Mold Inspection Sciences

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mbains — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 19:45:53 +0000

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What is a “free” mold inspection?

mbains — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 19:14:25 +0000

How many times in life do we really get something of value for free? Not very often…

The same holds true for a “free” mold inspection. There are two primary, and necessary, services when it comes to indoor mold problems — mold inspection and testing and mold remediation (mold clean-up). Those two services should be performed by two different companies.

Mold inspection and testing companies perform a professional consulting service that will:

Inspect your home or business based on industry standards;
Collect microbial samples as needed; and
Prepare a written report of findings, conclusions, and recommendations.

In the recommendations section of the report, the consultant will write a “scope of work” for remediation (clean-up) work, if needed. This scope of work is what the mold remediation company will follow when they prepare their estimate for the work. Mold remediation companies make their money based on the size and scope of a project. Most companies are honest and want to do what’s right for the customer. But, it is a conflict of interest for a remediation company to perform an inspection or to bid on a project without a scope of work from a consultant.

A quality mold inspection and report can take from a minimum of 3 hours to hundreds of hours. Even for the smallest of jobs — say a bathroom, the drive time plus the on site inspection time, plus the report creation time, plus the telephone consultation time adds up to real hours of professional level work. Ask yourself a simple question: “would anyone actually do this work for free?”

A “free” mold inspection is simply a way for some remediation companies to get their foot in the door and to get money from you for mold remediation and likely build back construction services.

Do yourself a favor and actually save yourself money and headaches in the big picture. If you believe you have a mold problem, hire a professional, certified, mold inspection and testing company to perform an initial investigation and a post inspection and testing, after mold remediation, if applicable.

Dealing with Mold Problems – Advice for Renters

mbains — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 15:07:15 +0000

Our company receives calls every day from people who are concerned about mold in their residence. Many of these people are renters. When you are renting property that you believe may have a mold problem, you are faced with a unique set of issues. For most folks, their primary concern is for their health and the health of their family. No one wants to live in a home or apartment that has a mold problem that is impacting the air that they breathe. In order to understand the source of the problem, the impact on the air, and the proper steps for remediation requires a professional inspection and testing. But, who should pay for these services? As the occupant of the property, the renter wants to hire a reputable, professional company so that their concerns and needs are addressed. However, the renter does not own the property and it is not their responsibility to pay for structural defects or other water related problems outside their control. So, the renter is also reluctant to pay for a mold inspection for property they don’t own. Landlords differ drastically in how they respond to their tenant’s concerns about mold. Many are truly concerned about their tenants health and the condition of their property and will hire the best professionals to investigate the property. Other landlords are scared and confused and don’t know how to react. Still others don’t really care and will do anything they can to avoid spending money. Further, many landlords don’t believe that mold is a real problem and they don’t take it seriously. Their goal is to spend as little money as possible to “fix” the problem and they don’t follow industry standards and that puts their tenants at risk.

After many years of experience in working with both tenants and landlords, I have the following advice for renters:

If you believe you have a mold problem, begin by discussing the concern with your landlord. How they react will dictate your next step. If they are concerned and want to do the right thing, let them. Just keep a couple of things in mind: 1. Make sure the company the landlord hires is certified or licensed and has a good reputation with organizations like the Better Business Bureau and 2. Inform the landlord that you would like copies of all reports issued.
If your landlord is anything but cooperative and professional, you need to hire your own company. This will ensure that 1. You hire the right company and 2. You will have access to the reports and information. Assuming it is determined that you do have a mold problem, it is appropriate to present the report to your landlord and 1. ask for reimbursement for your costs and 2. request that they have the problem addressed by a professional remediation company as outlined in the report provided by the company that inspected the property. Once the remediation work is performed, you will want the original inspection company to return to inspect the work of the remediation company and perform post air sampling. On the flip side though, if it turns out that you do not have a mold problem, it is appropriate that the renter does not request reimbursement from the landlord.

Our company does work for both landlords and tenants. We are fair to both parties and report the facts and condition of the property as they are. However, we do only work for one party and the party that engages our services, signs our service agreement, and pays our invoice is our client.

Dealing with mold problems, especially as a renter, can be confusing and frustrating. You want to be fair to your landlord while ensuring the health of the occupants of the home. Each step you take should be carefully measured.

My recommendation is to start by calling a reputable company and discussing your options and the best plan of action. Our company operates in Texas, Colorado, California, Oregon, and Washington. If you live in one of those states, please contact us. We can help.

A complete list of our locations.

Mold wiki – All About Mold

mbains — Sun, 23 Jan 2011 23:09:39 +0000

Mold Inspection Sciences recently released its first wiki. This will allow us to share valuable information with our clients and all folks on the Internet!

One of the most important sections of the wiki is our section about Mold and your health. In this section, you can read published, current, peer reviewed documents related to mold and your health; including the various impacts of water damaged buildings to occupants. I speak to a lot of people that ask me about the symptoms of mold exposure. The documents posted on this section of our wiki answer that question in great detail.

