Mold Assessments
Mold is a member of the Fungi family, and mold spores can be found almost everywhere. When mold is exposed to high moisture levels, they can begin to grow and start to digest and destroy the material they are growing on, such as wood, wallboard, paper, insulation, carpets and similar organic material. When there is water damage or high moisture levels in buildings or homes, conditions are perfect for triggering mold growth. The mold growth then typically affects the indoor air quality of the building, which can cause health issues for building occupants.
There are thousands of different species of mold, and all of them have the potential to cause ill health effects to occupants of buildings where mold is present. Exposure to mold can be by a number of ways, including direct contact with the mold, inhalation of mold spores, or entry into the body via ingesting. The health effects can include irritation reactions, allergic or hypersensitivity reactions, and infections. In addition, the metabolic byproducts of some mold species include mycotoxins, which can be toxic to some individuals and result in symptoms similar to having the flu. How mold affects a particular individual depends on how sensitive that person is to mold.
If your home or building has a history of moisture problems due to leaks from roofs, pipes, heating or ventilation equipment, etc., or has sustained water damage due to flooding, and you now are concerned about mold, EnviroSense can help. Our environmental scientists will complete an inspection of your building to document potential evidence of mold growth, excessive moisture or water damage problems, and the source of water damage or moisture. We will also interview building occupants to gain their understanding of the source of water damage or excessive moisture, areas thought to be impacted by mold, and any complaints of health issues which may be a related to mold within the building.
Based on the findings of our building assessment and information obtained from interviews, EnviroSense will recommend a course of action. For example, if mold growth is obvious within a portion of the building, and the source of moisture is easily identified, we would provide recommendations for eliminating the source of moisture (if that has not already been done) followed by removal of mold growth and impacted materials via a mold abatement plan which we would develop. Mold abatement efforts could then be completed to remove the mold growth and repair affected building materials. We would then perform post-abatement mold sampling of the building to confirm that the abatement work resulted in removing active mold growth from the affected parts of the building, and reduced mold spores in the indoor air to normal levels.
If you suspect you have a mold problem, but are not able to find obvious signs of active mold growth or water damage, EnviroSense can complete a mold investigation to help confirm whether or not elevated mold levels are present within your home or building. As an example, building occupants may complain of health symptoms similar to those that can be caused by mold, but you are not able to find evidence of mold growth. It’s possible that mold could be growing in concealed locations, such as interior wall cavities, under wallpaper or paneling, under carpeting or above ceilings, or in air ducts. In these cases, EnviroSense field staff would complete a building inspection including measuring moisture levels in building materials to determine if hidden leaks or water damage exists. In addition, we would collect samples to assess if elevated levels of mold are present on interior building surfaces or in the indoor air. From these efforts, we can help you determine if you have a mold problem and, if so, how to best solve it.
Mold can make your interior space an unhealthy and unpleasant place to live. Let the EnviroSense team help restore the enjoyable and healthy environment to live and work. Contact EnviroSense today to speak with a mold expert about your options for removing spore contamination from your home or office.