Why We do Mould Inspections
A mould inspection is usually required before mould removal is commenced because we need to ensure the source of the mould is corrected first. Failure to correct the source of the mould will mean the mould may come back again after it is removed. Have a look at our page What is mould? to find out how and why mould grows.
Some of our clients simply would like to know if they have a mould problem or not. If there is a problem, people like to know the source of the mould. There are also situations where clients would like evidence of what is actually happening on the property. Our mould testing service is useful if:
- The property has a musty smell
- You are looking to purchase a property that you suspect has mould
- There are suspected Health issues
- You are suspicious that your home is making you sick but cannot find the problem — See our page Mould Symptoms
Having a mould assessment first is important so you know exactly what actions are needed to remove the mould properly. There is no use spending money to do a complete mould removal protocol only to find only very basic steps were needed to remove the mould or the mould was actually non-toxic.
Mould inspection is essentially how each mould removal project starts.
For a more comprehensive and scientific look at Mould Inspection services, visit our sister company IECL.
What is Involved In Our Mould Inspection
Detailed Visual Check
We do a visual check of the entire property indoor and outdoor as well as ceiling space and sub-floor. We will use tools such as a moisture meter and a thermal imaging camera. A core objective of this step is to try to find moisture using our inspection tools. All mould problems can be attributed to a moisture problem. Mould can only grow when there is moisture present.
Mould Sampling
In some cases, the mould assessment will include some mould sampling. We will initially complete 2 mould air tests, one inside the affected area of the property and 1 outside. The outside sample is taken as a control and will tell us what is an acceptable level to achieve.
Since mould is always present in the air, the two samples should be the same if there are no mould problems in the property.
There may be more samples that will need to be taken. Reasons for taking more samples include:
- To help find the source of the problem
- Find out which areas are contaminated and which are not.
I completed the following video below of David Lark from Mold Lab explaining the different Mould Samples which we take.