Mold Assessments - The Basics

Most people who suspect they have a mold problem in their home or business are not very knowledgeable about fungal growth. They don't know what analyses are recommended and don't know what may be causing the mold growth.

1) What is Mold?
2) What does mold need to grow?
3) What are the potential health effects of mold?
4) What are the warning signs of a mold problem?
5) Do I need a mold inspection?
6) Do I need to take air samples?
7) Do I need to take surface samples?
8) What do I need to do about the mold in my home?

What is mold ?

Molds are small biological organisms that produce airborne spores to reproduce. They thrive in damp areas, and have been linked to various health effects.

What does mold need to grow?

Molds require water, food (a growth medium such as sheetrock, or wallpaper), oxygen, appropriate temperatures, and time.

What are the potential health effects of mold?

Potential health effects and symptoms associated with mold exposures include allergic reactions, asthma, and other respiratory complaints.

What are the warning signs of a mold problem?

Many people identify a musty odor in certain areas of their building.

Often there has been a known or suspected water problem.

On occasion, people have seen suspect mold.

Do I need a mold inspection?

If you have identified any of the warning signs identified above, you may want to have a mold inspection conducted on your building.

If you, your family, or your workers have experienced any of the health effects identified above, you may want to have a mold inspection conducted on your building.

If you have had a long term water intrusion problem (plumbing leak, leaky roof, leaky basement), or a short term water event (flood, broken pipe) where the water was not cleaned up quickly you may want to have a mold inspection conducted on your building.

A mold inspection will identify areas of visible and suspect mold growth, as well as identify the water source contributing to the fungal growth.

Do I need to take air samples?

Air samples tell you two things: what mold is in the air you are breathing, and at what concentrations.

If you have identified mold in the building, then air samples are not necessary to confirm that there is mold in the air. Mold in a building will naturally release spores into the air.

If you suspect that there is mold in your building, you may want to have air samples collected to evaluate whether there are higher concentrations of mold inside the suspect area than in non-suspect areas, or in the outside air.

Do I need to take surface samples?

If you can see visible mold growth, you probably don't need to take surface samples.

If you suspect mold growth (soot and dust may be mistaken for mold) you may want to have surface samples collected to assess whether mold spores are present.

What do I do about mold in my building?

Without a water source, mold growth will discontinue. So the first step is to correct the water intrusion problem.

A homeowner can conduct small scale residential cleaning.

For larger projects, AQS recommends hiring a mold remediation company to perform cleanup activities in a negative air containment, according to a remedial plan.

Please contact AQS for a list of recommended mold abatement companies.