Mold inspections happen almost every day across the country, but how long do homeowners have to wait for the full inspection to be completed? Unfortunately, there isn’t one answer. There are a lot of different factors to consider. This blog jumps into what those factors are, how often you’d need a mold inspection, and how to team up with companies like INX Indoor Air Quality to get rid of your mold problem as soon as possible. Read on for more!
What’s the Big Deal About Mold Inspections Anyway?
Mold inspections, done by professionals, aren’t just your simple glance over. So, what happens during a mold inspection? It takes time and multiple steps to make sure there is no mold in your living space. Here are some steps INX Indoor Air Quality does for a typical home:
- Taking a Proper Assessment of the Property: We evaluate your entire property, from basements to attics, hunting for visible and hidden mold.
- Making Sure the Mold IS Mold: DIY mold test kits can be misleading. Professionals know how to identify mold types and their concentrations with precision.
- Find Water or Moisture: Mold thrives in damp environments. Our experts use advanced methods to pinpoint the source of the moisture causing mold growth.
- Customizing a Strategy or Plan: Every property is unique, and we develop customized action plans to ensure proper mold removal and prevention.
The Ultimate Question – How Long Does Mold Testing Take?
What happens during a mold inspection? So, most of the time, a mold inspection entirely depends on how big your house is and what the extent of the mold is. If it’s a big space with a lot of mold present, you’ll be looking at a longer inspection than usual. If you end up hiring a team like INX Indoor Air Quality, you should expect a professional to take around 1-2 hours to visually go through everything. This includes collecting air samples, surfaces, and moisture mapping if needed. Then, after the legwork, we send the samples to a lab to process and figure out its type and measure its concentration, which generally takes 7-14 days. This step ensures a detailed analysis of potential risks. While it may feel like a long wait, the accuracy of these results helps you differentiate between harmless mold and dangerous threats, so you can confidently move forward.
Details of a Typical Mold Inspection Process
We like to say that every home is different when doing a mold inspection and it usually is. Nevertheless, INX Indoor Air Quality has a multi-step process that gives the most reliable results. Here is what that looks like:
1. Overall Inspection
We begin by visually inspecting the most moisture-prone areas of the property. This includes basements, bathrooms, kitchens, laundry rooms, and attics. Using our expertise, we identify visible mold or mildew and any other potential problems.
2. Collecting Air Samplings
We collect air samples from various parts of your home to determine the presence of mold spores. Even if you don’t see visible mold, these spores can cause health problems and indicate hidden growth.
3. Gathering Surface Samplings
For areas with visible mold, surface testing is conducted by wiping down affected surfaces. This helps assess the severity of the contamination.
4. Finding Water and Moisture Mapping
Using advanced infrared cameras, we map areas with high moisture content. This step often uncovers hidden leaks or condensation spots that promote mold growth.
5. Thermal Imaging and Mold Spore Traps
Thermal imaging allows us to identify temperature differences behind walls or floors, pinpointing hidden moisture sources without invasive damage. Mold spore traps provide further insights into the type and concentration of mold present.
6. Lab Analysis
Finally, all samples are sent to a laboratory for detailed analysis. This step is crucial for accurate identification and assessing the danger level of the mold types found in your home.
Why Mold Inspections Are Important for Buying or Selling Homes
If you’re in the mindset of buying or selling a home, mold takes on a whole different meaning in importance. Mold can lurk in unexpected places, such as small foundation cracks, roof leaks, or poorly graded landscaping. Having a mold inspection done on your property before sellers come look or during the buying process can save you potential future headaches and expenses.
Don’t Skip a Mold Inspection!
If you’re in the position to do a mold inspection, take it! It’s so important to put a stop to mold as soon as possible, and being able to do that requires professionals to come in and give your their advice and solutions. If you don’t treat mold in the right amount of time, it can severely damage your home and even your health. Mold can weaken floors, ceilings, and even foundations if left unchecked. Also, toxic mold can cause respiratory problems, headaches, and allergy-like symptoms.
Choose INX Indoor Air Quality and Get the Right Information, Not Scare Tactics
When mold comes to town, it’s staying indefinitely unless you team up with professionals. INX Indoor Air Quality encountered all kinds of mold issues and has been helping homeowners for over two decades. It’s important to get our team in quickly if you suspect mold so we can deal with it most effectively. Not all mold is dangerous, but it’s vital to know whether the mold inside your home poses a risk. Unfortunately, general inspections or DIY kits may provide incomplete or alarming results. For example, high spore counts in air quality tests could “freak you out,” but only a proper inspection provides clarity about what those counts mean for your health and property. Trusting professionals like us can make sure you get actionable insights instead of unnecessary worry. Next time you’re asking yourself, “What happens during a mold inspection?” contact INX Indoor Air Quality now to book a mold inspection and gain peace of mind. Your health and your property will thank you!
