What happens during the inspection?
I come to a house with a microscope, air sampler, moisture meter and some other equipment. I start by taking several direct air samples in different parts of the house and doing microscopy immediately after sampling. If I find areas with signs of mold contamination in the air, I start looking for moldy surfaces macroscopically. To make sure that tentatively moldy areas are truly moldy and for identification of the type of mold, I do microscopy of tape samples. I also look at tape samples from surfaces where the customer suspects moldiness. Inspections usually also include microscopy of settled dust tape samples, scanning of surfacing with infrared-camera, moisture measuring in materials and some other methods depending on the situation. Ultimately, my goal is to evaluate mold conditions in the residence, find the reasons why this mold grows, and give recommendations about how the situation can be fixed.
Inspection do take a lot of time. Count on a whole day for mid-size house. I never know how much efforts a specific inspection takes as I dealing with unknown. The larger, the older, the more intricate you residence is the longer it will take.
What do I need to do before my inspection?
I want to see your home in as "normal" air conditions as possible. I do not want to see air too cleaner or dirtier than usual. So if you are using air-purifiers please turn them off overnight before the inspection. Well... unless of course you think it is detrimental for your health to keep them running all time. This is because having your indoor air cleaner it naturally is would make the investigation harder. It will also more difficult in the opposite situation. Therefore do not stir the dust before an inspection. Do not move heavy items. Do not use a vacuum cleaner unless you are using a reliable HEPA-vacuum, but even then better not to do it. Shut your windows overnight before the inspection so I will not need to deal sorting out outdoor fungal particulate from indoor samples. Opening doors for short time to get in and out of the house is fine. Mowing grass outside may make indoor air microscopy confusing too, especially towards the end of mowing season. So please avoid it.
Aren't molecular tools, such as ERMI, better?
ERMI is better for fungal identification but more expensive. Therefore usually only one or two samples are sent for analysis. It gives a good overall picture about the conditions in the house but it does not explain where exactly the mold is growing, what caused it, and how to deal with it ERMI could be a good compliment to my inspections. If moldiness is very unlikely in a house but you want to confirm it, then it might be better to start with ERMI before requesting a mold inspection.
Do you perform mold remediations?
No.
Can you recommend a mold remediation company?
To some extent, yes. I have seen work of a few remediation companies.
I come to a house with a microscope, air sampler, moisture meter and some other equipment. I start by taking several direct air samples in different parts of the house and doing microscopy immediately after sampling. If I find areas with signs of mold contamination in the air, I start looking for moldy surfaces macroscopically. To make sure that tentatively moldy areas are truly moldy and for identification of the type of mold, I do microscopy of tape samples. I also look at tape samples from surfaces where the customer suspects moldiness. Inspections usually also include microscopy of settled dust tape samples, scanning of surfacing with infrared-camera, moisture measuring in materials and some other methods depending on the situation. Ultimately, my goal is to evaluate mold conditions in the residence, find the reasons why this mold grows, and give recommendations about how the situation can be fixed.
Inspection do take a lot of time. Count on a whole day for mid-size house. I never know how much efforts a specific inspection takes as I dealing with unknown. The larger, the older, the more intricate you residence is the longer it will take.
What do I need to do before my inspection?
I want to see your home in as "normal" air conditions as possible. I do not want to see air too cleaner or dirtier than usual. So if you are using air-purifiers please turn them off overnight before the inspection. Well... unless of course you think it is detrimental for your health to keep them running all time. This is because having your indoor air cleaner it naturally is would make the investigation harder. It will also more difficult in the opposite situation. Therefore do not stir the dust before an inspection. Do not move heavy items. Do not use a vacuum cleaner unless you are using a reliable HEPA-vacuum, but even then better not to do it. Shut your windows overnight before the inspection so I will not need to deal sorting out outdoor fungal particulate from indoor samples. Opening doors for short time to get in and out of the house is fine. Mowing grass outside may make indoor air microscopy confusing too, especially towards the end of mowing season. So please avoid it.
Aren't molecular tools, such as ERMI, better?
ERMI is better for fungal identification but more expensive. Therefore usually only one or two samples are sent for analysis. It gives a good overall picture about the conditions in the house but it does not explain where exactly the mold is growing, what caused it, and how to deal with it ERMI could be a good compliment to my inspections. If moldiness is very unlikely in a house but you want to confirm it, then it might be better to start with ERMI before requesting a mold inspection.
Do you perform mold remediations?
No.
Can you recommend a mold remediation company?
To some extent, yes. I have seen work of a few remediation companies.