MOLD & RADON FAQ'S

WHAT IS A MOLD INSPECTION?

A mold inspection is a comprehensive visual inspection of your home to look for mold. When you have a mold inspection, the inspector will examine all areas of your home with various tools and the resulting inspection report may include: red flags that may indicate a mold problem such as moisture intrusion.

 

WHAT IS MOLD TESTING?

Mold testing tests the air quality in other areas of your home to make sure you do not need to evacuate. It is normal to find a small amount of airborne mold during a mold testing, but your mold testing contractor will let you know if your rooms harbor a more dangerous level.  The inspector will then take samples of the air in a room(s) or inside of a wall cavity or take an actual sample of visual mold growth and send the samples to an accredited lab.

 

WHY DO I NEED MOLD TESTING OR INSPECTION?

If you are having a problem with allergies then there’s a good chance there could be mold growing somewhere in your home. Common allergic reactions to mold include sneezing, sore eyes and a runny nose or nasal congestion.

Do you notice your allergic reactions are worse when you’re at home but you feel better when you go out? If so then it’s especially likely you could have mold. If you find that your allergies are worse in some other building, like your workplace, then there could be mold growing there instead.

 

WHAT ARE COMMON SIGNS OF MOLD GROWTH?

Visible mold growth might seem like an obvious sign of mold. However many people don’t notice small amounts of mold growth or they think it’s just soot or dirt. Sometimes people simply ignore visible mold in their house.

 

If you can see mold growth, even if it’s only small, you should take action immediately. Small mold patches can spread and the fact that there is any mold shows that the conditions in your home are right for mold to grow. If you don’t take care of mold it will soon become a bigger problem. Visible mold growth could also be a sign that there is a much larger mold colony growing hidden away from view.

 

Sometimes you might not realize there is mold in your house, especially if it is unusual looking mold. Some mold growth looks white and thread-like. Other mold appears as clusters of small black spots. Mold can be black, gray-brown, gray-green or white in color. Mold growing behind wallpaper made of vinyl can even appear orange, pink or purple.

 

WHAT ARE YOUR SERVICE AREAS?

We provide professional inspection services for single family homes, Condominiums, villas, manufactured homes & mobile homes located in Collier County & Lee County, Florida.

 

WHAT ARE SIGNS OF WATER PROBLEMS?

 

• Water Leaks

• Past Flooding

• Condensation

 

If you have had any long term moisture problems in your house it’s usually inevitable they will lead to mold beginning to grow. So if you know you’ve had some water problems in your home then it’s a pretty good sign you could have mold.

 

Some signs that you have a moisture problem include water stains or discoloration on walls, floors or ceilings in your house. Seeing these could be a clue that there is mold growing within or behind the material. Another sign of a moisture problem is surface abnormalities like peeling, bubbling or cracking of the paint or wallpaper. If your walls are bowed, bulging or warped it probably means moisture has gotten into them. Another clue is if the surface of walls or other materials feel damp.

 

Water problems in homes are usually created by leaks. However if you already know that you have had a water leak (such as leaking pipes or a leaking ceiling) then just that knowledge by itself, even if you don’t see signs of water damage, is a good sign that you might have mold growing in your house around the area where the leak was.

 

Mold growth from leaks can often be hidden. If the leak was behind a wall or other surface then any mold will probably be hidden behind the surface too. Even if the leak was not behind a surface there could still be mold hidden out of view behind a wall or other surface from water which seeped through.

 

If your house has been flooded in the past then it’s likely that mold would’ve started to grow. Any mold would probably be growing in places where flood water remained the longest such as in the basement. Floods can often create mold growing out of view behind walls or under floors.

 

If you see a lot of condensation in your home then it’s a sign that you have a high amount of moisture and hence a sign that you could have a mold problem. Condensation will occur on surfaces such as glass windows or metal pipes. Mold could be growing where the condensation builds up and collects. Rusting indoor pipes are a sign that you could have a lot of condensation in your house.