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Mold Inspections
Schedule a mold inspection in Annapolis, Bowie & Bethesda, MD
Understanding mold and its effects on your home and health can be very important. A comprehensive mold inspection and test can be an important part of a new home purchase or examining your existing home or rental property. At Broadneck Home Inspections, LLC we take mold very seriously.
So what does mold mean for you? How do you understand if you have mold in your home or not? That's where we come in.
There are only 2 ways to test for mold.Swab or Biotape Test: When you have a physical area of visible mold which can be swabbed or contacted with Biotape, a direct contact sample is best. This type of testing will give you a Positive or Negative result for multiple types of mold or fungus depending on what is actively in your home in that area. It does not give you a quantifiable amount of how much of each type may be present. It does not give you a quantifiable amount of how much of each type may be present.
Air Quality Test: An air quality test is the best method to use for testing for the presence of mold spores in any enclosed space or area. The air quality test does not require a visible area and can sample up to 1000 SF of enclosed space per cartridge. An air quality test will give you quantifiable results for each type of mold present and the amount of each present. We use an air pump to test for mold spores which are naturally floating around in the air. The air pump suctions air into a Pro5 cartridge which captures the spores. We also do a separate air test outside your home as a control sample so the lab has a comparison level. The Pro5 cartridges are then FEDEXed to the lab for analysis. The lab report is generally returned to us in about 2-3 business days.
Controlling mold and eliminating it from your home requires a comprehensive approach that includes addressing moisture intrusion issues, reducing humidity, and remediating any existing mold. Any mold remediation contractor that you hire should be one that follows the EPA guidelines for mold remediation, including the IICRC S520 standards. For a summary of the EPA IICRC S520 standards, please see here: IICRC flyer link.
We partner with Professional Laboratories in Florida for all of our mold testing. To view a sample lab report, click here. The lab results are emailed back to us for interpretation and summary before being sent to the client. In this stage, we may add pictures from our field visit and/or recommendations for treatment or remediation.
Not all mold is dangerous. There are normal amounts of mold and fungus in the air all around you everyday. We are exposed to many kinds of mold and fungus on a normal basis. Mold can be broken into 2 main categories: Harmful and Allergen types. Even in concentrated levels, many of the allergen types are only likely to cause allergen type symptoms such as sneezing and coughing in most people. Harmful types of mold are much less common but can have serious health risks. It is important to remember that infants, young children, and the elderly are more susceptible to mold and it's health effects.
For RENTERS: If you are renting a property and suspect mold is present you have the right to third party independent inspection and testing for mold. Don't wait for your landlord to get a test.They often delay this or try to avoid it. Knowing if you're living with mold is your right. Your landlord cannot prevent you from hiring us to test your property. You will likely have to pay for the testing yourself however, even though your don't own the property. But it is important to know if you are at risk.
Don't guess. Find out if you have mold in your home, what type it may be, and what to do about it. Give us a call to schedule your mold testing today!
