Orlando Mold Inspection & Testing
Florida and Orlando Mold Inspection is the process of identifying the location and extent of the mold growing within a home or office and the moisture source that is supporting the mold growth. The only industry standard of practice for mold inspections is the ASTM D-7338 Assessment of Fungal Growth in Buildings.
IAQ Solutions offers an extensive assortment of highly detailed Florida & Orlando Mold Inspection & Testing services to isolate and identify the cause and origin of the moisture that is supporting mold growth within your home or office.
IAQ Solutions consultants can quickly conduct a Florida & Orlando Mold Inspection with minimal disruption to the occupants, utilizing the most effective investigative, diagnostic, or sampling techniques available and applying a full range of analytical methods utilizing state of the art procedures, techniques, and equipment.
After our Florida Licensed Mold Inspection consultants have identified the cause and origin of the moisture supporting the mold growth and the extent of the water and mold damage, they will share the results with you, clearly outlining the recommendations for repair of the moisture source and the remediation strategy that will be outlined in the mold remediation protocol.
Armed with an IAQ Solutions Mold Inspection and mold remediation protocol, you can then submit the mold remediation protocol for estimates from licensed mold remediation contractors.
What Does IAQs Test For?
IAQ Solutions will measure each room of your home or office for:
IAQ Solutions IAQ Assessment Tools
The handheld IAQ Assessment tools listed allow us to identify contributors that may be compromising your indoor air quality on site at the time of our assessment. Collecting a few air samples for mold spores is not an Indoor Air Quality Assessment and sampling the air for mold spores is not an Indoor Air Quality sample. Its an air sample for mold spores.
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Moisture Scan
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Particulate Scan
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Video Inspection
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Thermal Imaging
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Visual Inspection
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Odor Investigation
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Invasive Inspection
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Forensic Inspection
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Diagnostic Inspection
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Non-Invasive Inspection
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LEED IAQ EQ 3.2 Testing
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Boroscope (fiber optic) Inspection
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Post Remediation Clearance Inspection
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Black Light / UV Scan (long wave ultraviolet)
Beyond Mold Testing.
Comprehensive Indoor Air Quality Analysis.
The MOLD Visual Inspections
The purpose of the Mold visual Inspection is to identify visual mold contamination or conditions that may be conducive to microbial growth; to detect the presence, or likely presence of mold.
A Mold Visual Inspection of your indoor environment must also include the collection of indoor environmental conditions such as temperature, humidity, and airborne respirable particulate levels.
When the source of mold is hidden, the use of a particulate counter is essential in locating areas of your home or office that have elevated airborne particulate matter. A particle counter can help by determining the total number of particles in any indoor environment. The results are available immediately and do not require laboratory analysis.
ASTM D7338 Standard Guide for Assessment of Fungal Growth in Buildings Section 7.1 The most important requirement of an assessment for fungal growth is an on-site inspection of the subject building. It is very important to remember that the ASTM D-7338 is the only recognized standard for mold assessment.
According to the ASTM D-7338 the parts of a mold assessment include:
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the collection of background information,
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the formulation of a hypothesis or hypotheses,
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on-site inspection including moisture dynamics,
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an evaluation of the HVAC system,
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hypothesis testing,
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site documentation and written report.
Click to read more about the ASTM D-7338
The extent of any water damage and mold growth should be visually assessed. This mold visual inspection is important in determining remedial strategies.
Ventilation systems should also be visually checked, particularly for damp filters but also for damp conditions elsewhere in the system and overall cleanliness.
The use of a boroscope, (fiber optics) to view space inside ductwork or behind walls is used along with the use of a radio moisture meter to detect moisture "inside" building materials, identifying hidden sources of fungal growth and the extent of water damage. Because mold cannot live without moisture, sources of moisture are one of the focal points of our visual inspection.
During the thorough visual inspection of your home or office (including the attic, crawl spaces and basement) we examine:
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Heating, ventilating and air conditioning systems.
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Moisture barriers for proper installation and condensation occurrence, via existing wall openings and a fiber optics scope.
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The moisture content of floors, walls and ceilings--even beneath surfaces--using a non-invasive moisture meter.
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The temperature and humidity of the indoor and outdoor air using properly calibrated instruments.
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All water-damaged areas and locate the point of water intrusion
Experience
The Difference.
