All Pro Mold Investigation, LLC

WHAT IS MOLD? Mold is a part of the natural indoor and outdoor environment. It’s a member of the kingdom of fungi and in every breath we take. Mold can’t be eliminated from the inside environment because spores constantly waft through the indoor and outdoor air of a building. Mold needs three things to colonize — food, moisture and oxygen. When mol d spores land on damp spots indoors, they reproduce, digest and destroy what they grow on to survive. Its favorite fo od source is wet building material such as wood beams, floors, carpet, paper, sheet rock, insulation, ceiling tiles a nd bathroom grout. If moisture does not dry within 36 hours, mold will appear. WHY IS MOLD GROWING IN MY HOME? Mold occurs indoors in homes and buildings when there is a moisture problem. From a leaky pipe in a wall cavity, to excessive basement moisture, every home is vulnerable. There are many reasons mold has become the ne w buzz-word in real estate today. During the ’70s, ’80s and ’90s, building codes were changed resulting in tightly sealed buildings that don’t breath. This has increased the humidity levels in our homes. When mold spores, dampness and food sou rces are present mold will grow. Mold can occur in older homes, basements, attics or near plumbing. Cinderblock walls are subsurface, porous and produce natural condensation. When soils outside the building are saturated, water can le ak into the basement unexpectedly. Mold grows on the dirt and debris that travels with the moisture from the outside soil s through the cinderblock. Plumbing leaks, anywhere from under a sink to inside the wall cavity, can go unnoticed for long periods of time. This may cause hidden mold inside your wall, floor and ceiling cavities. Through the use of a fiber optic scope, hidden mold can be detected. HOW DO I TELL IF I LIVE OR WORK IN A SICK BUILDING? Building occupants report a variety of health problems, such as headaches, breathing difficulties, a llergic reactions, and aggravation of asthma symptoms. If an hour after leaving the building they feel relief from thes e symptoms, the building should be investigated for mold. A professional mold inspector should determine if there is a mold problem in your home or office. WHAT IF I FIND MOLD? A homeowner or building manager who discovers signs of mold should have a professional mold inspecti on to determine the cause of the moisture problem, type of mold and clean up required. A professional mold inspectio n should include visual assessment, sophisticated equipment to get into inaccessible areas, collection of mold to det ermine the possible health effects and written reporting. All samples should be sent to a microbiology laboratory for an alysis to determine the type and concentration of the mold. It’s a conflict of interest to inspect and remediate mold growth . Inspectors shouldn’t deal in the remediation/clean up of mold. This avoids a conflict of interest and biased reporting in order to make money off the public. Mold inspectors act as a third party protecting the consumer by providing honest and unb iased answers to mold problems with no conflict of interest in their reporting. A professional mold inspection should dete rmine the species, moisture source and determine if the homeowner, general contractor or a professional mold remediator can clean up the effected area. This can save thousands of dollars for the homeowner. Professional mold inspectors sh ould provide written reporting of their inspection, species identification, remediation/clean up required and future prev entative measures. Sample analysis will provide specific clean up objectives by identifying the exact species, concentr ation, and risk factor of mold involved. These results will be used to define a cost effective remediation plan for the site. If mold is in your home, you must fix the moisture problem and then remediate/clean up the mold. Leaving the moisture problem will ensure the mold will grow back. Depending on the species identified depends on the products used to clean up th e mold. Toxic mold, as an example, cannot be cleaned up with bleach. HOW DO I KNOW WHICH INSPECTOR TO USE? Mold inspectors can discover the extent of the contamination with out disturbing the mold spores. A thorough investigation should include the use of moisture meters, stud finders and a borescope to reach inaccessible areas inside wall cavities, HVAC systems and flooring. The inspection should be interior and exterior, top to bottom including c rawl spaces, attics, basements, bathrooms, laundry facilities, kitchens, attics and exterior closets. If the inspector al so cleans up mold, their reports can be influenced by the money to be made cleaning up the property. Acting as a third party, mold inspectors have nothing to gain financially from a remediation. This avoids any conflict of interest in their invest igation, testing and reporting. Mold inspector findings and the laboratory analysis will provide the cost effective optio ns for their customers by providing an unbiased work scope for remediate/clean up eff orts. ADVERTISEMENT <WEBSITE>allpromold.com</WEBSITE>