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Mold Inspections for homes or commercial building

A mold inspections is very much like a doctor’s visit for your home or commercial building. Just as the doctor will take the time to understand your symptoms and examine your body before performing any necessary tests to rule out illness, a thorough mold inspector should take the time to understand your symptoms and concerns and visually inspect your home or building before performing any mold testing necessary to determine if unhealthy mold conditions exist. The purpose of a mold inspections is to diagnose a potential mold issue in your indoor environment.

Seeing as you would not choose just any doctor to diagnose a sickness, you should not choose just any mold inspector to inspect and diagnose your home or commercial building. As stated in ABC News’s Consumer Report “Four Tips to Protect Yourself During a Mold Inspection,” “homeowners should not underestimate the importance of checking referrals, references or credentials.” While there are no state or federal licenses for mold inspectors in Pennsylvania or New Jersey, there are certifications through various credible organizations such as: Indoor Air Quality Association (IAQA), Environmental Solutions Association (ESA) and National Association of Mold Professionals (NAMP). Do not hesitate to ask for referrals from past clients to hear about their experience with the company and their inspectors. Not all mold inspectors are created equal!

A qualified inspector’s first step should be to get a full understanding of the homeowner or building owner’s concerns. Just as a doctor will inquire about your symptoms before running tests, we want to know what symptoms you are experiencing that lead you to believe there may be a mold issue before starting the mold inspection. Are you seeing visible signs of mold growth? Are you experiencing mold allergies while at home or at work? Are you getting musty odors in an area? Once the symptoms are discussed, the visual part of the mold inspections can begin. During this part of the inspection, the inspector should pay close attention to your area of concern, whether it is the basement, crawl space, attic or throughout the entire building.

Mold Inspection in our home

Just as a doctor may need to perform tests or draw blood to conclude a certain illness, mold testing may be required as part of the mold inspection to get a more precise picture of what is going on. Mold testing will tell us the types of mold present, elevations of molds present and can also help detect molds that may not be visible to the naked eye. The mold testing may include indoor air quality testing, swab surface sampling, tape life surface sampling or a combination.

Much like finding a reliable doctor who can effectively diagnose you, there are many parts involved in finding a qualified mold inspector and having a mold inspection performed. Do not hesitate to ask for the certifications and qualifications of your mold inspector. Also, be wary of inspectors who jump to conclusions too quickly, without performing a thorough inspection of the area of concern and necessary mold testing. The only way to know, in fact, that mold is present and the types of mold present is to perform testing. It cannot simply be determined by a color, such as black mold, or a musty odor.

Ultimately, the purpose of a mold inspection is to thoroughly and cost-effectively inspect your home or commercial building to insure that your environment is safe and healthy. Keep in mind that a mold inspection is a process that will take time. It may require mold testing to reveal the full diagnosis of the home or commercial building, and not all mold inspectors are created equal.

If you have questions or concerns about mold in your home or building, contact us by phone or e-mail to speak to a qualified professional.