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What does the Inspector do?
The Inspector does a full visual inspection of the property. This includes areas of concern and general areas that typically have mold growth.
We inspect:
*All interior walls with a Moisture Meter and/or Thermal Imaging Camera to identify areas more likely to have hidden mold.
*All closets, under sinks, under stairs, around windows/doors, or any areas where water is present. (Bathrooms, Utility Rooms, Kitchens, ETC)
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After the full visual inspection of the property, a testing plan is suggested to the client. Our inspectors must suggest any sample that could be beneficial to you the client. It is then your decision to decide what is most important to your situation and what you would like collected and submitted for analysis. It is not uncommon for more samples to be suggested than submitted. We must do things in this way to avoid problems with a client figuring out they needed a sample that was NOT submitted; legal matters that need as much evidence as possible for example.
Types of samples:
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Air Quality Sample – This is collected via an air pump and spore trap. Our traps collect 75 Cubic Liters of air, and identify any mold spores present in the air. All homes have some levels of mold in the air, these samples determine if the airborne levels in the clients home are normal or have elevated levels. We can collect these from any rooms/areas of concern, and we base them off of an outside control sample.
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Cavity Sample – This is collected with the same air pump, but with a tube connected to the end of the spore trap to allow a sample to be collected from within walls. These are collected whenever a wall shows signs of visual damage or if a wall has high moisture content. These tell us whether elevated conditions exist behind inaccessible walls to determine if removal is necessary.
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Surface Sample – Surface samples can be taken of any visual discoloration or growth that is observed. We are able to do this by using a medical swab or tape lift. These will identify the species of any observed growth. This often helps when determining the source of any airborne levels.
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The samples collected identify any mold types present. Air samples give exact spore counts and concentrations. Surface samples identify the mold species and growth concentration. We always start with an outside air sample that serves as a control that sets baseline numbers for what is normal and acceptable. It is then compared to an inside sample from the area of greatest concern. This will basically let us know whether or not elevated conditions exist or not.
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After samples have been collected, they are then sent to a third party laboratory for analysis.
If elevated conditions exist, a full Mold Remediation plan of any required remediation work is then created. This report tells you what samples were taken, what exact species and concentration were found, and what the next steps would be. All samples collected are accompanied by a photo for identification purposes.
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If elevated conditions are not found to exist, a general findings report is provided stating the collected samples and that elevated mold conditions were not found to exist.