What to expect
Usually the mold assessment will take 1 hour to complete. It starts off with a visual inspection where AWA’s professional mold inspector will go through the house looking for dark hard to reach areas where it’s common to either flood or have a leak. These are the areas where mold is most likely to grow. If there are any visual signs of mold the inspector will take a physical sampling of the mold and take it to a lab where it gets tested to see what kind of mold you’re dealing with. The inspector may also take an air quality test. This is a test where a very sensitive machine collects a sample of a room’s air in order to see which types of mold spores are floating around in the air. After the sample is taken, we also bring it back to the lab.
Why do you need a professional test?
The biggest reason is that mold likes to grow in dark, damp, and hard to reach areas like the inside of your drywall. This prevents the mold from putting a lot of spores into the area. This requires a very sensitive piece of equipment in order to catch the mold spores before they become a real issue that becomes very expensive to fix. Mold usually grows in these hard to reach areas after water comes into contact with porous materials like carpet pads and drywall. The water soaks into the materials and ends up in a dark area that allows it to grow very quickly undisturbed.
Is Mold Dangerous?
Mold can be harmful to everyone, but it’s especially dangerous for anyone with a compromised immune system or with those that have respiratory issues. Exposure to mold has been linked to increased incidences of an asthma attack, pneumonia, and harsh coughing.