True Indoor Air Quality Assessments.
Florida and Orlando Mold Inspection and Mold Testing
First, we pinpoint the problem areas in your home or office. Where is the mold growth? Crawlspace, attic, or hidden in a bathroom wall? All of these are common locations for mold growth.
A particulate counter is used throughout the mold inspection to locate probable areas of growth based on temperature, humidity, and particulate levels.
Second, we determine the cause of the mold growth. Mold requires water to grow; therefore, we look for a source of excessive moisture.
Common sources include: Plumbing leaks, High humidity, Roof leaks, and Window Leaks
Third, We outline our recommendations along with expert advice and consultation specifically tailored to your unique situation. The recommendations will include the cause and origin of the mold growth and outline a sampling plan if necessary to collect samples
Florida & Orlando Mold Inspection Mold Sampling & Mold Testing
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Mold Bulk sample: piece of material with suspected mold growth
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Mold Surface sample: a sample taken from a surface to determine if mold is present
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Mold Viable: able to grow
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Mold Air sample: a sample air taken to determine the level of bio-aerosols
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Bacteria Water sample: sample of water taken to determine levels of bacteria
Infrared Thermal Imaging
IAQ Solutions provides Infrared Thermal Imaging Inspection services for commercial and residential properties. Homes & Offices Buildings, can be troubled by problems related to design, construction, maintenance, or emergency situation such as floods. Our Infrared Thermal Imaging Inspection services include:
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Water Damage Assessment
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Leak detection
Types of Mold Samples
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Air Samples (Genus or Species)
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Non-Cultured (genus 24 to 48 hours) or Cultured (species 7-12 days)
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Micro-Vacuum Samples (Genus or Species)
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Dust Samples (Genus or Species)
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Carpet Samples (Genus or Species)
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Bulk Samples (Genus or Species)
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Tape, Wipe , Swab, Scrape Samples
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PCR Samples Polymerase Chain Reaction
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Species and/or Mycotoxins
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Watch a short video on the Limitations of Mold Air Sampling
Is Mold Testing Necessary?
Why Sample or Test for Mold? Sampling provides us with a method to establish scientifically whether the environment in question contains higher levels of mold spores than would normally be present.
We have a lot of mold inspection and mold investigative tools at our disposal such as a moisture meters capable of detecting high moisture in walls that might not be otherwise visible to the naked eye, boroscopes for inspection inside walls, ceilings, and ductwork, hand held laser particulate scanners that help determine areas of the indoor environment that have elevations of particles. The particulate micron size that can help identify the particulate by its known size.
Most, if not all of these mold inspection and mold investigative tools, should be used during the assessment and prior to mold sampling to help establish a mold sampling plan that can answer the question, “Why Am I Sampling for Mold” and “What Questions Will The Mold Sampling or Testing Answer?”
Once the indoor environment has been assessed, it's time to decide if mold sampling is necessary by establishing a Mold Sampling Plan. A Mold Sampling Plan is a description of where, when and how an investigator proposes to sample.
A good Mold Sampling Plan should take into account the strengths and weaknesses of each sampling method and use them to compliment each other as much as possible.
The goal of mold sampling is to help determine whether the mold or mold particulates present in the indoor environment are elevated enough to negatively affect or cause allergic symptoms with the individuals that occupy the indoor environment.
If the individuals are experiencing allergic symptoms, you then have to ask whether or not the symptoms are associated with the elevated particulates in the indoor environment of a specific building or room. If symptoms abate a few hours after leaving a building, it is likely associated with the building and the circumstances call for further investigation, especially if the symptoms are severe or are experienced by many people.
If on the other hand, symptoms continue hours after leaving the home or office and/or in different locations such as another home or building, then it is more likely that the individuals are experiencing an illness not associated with the indoor environment in question and is possibly the common cold or the flu which have similar symptoms to mold allergies.
The American Industrial Hygiene Association recommends mold sampling when the source of contamination is unclear, if a disease associated with a mold is suspected, if litigation is involved and for clearance purposes associated with a remediation in order to ascertain that mold readings are at natural background levels or at a Normal Fungal Ecology.
Even when sampling is performed, it's not possible to correlate results with an individual’s symptoms because everyone reacts differently to different levels of molds and allergens. This is called a dose response relationship.