Frequent questions about mold inspection & testing services
How much does it cost to check for mold?
Most homeowners can expect to pay around $650 on average.
Coverage includes 24-hour emergency response, sample collection, analysis, and remediation of mold infestation.
Mold removal pricing starts at $59 for water damage and goes up from there. Mold testing is a little more expensive as the labor associated with sampling costs and gear is much higher than a simple test kit or examination kit. Expect to spend upwards of $680-$800 just for testing alone–not to mention the equipment costs that may be needed before you even get started! Contact your local mold inspection or mold testing professional for an estimate to be sure.
What happens to mold if it dries out?
What happens to mold if it dries out?
Mold needs a damp environment to grow. When it dries out, the outer layer of cells shrivels up and die. Without that moist environment, mold cannot fulfill its lifecycle by expressing its functions for reproduction and spreading.
However, inside your home, there are many ways for mold to find moisture – such as high humidity or excessive wood rotting. These environments will allow the mold to thrive despite drying out on the surface of their colonies.
The best way to fight against pesky molds is prevention–to increase floor ventilation with air conditioning or ceiling fans, since this reduces humidity caused by bathing or cooking indoors.
How do mold inspectors find mold?
Mold investigators are typically considered experts in microbiology. Molds do not produce the same kind of spores and the quantity that other bugs generate in the air. Mold inspection is a tedious but necessary operation. In general, mold inspections involve the following three steps:
1) Identify high-risk locations where people spend most of their time (bedrooms, bathrooms, living rooms).
2) Make sure all surfaces are clean (specifically hidden areas where water often leaks – under the refrigerator, washer/dryer appliances, etc.).
3) Inspect for any evidence of mold exposure by observing stains on carpeting; checking electrical outlets and plumbing fixtures for signs of leakage; looking at walls and ceilings between tiles or layers for discoloration.
Answer: Yes, mold air tests are very reliable when performed by a certified professional. An Inspector should survey the property for visible mold, moisture, and air leaks; conduct an inspection to measure airborne particulates and fungi present in the structure; assess occupant complaints or reports of symptoms that may indicate a potential exposure event; review available records to identify past water intrusion events or spills that may have led to contamination of the building’s environment, and give advice on remediation options.
Asking for legal records on water damage is also wise as there will likely be some indication of what happened in these cases and any steps taken to remediate it.
Should I get a mold inspection when buying a house?
Yes, you should always have a mold inspection when buying a house.
A lot of homes have issues that lead to the growth and proliferation of mold spores. The problem is that some people may not be able to notice the symptoms or signs related to mold until it’s too late. You hear about health complications related to mold, but not as often about people developing allergies from stagnant water trapped in walls behind windows – so make sure you are on top of this!
Homeowners have traditionally been worried they would find out their home had extensive developments of black or greenish-black staining in various rooms and under furniture at ground level.
What are the symptoms of black mold?
The most common symptoms and health effects related to black mold exposure or black mold poisoning include a persistent coughing problem, aggravation to the eyes, tendencies to produce nasal mucus membranes, feeling irritated by the skin, continuous fatigue, and continual headaches. If you suspect you have Toxic black mold (Stachybotrys chartarum), contact an Orlando Mold inspection pro asap!
Can I remove black mold myself?
It’s impossible to determine what type of mold you have without laboratory analysis. If you have active mold growth it is most likely because it has a source of water for it to grow.
Frequently questions about Indoor Air Quality
What Causes Indoor Air Problems?
Indoor pollution sources that release gases or particles into the air are the primary cause of indoor air quality problems in homes. Inadequate ventilation can increase indoor pollutant levels by not bringing in enough outdoor air to dilute emissions from indoor sources and by not carrying indoor air pollutants out of the home. High temperature and humidity levels can also increase concentrations of some pollutants.
How Does Outdoor Air Enter a House?
Outdoor air enters and leaves a house by infiltration, natural ventilation, and mechanical ventilation. In a process known as infiltration, outdoor air flows into the house through openings, joints, and cracks in walls, floors, and ceilings, and around windows and doors. In natural ventilation, air moves through opened windows and doors. Air movement associated with infiltration and natural ventilation is caused by air temperature differences between indoors and outdoors and by the wind.
Finally, there are a number of mechanical ventilation devices, from outdoor-vented fans that intermittently remove air from a single room, such as bathrooms and kitchen, to air handling systems that use fans and ductwork to continuously remove indoor air and distribute filtered and conditioned outdoor air to strategic points throughout the house. The rate at which outdoor air replaces indoor air is described as the air exchange rate. When there is little infiltration, natural ventilation, or mechanical ventilation, the air exchange rate is low, and pollutant levels can increase.
You can get sick in many ways from bad air quality. For example, high levels of particles in the air have been shown to cause pulmonary disease and cardiovascular disease. Pollutant gases may contribute to cancer or reduce immunity and are thought to be connected with the development of childhood asthma and allergies. Children inside a house with high levels of particulates or pollutant gas during their first six months are more likely to develop respiratory symptoms. If you suspect you have abd air quality in your home, contact an indoor air quality inspector to perform a test.
What symptoms are often linked to poor indoor air quality?
Some symptoms often linked to poor indoor air quality are headache, runny nose, sore throat, dryness and irritation of the eyes or throat, and coughing.
Poor indoor air quality is the norm in most homes and workplaces because toxic chemicals such as formaldehyde, benzene, and trichloroethylene can’t be smelled or seen by humans until they have built up in the air to high levels. A lack of natural light can also worsen symptoms of poor indoor air quality because it impedes our body’s ability to “reset” itself by interpreting respiration rates at night time (usually when our bodies should be asleep) when we’re exposed to the fresh morning light.
