How Important Is A Home Mold Inspection?
To ensure a healthy living environment, it is essential to get home mold inspections done if you suspect a mold problem. Mold on walls, cabinets, ceilings, and furniture is a definite eyesore, but can also indicate a much bigger problem. Left untreated, trapped moisture hidden in remote areas of your home can lead to structural damage and safety concerns. Overexposure to toxic mold can be the cause of serious respiratory health issues or loss of brain function and can be avoided with professional home mold inspections.
What Are The Signs Of Living In A House With Mold?
Visual signs of mold in your home like dark green or black staining on your walls, ceilings, windowsills, or even on your curtains are a clear indicator that you need home mold inspections to see how serious the mold infestation is. The signs of mold are not always easily detected, and many homeowners don’t notice when a cracked pipe or leaky roof builds moisture up in an inaccessible space until the drywall starts to bubble or warp. Mold in your home can be detected by a musty or mildew smell in the problem area or throughout your home if it has gotten into your HVAC system. You or your family members might also experience respiratory problems that could be caused by mold spores in the air.
What Are Some Good Reasons For A Home Mold Inspection?
When you see signs of mold in your home, it’s a good idea to call for a home mold inspection. But visual identification of mold is not the only evidence you will find in the home. Unexplained health conditions like wheezing, coughing, runny nose or itchy eyes can be caused by mold. These symptoms will affect people with respiratory problems, allergies or compromised immune systems faster and more severely.
If your home has experienced water damage, a professional inspection will verify the source, and any trapped mold and moisture is treated and eliminated. Anyone purchasing a home should test for mold during the inspection period so you can make an informed decision about following through with the offer, presenting a counteroffer or requiring the seller to do repairs or and treatment if mold is found. Home mold inspections should also follow any mold remediation effort to verify it won’t return to cause future damage.
What Are Some Home Mold Inspection Techniques?
Depending on your situation, there are different types of home mold inspection that can be done. Professional mold testing can include non-viable sampling to identify the presence of mold without differentiating between live and dead spores. Viable sampling can detect the mold species but has a longer turnaround time.
The most common type of testing for home mold inspections is air testing to detect mold presence, type and concentration of mold spores. Surface sampling collects cultures that are on the walls and floors, etc. to identify the type of mold and extent of growth. Bulk sampling is the most invasive type of mold testing and involves taking pieces of materials for analysis to identify the type of mold and how far it has spread. Culture testing is the process of growing the mold sample in a laboratory to determine the growth rate and what specific type it is.
The latest in-home technology uses DNA testing to analyze the mold spores specific DNA signature and characteristics. Unfortunately, DIY testing kits can miss hidden or sub-surface mold concentrations, which is why it’s important to hire a home mold inspections professional who has the equipment and experience testing hidden mold properly.
Lab Results From Your Home Mold Inspection
You can expect results from your home mold inspections in a few days or as long as 7-10 days later. Many homeowners can find the results difficult to understand; the report will detail the species of mold and the level of mold growth. It’s recommended that you consult a professional to guide you on the potential health risks to different mold types and if the severity of the growth in your home requires immediate mold remediation.
Remediation Plans Based Specifically On Your Home Mold Inspection Report
While it is normal for homes to have some levels of non-toxic mold spores, the report you get from professional home mold inspections extends beyond numbers. At MSR Restoration, our professional mold inspectors don’t just send you the lab results, we interpret the lab reports to provide easy-to-understand guidance on your next steps. Your mold inspector knows what circumstances require immediate mold remediation and can provide expert advice on necessary actions you should take.
Not all home mold inspections result in a full mold remediation recommendation. After inspecting your home, your MSR Restoration inspector can advise on ways to minimize allergens and improve the air quality in your home. Additionally, many homeowners appreciate the guidance we provide for mold and water damage prevention so your home maintains its property value and mold doesn’t harm your home and the health of your loved ones.
