold Survey
The value of this service is that it identifies, determines cause and provides corrective measures for all mold sources discovered in the entire home. This service is mainly used once a problem has been identified by air testing and remediation specifications are needed to be produced by the Certified Remediation Specialist.
Clearance Testing
Clearance Testing is designed to determine the success of remediation efforts. A containment area has been established and remediation was done within that containment area..
Post-Cleaning Testing
Post-Cleaning Testing is also designed to determine the success of remediation efforts. The difference between Clearance and Post-Cleaning is no containment will be in place.