Does an air quality test detect mold inside my home?
Yes. The indoor Air Quality test will analyze air for mold spores, EPA-regulated and World Health Organization-recognized chemicals, gases, VOCs (volatile organic compounds), biological allergens like household dust mites, and cockroach feces dust or droppings. (Tandem laboratories)
Certain people are especially susceptible to one or more of these contaminants. At the same time, certain combinations of harmful contaminants can have a multiplying effect on adverse health effects. For example, someone with asthma may be more susceptible to an asthmatic response from any given amount of noxious substances in the air. Or someone with a compromised immune system may also succumb to the riskier hazards that exist at elevated levels in their home environment – such as rad.
Does an air quality test detect mold inside my home?
Frequently questions about water testing services
Is well water safe to shower in?
Is well water safe to shower in?
We are going to address this question by saying that it depends on the person. What does “safe” mean? Safe for you, safe for me, safe frankly is subjective. We personally live in an area where water quality isn’t a big concern and I have a well on my property that would be considered high quality due to its depth and clarity of water; but if your well sits near highways or dangerous factories and something spills leading to its contamination then yea, it’s not as good a bet. A lot of people will say that they shower at their gym because there are fewer showers available than people trying to use them, but don’t take this as permission to bypass your own responsibility just because everyone else seems complacent.
Can you get worms from well water?
There are some water-borne parasites such as giardia and cryptosporidium that you COULD get from well water.
But the low incidence of these parasite infections in people who drink well water supports the idea that using a chlorination system (like home use chlorinator drops) is an effective way to prevent them, and there are no public reports of these parasites ever being contracted when properly treated.
Finally, there are a number of mechanical ventilation devices, from outdoor-vented fans that intermittently remove air from a single room, such as bathrooms and kitchen, to air handling systems that use fans and ductwork to continuously remove indoor air and distribute filtered and conditioned outdoor air to strategic points throughout the house. The rate at which outdoor air replaces indoor air is described as the air exchange rate. When there is little infiltration, natural ventilation, or mechanical ventilation, the air exchange rate is low, and pollutant levels can increase.
The water needs to be safe to drink if the well is properly built and maintained. Water needs to be treated according to EPA guidelines for private or public use, regardless of whether it’s being used in agriculture, industry, or a residence. That means that it must: Be disinfected before entering the distribution system (underground throughout the building) by applying chemicals appropriate for protection against bacteria.
What tests should be done on well water?
When you test the water, it’s necessary to test for a variety of things depending on what the water will be used for. If your well is going to be used primarily for drinking (or even just making coffee), then you’ll want to focus on how pure the water is before anything else. The two water tests that are absolutely necessary in this case are bacteria and nitrates – both can easily contaminate your groundwater supply if they make their way up from underground. These contaminants could result in anyone at any age becoming sick and contracting potentially life-threatening diseases such as Typhoid Fever or E Coli infection with just one ingestion of contaminated water, so testing should never be skipped!
What should you do if your water test positive for lead?
If the water is from your tap, try using the cold-water faucet nearest to the source of the problem. If you’re not sure which faucet to use, ask someone who lives in your home (if it’s a rental unit) or contact your landlord.
Some sources claim that warm water has higher levels of lead than cold water because corrosion causes more release of lead into tap water when it’s used for cooking and washing dishes; if this is true, then trying to run your water from the cold-water taps will help reduce lead concentrations. Contact a local water testing company to schedule a professional test.
How can you remove lead from drinking water?
Reverse osmosis and distillation are two ways to remove lead from drinking water. Reverse osmosis filters the water through a thin membrane that only allows filtered water to pass through, leaving contaminants behind. Distillation involves boiling the contaminated liquid and re-condensing it into clean drinkable liquid, as well as passing it through an electrochemical filter to remove all traces of bacteria, viruses, or parasites.
Do you offer private well water testing services in Florida?
Yes. We offer testing services for private water wells throughout the Central Florida region.
Frequent questions about lead testing services
What happens during a lead inspection?
What happens during a lead inspection?
We are going to address this question by saying that it depends on the person. What does “safe” mean? Safe for When a lead inspection is conducted, the inspector typically uses a gas-powered XRF analyzer to identify the presence of lead within the paint. The machine takes an x-ray that passes through the painted surface and measures composition on its way out. Results, it says, are produced in less than half a minute at a relatively low cost for painting both residential and commercial properties with an accuracy of 0.5% (lead). It detects more clearly where there might be the risk of paint containing lead such as near an outlet or anywhere on top of molding on doors and windowsills where children’s hands might touch it often.
How long does a home lead inspection take?
A home lead inspection can take as long as it needs to. The lead inspector will inspect the property from top to bottom. Inspecting a home for more than an hour is not uncommon and should not alarm anyone – that could just be how long it takes. Lead inspectors are required to document their findings in detail, which may be time-consuming if there are any true safety issues found. Inspectors must also provide buyers with important information about potential hazards and preventative measures that they’ll want to have taken before buying or renting the property to ensure protection against lead exposure for them and their family members moving forward.
How do you test for lead in water?
There are several reliable sources for comprehensive lead water testing, including state-certified labs.
Lead is a dangerous neurotoxin that can cause serious health problems to young children and pregnant women, as well as cause brain damage in adults. Furthermore, studies show that the risk of these problems increases with higher levels of exposure to lead.
Studies have shown that when pregnant women or children drink water containing lead at levels of 10 parts per billion or more for 90 days or longer, they will likely experience some intellectual decrements compared to children who drink water with no lead content. These effects may be even greater when exposures are sustained over shorter periods than 90 days.
