Mold Investigations

Mold Inspections and Sampling

Residential Mold Inspections

A major segment of our services involves residential inspections. As more people become aware of the potential hazards of toxic molds and the possibility that their health issues could be a result of exposure, they are taking the proactive step of a mold inspection of their home. Because of the non-invasive and non-destructive elements of most of our inspections, these inspections can be performed quickly and efficiently. Homeowners don’t have to tolerate unending air sampling and return visits to determine if toxic molds are present. Air sampling becomes necessary only if there is a strong indication of a mold reservoir and then only if the owner needs to know specifically which molds are present. Usually when we find mold the recommended course is to remove it, regardless of the genus and species of the mold found.

Commercial Mold Inspections

Commercial mold inspections cover the broadest range of living and working environments. Offices, warehouses, health care facilities, retail outlets and schools are just a few of the various environments included in commercial mold inspections. Because the environments vary so much in complexity, the scope of each inspection must be tailored to the needs of that particular building.
The most important aspect of a good commercial mold inspection is gathering information from the owners, tenants, maintenance personnel, and employees who actually work in the building. Collecting and evaluating that information will give the inspection team the strategy to begin the inspection. This information typically includes the age of the building, present or past history of any moisture intrusion issues, placement of mechanical systems like air conditioning or refrigeration equipment, and possible health issues reported by anyone residing or working in the building.

Real Estate Pre-Sale Screenings

In NW Washington few houses are built during a totally rain free season. If the builder is careful to thoroughly dry all framing materials before installing insulation and drywall, mold contamination should not be an issue.
Your purchase of a home may be the largest investment you’ll ever make. As a buyer you have the right to know if moisture intrusion or mold contamination has been found during the lifetime of the house. A real estate sales screening for mold is an inexpensive addition to a regular pre-sale home inspection. We have worked in conjunction with home inspectors on several pre-sales inspections. Since many of the parameters of each inspection process overlap, the mold inspection can be much less expensive. For instance, a regular home inspection covers a visual inspection of both the attic and basement crawl spaces. If the home inspector doesn’t see any sign of moisture intrusion or discoloration similar to mold, the mold inspector doesn’t need to duplicate the home inspector’s efforts.
Not every home has moisture intrusion issues which would lead to a mold contamination. Buyers should only contact a Property Mold Specialist if they suspect a potential problem. Contrary to prevailing popular “wisdom”, a mold inspection should not negatively impact a potential sale.

Mold Sampling Procedures

We usually only recommend actual sampling for molds if the individuals residing or working in the building have health issues and are being monitored by a health care professional and to determine the effectiveness of a mold remediation. In most situations where we find a mold reservoir, the protocol is to remove the mold and repair the source of moisture intrusion, regardless of the genus and species of molds found.
We utilize several methods to prepare samples for the lab.

Tape Lifts – Adhesive tape is pressed into the visible mold colony and removed with the mold spores and particles embedded in the adhesive.
Bulk Samples – Actual pieces of drywall, wood, carpet, etc. are removed and bagged for delivery to the lab.
HEPA Vacuum – Vacuum filter is sent to the lab after vacuuming the visible mold colony.
Viable Air Sampling – This is our most common method of preparing mold samples. Air from the contaminated area is pumped through an impactor which has a Petri dish inside. The mold spores and particles are impacted onto the agar lab medium. This method allows the lab to determine if the mold is still active, able to be activated, or completely dead. If the mold is viable, the lab can determine the genus and species of mold as it grows on the lab medium. This is especially helpful to health care providers in determining which molds may be causing health related issues in a mold sensitive individual.

We do not utilize nonviable air sampling (spore traps) because this method is useful for microscopic analysis only, and only tells the lab the genus of the mold. Since different species of molds produce different mycotoxins they can cause different effects on the health of sensitive people. It’s important for a health care provider to know the exact species present in the sample.