subject: Need A Mold Inspector? Tips To Ensure You Employ The Most Compentent Of The Bunch [print this page] Need A Mold Inspector? Tips To Ensure You Employ The Most Compentent Of The Bunch
Discovering mold growth in your home can be very disconcerting. It can and will over time affect the fabric of your property and can have potentially serious affects on the health of you and your family often causing respiratory and other related conditions as well as making existing conditions like for example asthma become worse. In saying all that, I think it is safe to say that this is a problem which needs the cause found and the resulting mold problem resolved quickly. The best person to advise you on this is a professional mold inspector.
The most frequent places for mold to grow - often unnoticed - is in attic space and basements although it can often be seen on walls, on wood surrounding windows, in closets, basically any surface which can be said to be as a "natural" material for example wood, wool, silk, leather, cardboard. Any synthetic materials or metals are usually unaffected.
Now, it is possible to deal with the mold growth yourself, if the area is not too extensive. However for large perhaps difficult to access areas you really need a mold inspector who is qualified and who can assess the situation so that you can have work carried out in a safe manner - remember mold can be toxic as can some of the chemicals used to remove it.
How to Find A Good Mold Inspector:
The two most important aspects of deciding on a mold inspector are experience and relevant qualifications. Often when we require tradesmen to carry out work our whole aim it to look for someone who will carry out the work as cheaply as possible. Where there is a big mold problem you really cannot afford to look at it in this way. Remember, you could be dealing with a toxic substance which could destroy both your home and your health!
So, what qualifications should a mold inspector have?
* Experience and Knowledge in the roofing and building industries, Hvac systems and vapour barriers as well as additional related subjects. This is necessary so that an accurate assessment can be made and the root cause pinpointed.
* Humidity and temperature will play a huge roll in mold growth so it is also essential for a mold inspector to have a good understanding of psychometrics i.e. the study of air, dew points, temperature, humidity etc.
* Mold is a living organism so it is a huge advantage if the mold inspector you employ has as a minimum a basic understanding of microbiology and ecology and hopefully the study of mold which is called mycology.
* It s vital that not only should a mold inspector have the relevant knowledge to carry out investigations and gather mold samples competently but they must have the ability to read, understand and interpret results of these tests accurately.
* On occasion mold inspectors are called into a building where there may be odours or health concerns which may suggest a mold problem which in fact are due to other problems such as lack of ventilation, hydrogen sulphide gas or dust mite allergens to name but a few. In which case a mold inspector should be trained to recognise such problems to allow residents to call in professionals in the proper field.
* Your prospective mold inspector should be capable of providing a full written report giving in depth information regarding the results obtained from visual observations, lab results and results from environmental monitoring. The report should should include a clear conclusion and recommendations for remedying the mold. A good mold inspector will make sure that this report is written in terms which can be understood by Joe public and will not merely hand over the lab report.
With these qualifications and experience a good mold inspector should be well able to provide the service you need - the main points of which are:-
1. Pinpoint and detect major problems within the structure of the building.
2. Provide a complete understanding as to the defects in your property which may be causing the mold together with full details of repairs which have to be completed to remedy the problem.
Remember - contact more than one company, enquire about the mold inspectors experience and qualifications but in many instances you can get a good idea of the quality of service just by talking to the inspector on the telephone. It is worth asking to see a sample report you will receive and perhaps testimonials from other customers.
