Having molds in a home can be scary. Mold infestations cause many health complications including respiratory diseases, allergies, asthma, and sneezing. These microbes can also result in damage to wooden structures and other organic materials like clothing, carpets, rugs, paints, and walls. Top Home Inspection team can reveal two things – first, it can detect if molds are really growing in the home and second, if there is water problem that could be causing molds to grow.
If you suspect there could be molds in the house, you can consider having an inspection. Even if you have seen the areas where mold is growing, you also need an inspection because visible mold growth can mean there is much more mold infesting locations out of view. Top Home Inspection technicians will look for signs of molds including allergic symptoms from family members or even the technicians themselves, the presence of mold smell, and water problems like leaking pipes, flooding, and leaky roofs.
Our inspectors will check areas such as the basement and attic which are prone to having moisture or water problems. Areas near water sources such as bathtubs, showers, pipes, sinks, and toilets are also assessed. Even when mold can’t be seen in a room, it can grow hidden from view. It can be behind walls, under the floors, above the ceiling, or inside the air conditioning ducts and out technicians know these things.
The technicians use different mold screening techniques including direct surface sampling and air quality sampling. In the former, the inspector will physically test active visible mold. If the technicians can physically see the mold, they will us direct surface sampling. When it comes to air quality sampling, our inspectors use special devices to trap and test the spore count present in the air.
Spores are seeds released by actively thriving molds and they are suspended in air where they remain constantly floating looking for surfaces to land and reproduce. A baseline test is performed outside the home and the other test is done in the house, especially in the areas suspected to have molds growth. If the spore count inside the house is higher than the count outside, it indicates there is active mold growth. Air quality sampling can be used when there is no visible mold growth.
