Inspecting Mold with an Expert Eye in McPherson
For new homeowners, old houses, property managers, and more, mold is an ongoing concern in those muggy, Midwestern days. Anyone can spot a patch of black mold caving in the ceiling, but the savviest approach is to minimize mold growth before it gets out of hand. Our advice? Bring in an expert. Experts are trained in more ways than one to identify mold from early growth stages, potential mold outbreaks, and even problem areas before undesirable growth occurs. In this business, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
An Expert Eye during Mold Inspection
If you’re appraising a new property or concerned about an aging property, even your current home, scheduling an expert inspection can arm you with clear information and strategic options. And if no mold is discovered? That’s the best-case scenario, and at least you’ve put your mind at ease! So what kind of process should you expect when hiring trained professionals to perform an evaluation of your space?
- Visual Inspection: the first check for experts is not unlike the first check for you! We eyeball it. But in truth, eyeballing it is the perfect, low-cost way to determine whether you have any visible signs of mold. Visual inspection also helps us identify potential problem areas, allowing us to apply our other inspection tools with more intention. And we don’t just look with our eyes; we look with our noses too. Mold has a distinct, musty smell. Any area with a moldy scent also warrants further inspection.
- Inspection Tools: beyond the range of our human eyes, infrared capture and moisture mapping tools give us more ways to chart mold outbreaks. We wouldn’t be the experts if we stopped after a once-over. Part of any quality mold inspection will be determining the spread and growth pattern of mold in your environment. Using infrared cameras, we are able to detect subtle temperature differences from one suspect surface to the next. Lower temperature surfaces may in fact be cooler because they are damp or more exposed to moisture. Water trapped inside porous surfaces such as ceilings, walls or insulation can become a feeding frenzy for growing and spreading mold. Moisture mapping allows us to model a picture of that mold’s growth. When we need to know what we are up against, charting and mapping spread is essential. Mapping is the best way to develop effective containment strategies when the remediation process begins.
- Air and Surface Testing: we don’t want to leave anything to guesswork. When we have further suspicion of mold, sampling and testing can be the most accurate method to measure mold quantity and variety. Air testing should be minimally-invasive; we are able to sample from inside a wall or ceiling without cutting or creating long-term damage. Air samples are typically drawn from multiple points along suspected areas and contained to later be lab-tested. Air quality tests paired with trustworthy labs will reliably show us the mold spore count floating through your environment. Any particulate count beyond EPA-determined acceptable mold levels warrants further action. A second test available to us is surface sampling. Generally, surface testing applies to areas with visible mold growth. A swab or tape strip is used to collect a sample of surface growth. This sample is also lab-tested, revealing both the type and severity of mold we encounter. Some molds are more toxic than others, and when allergy or other health concerns are present, determining the mold variety may be worthwhile.
When Should I Schedule a Mold Inspection?
Whenever you are evaluating a new property, particularly an older building, or when you suspect mold growth, an inspection can put your mind at ease. Furthermore, if your property has recently experienced water damage or moisture exposure for more than 24 hours, you should prioritize an inspection. However, in cases where severe mold growth is already visible and spreading, you may actually opt to skip the inspection and jump straight into the scope of work, containment, and remediation strategies with a team of professionals. That said, it would always be our goal to keep things from getting that bad!
At Lamunyon, we are dedicated to identifying and stamping out mold infestations before they spiral out of control. We prioritize clear and concise communication of inspection results for all the families we serve. We’ve worked all across McPherson, delivering inspections that lead to successful remediation. And we know that transparency and documentation will help you get your money’s worth and that these practices will help our trained technicians stay keen on the details of your specific problem.
Each environment is different, and an inspection helps us tailor our strategic recommendations accordingly. But no matter the recommendations, it is always our goal to deliver results that effectively remediate mold and protect both your property and especially the people who live there.
Give us a call when you are ready to schedule an inspection. We offer 24/7 emergency services via 888-609-9670. Also, feel free to inquiry about any of our mold services available in McPherson: