Indoor mold inspection refers to the visual assessment of possible mold growth on surfaces. This may be followed by mold sampling, i.e., collection of samples for mold testing in the lab. Mold inspection is a component of mold investigation. While mold inspection and mold mold investigation tend to be used interchangeably, the two are not the same. Mold investigation may include mold inspection, mold sampling and mold testing or mold analysis. A mold inspection can be upgraded to a mold investigation.
Is Mold Inspection Necessary?
There are a number of reasons why a mold inspection may be performed. These include:
- Health Complaint. If the building occupants experience respiratory problems that their doctors cannot attribute to a specific cause then mold inspection or mold investigation can be considered. It is well known that mold exposure can cause serious health issues, especially among the young, elderly, and those with respiratory problems. A professional mold inspection can help determine the extent of mold contamination.
- Real Estate Transactions. It is almost becoming a requirement from home buyers that a property is inspected for mold growth as a condition for the transaction to go through. Regular home inspections may not detect mold growth behind walls, ceilings and insulation. Plus, humidity levels and differfences from room-to-room may cause hidden moisture problems. These problems can, over time, be highly expensive to repair and hurt the value of real estate in resale.
- Flooding. Regular home inspections may not detect previous flooding, known leaks, suspected leaks and the chance of re-flooding – potentially expensive issues that may all lead to mold growth.
- Grow Ops . Regular home inspections may not detect toxic mold caused by former residential ‘Marijuana Grow Operations’, many of which end up condemned.
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