MOLD TESTING SERVICES AND MOLD INSPECTION
Mold Testing – Keep Your Home and Business Healthy
A common misconception is that only dirty houses or buildings get mold; clean and tidy homes and businesses are spared. The truth is that mold can be present anywhere, in any type of home, office, or building. Often the occupants don’t know they have a mold problem, and are suffering serious health consequences. That’s why mold testing and inspections are so important. Airguard Restoration is a top-rated mold testing company that services the Northern Ohio area. We provide mold testing for homes and businesses.
Mold Can Cause Illness
Mold spreads spores that can make you sick, including triggering asthma attacks and other respiratory issues. Black mold can be extremely toxic. A spot of mold the size of a dime contains approximately 500,000 spores. A mold issue in one room can lead to a whole building problem, as spores can easily travel through general air currents and HVAC systems and cross-contaminate the premises quickly. Through expert mold testing, our certified mold inspectors can help you discover what’s causing mold growth in your home or business. Mold sickness can cause sneezing, runny or stuffy nose, itchy or watery eyes, nose and throat, cough and postnasal drip, wheezing, rashes, and more. If you think you’ve been exposed to mold in your home or workplace, call us to schedule a consultation today.
When Should You Test for Mold?
If you smell a musty odor or see mold
• After a flood, leak, or sewage back-up
• If people or pets are experiencing allergy-like symptoms
• Before you perform mold remediation
• If a basement, attic, or other area is damp
• Before purchasing or selling any home or property,
especially if suspect mold was found during a home
inspection
• If an ice dam has formed on your roof and leaked into your
home or workplace
Test for Mold Before You Remediate
If you suspect you have mold, the first thing you should do is call a mold testing company. Why is this important? Because you want an honest answer. Once Airguard Restoration performs unbiased testing, we will provide you with an outline for mold removal, so you can implement the plan. We have Been in business for 17 years doing over 11,000 homes in the Northern Ohio area.
Clear Mold Reporting and Answers
In addition to finding the mold, the experts at Airguard Restoration are able to analyze it and determine what type of mold it is and how much of a potential health hazard it is to you and your family. Since we provide you with a blueprint for remediation, you can then make a more informed decision regarding mold remediation and what to do about your mold problem. Once the remediation is complete, Airguard Restoration can come back to conduct clearance testing to ensure the mold was removed properly.
What is the Mold Inspection Process
Our mold inspection process starts with a visual inspection of the outside. We look for any damage that is leading to a water intrusion. Once we come inside we take the time to listen more then we talk. We want to understand your concerns and your families general health issues. We do ask if there are any known past or present water issues in the home. After understanding your concerns we begin the visual mold inspection in the basement or lower crawlspace. Is the basement dry? Is there visible water or moisture damage? Damage can include wood rot, drooping ceiling tile, carpet damage and floor molding damage. We look up at the ceilings as well to determine if mold is present on the ceiling joist, and we inspect the HVAC system for a humidifier. On the living floors we do the following checks: is there a general water issue on walls, floors and ceilings? We check closets that can be cold areas where the home’s humidity can settle out. We also look at the areas under sinks to see if there is any damage. The attic is next on the list. Does the attic have enough insulation? Is there enough venting for the area? Are the bathroom fans vented properly? Are there any roof or chimney leaks? Most importantly have these issues caused mold in the attic? Our construction knowledge helps us to understand how building components work together. We can correct the underlying cause with our mold work to insure no new mold growth. Tools we utilize include thermal cameras , temp/ humidity sensors, moisture meters and mold testing equipment.
Mold Testing
Airguard Restoration does 3 types of testing. We do air testing, swab testing, and tape lift testing. The best way to know if your home is healthy is to test the home. All homes have some mold. But its important to know if the types and amounts are healthy. The best test to determine the health of your home is to take an air samples. Air samples give us the best understanding of your homes air. The air test compares the inside air verses the outside air. Most homes have better air quality than the outside air. These tests even let us know if there is a problem behind the walls . A room can look clean but have mold behind the surfaces. The test let us know what’s behind the walls, ceilings and carpeting. These tests give us the best indication of what we are breathing. This is really important for individuals that hat been told they have elevated mold levels per a medical test. These tests take about 5 minutes each and a few days to get back from a 3nd party lab.
Other tests that we can preform include swab testing and tape lift testing. Both of these tests a good to know what is on a surface . First we determine an area that we would like to test . We take a sample off a spot and send it to a 3rd
Mold Testing
Duct cleaning is important to do . The duct system of your house can help to keep the rest of your home clean and healthy . The air in your home gets caught in the the air handling system of your home. And Dust mites and other allergens can worsen the air that moves through your home. Dust bacteria, germs, virus’s, mold , and pet hair all reduce the efficiency of your system. Free flow of air is important for a health home. During the duct cleaning process the vents are brushed clean and the waste left over is sucked into our equipment. Its surprising how even a clean homes ducts can be filled with debris and germs. The system is fogged with an antimicrobial . To make sure we have a complete job we even clean the dryer hose. And did you know over 15,000 fires a year are caused by dry lines catching fire. This can easily be avoided with proper maintenance . We can even replace the dryer line if it is damaged .