WHEN IS A MOLD INSPECTION NEEDED?

We are usually called into a home or business for one or more of the following reasons:

• Recent Water Damage

• Visible Growth

• Strange Smell

• Health Complications

• Looking For Peace of Mind

• Real Estate Transaction

We help people in all of the above situations find out not only if they have a problem, but also where the source is. What most restoration companies don’t want you to know is that not all mold is dangerous. Truth of the matter is mold is all around us and every indoor environment has acceptable levels. Any inspection that is done without testing is simply a guess at what is going on with your indoor air quality. Our service is so valuable because our air and surface samples offer hard evidence about what is going on in your home or business.

Air Quality Testing

Air Quality tests are the most common form of testing in the industry. They are not perfect in their measurements but can be a great tool in determining the condition of a building. Air quality tests are usually taken by collecting a 75 liter air sample from inside the home and pulling it through a small filter. The filter is analyzed by the lab and a report is created. These tests are often compared to a similar test taken outside in the area.

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Tape Testing and or Swab Testing 

Tape tests are best for determining the type of mold when you can visually see mold growth. These tests are less expensive than air tests but fail to provide the scope of the issue like the other tests would.Often these tests are unnecessary when a visual inspection shows mold growth without testing.

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What’s Included

Inspection appointment is based on a 2-hour window of time in which the inspector is expected to arrive.

Inspection fee pays for a visual inspection, relative humidity readings, moisture readings of construction materials, and an inspection report with recommendations. Delivery of report depends on turnaround time of lab results. It can take up to 10 business days for a written report depending on the field workload, lab results and the demands of a “same day” brand.

Samples are not included in the inspection fee. Reports are generally handled in chronological order unless there was an expedited lab result for sampling associated with your inspection. Expedited lab result customers will receive their report sooner than someone who paid for standard labs even if that inspection occurred before the expedited customer. A customer that has paid for expedited service has a reasonable expectation to receive their report in accordance with the paid, expedited service.

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Report Writing

We deliver a state-of-the-art report that includes photos of problem areas for repair. See our Gallery for a sample of our report documentation.

There are several tasks involved with generating a report. These tasks could take an hour or more, and are largely contingent upon the momentum of the inspector while performing office duty. Here’s what’s involved:

– Photo Review (necessary after the passage of time from the date of inspection)
– Review Job Notes (specific issues related to the job)
– Photo Selection (identifying the best photos taken during the inspection, which could total dozens!)
– Report Prep (data entry, report writing)
– Insert Photos (mark up photos with captions and labels)
– Draft Review (ensure completeness and accuracy)
– Final Draft (Save as PDF File)
– Email Delivery (lab results and report)

NOTE: If any portion of your balance is unpaid, no inspection report will be generated.

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Sampling/Testing

Samples are collected from the air, wall cavities, bulk material, or from the surface depending on the level of validation sought from the analytical component of the assessment. The per sample testing charge is in addition to the inspection fee. Each job presents its own set of variables that will influence the number of samples recommended.

The customer has the discretion to accept or decline sampling recommendations. The lab provides a report of findings. Lab turnaround time starts when the samples are received by the lab. Verbal notification satisfies lab turnaround commitment, which includes call attempted, voice mail, text message and/or email.

If the lab is the reason for the delay in communicating lab results, there is no refund of the service fee. Periodically, the lab has to ship out samples to other laboratories in which case the timer doesn’t begin until the next lab logs the samples for analysis. But they do not discount the cost of sampling because of this inconvenience. Consequently, we do not discount the lab fees.

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Pre-Inspection Advisements

If you are not going to be on site at the time of the inspection and are not a business or property manager, you will need to provide a method of payment prior to the appointment to ensure payment for services rendered.

It is advisable to have someone available to discuss inspection findings and to determine the number of samples to be collected. If no one is available, the inspector will collect the samples deemed appropriate and discuss them with you later, so as not to postpone subsequent field activities elsewhere. Samples collected but not submitted will be subject to the Sample Media fees.

Close doors and windows several hours prior to the inspection. Turn off air purifiers. To ensure indoor air quality is not diluted by outdoor air or “cleaned” with mechanical air purifiers. Remove contents from below sinks to enable viewing of the back wall and cabinetry floorboard.

If you book your appointment online and later cancel it, we will issue a refund. You should send us an email as a reminder. It takes normal processing time to see the refund in your account.

We pay processing fees twice when customers cancel, so we ask that you be mindful of the expense to us, and that you are certain about scheduling your appointment online.

If it’s a matter of rescheduling, you can do that within the original appointment entry.