We also have a section that allows potential clients to download our sample reports. This way, our potential clients can see exactly what they receive when they engage our company.

Also of interest are some various links to some good resources about mold; including the definitive source for mold information and resources — Planet Mold.

We hope you enjoy our wiki!

Mold Inspection Sciences Launches Pacific Northwest Operations

mbains — Tue, 11 Jan 2011 22:06:13 +0000

In the last quarter of 2010, Mold Inspection Sciences opened operations in the Seattle-Tacoma areas of Washington and the Portland-Vancouver areas of Oregon. We are excited about working in this beautiful area of the country. Mr. Brandon Apple is the project manager for both of these new markets. He can be reached at bapple@moldinspectionsciences.com.

Contact information for these new offices:

Portland-Vancouver
Office: 503.922.3399
http://www.portland-mold-inspection.com

Seattle-Tacoma
Office: 206.407.3352
http://www.seattle-mold-inspection.com

Heavy January 2010 rains in California causing mold problems

mbains — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 21:57:21 +0000

The heavy rains we recently experienced in Southern California remind me of the rains of 2005. In 2005, we were flooded with calls from home owners and business owners about mold and water damage.

The bulk of the calls started occurning about 2 months after the heavy rains. This is when people started noticing the visible mold growth. Unforunately, the non-visible mold started growing long before. The longer water damage sits unaddressed, the greater the damage will be from mold.

My advice to everyone living in rain soaked and flood damaged areas of California is to perform their own personal inspection of their home or property. Grab a flashlight and look everywhere. If you see water damage, staining, or mold growth, call us immediately. The sooner these problems can be addressed, the lower the impact and the lower the cost to remedy.

Or, to be on the safe and pudent side, call us today at 310.451.9333 to set up an inspection. We can provide a detailed, thorough investigation to ensure your home is in top shape and to make sure you don’t have a lurking moisture and mold problem.

Mold Inspection Sciences – www.moldsci.com

Mold Inspection Sciences Launches Dallas Fort Worth Office

mbains — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 17:36:49 +0000

Mold Inspection Sciences is now open in the Dallas and Ft. Worth metroplex area. We are excited to be serving the Dallas, Fort Worth, and North Texas areas. Our company has hired two Mold Assessment Consultants (MAC). One of which has a Bachelors degree in Bio-Environmental Sciences and a Masters degree in Environmental Management, and the second has a Bachelors degree in Biological Health Sciences. Our team of mold experts just became much stronger. We are excited about serving the great people of Dallas and Forth Worth and hope they will look to us for answers about mold in their homes and businesses.

Website: http://www.moldinspectiondallas.com

World Health Organizations Guidelines on Mold and Moisture

mbains — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 02:27:02 +0000

In July of 2009 the World Health Organization (WHO) published its first guidelines on indoor air quality specifically addressing dampness and mold. Many of the facts that came from that publication reinforce what many of us the mold inspection industry have suspected for years. It is clear that moldy and damp environments can have an adverse impact on the health of building occupants. A few quick statistics from the publication:

“Residential dampness is associated with a 50% increase in current asthma and substantial increases in other respiratory health outcomes, suggesting that 21% of current asthma in the United States may be attributable to residential dampness and mould”. This is quite a staggering statistic. The WHO is stating that 1 out of 5 people in this country that have asthma can blame their illness on mold and moisture.
Occupants of damp or moldy buildings have a 75% greater risk of respiratory symptoms and asthma than occupants of buildings with better indoor air quality, according to the findings by the WHO. With statistics like that, it seems extremely prudent for occupants of indoor spaces to be concerned about their indoor air quality with respect to water intrusion and microbial growth.
“When sufficient moisture is available, hundreds of species of bacteria and fungi – particularly mould – pollute indoor air. The most important effects of exposure to these pollutants are the increased prevalence of respiratory symptoms, allergies and asthma, as well as disturbance of the immune system. Preventing (or minimizing) persistent dampness and microbial growth on interior surfaces and building structures is the most important means of avoiding harmful effects on health.”

I’m quite glad that a reputable organization has come to these conclusions via documentable research methods. I’ve suspected for years that that moldy and wet environments could cause health problems, but was hesitant to state it as fact. I hope that people will read this document and take their indoor air quality seriously.

You can download a free copy of the book or purchase the hard copy here: http://euro.who.int/InformationSources/Publications/Catalogue/20090629_4

If you need to find a qualified mold inspection company in southern California, call us at 310.451.9333 or visit our website at Mold Inspection Sciences (www.moldinspectionsciences.com). In Texas 512.535.2493 or Mold Inspection Sciences Texas (www.moldinspectiontexas.com). For Colorado 303.339.0133 or Mold Inspection Sciences Colorado (www.moldinspectioncolorado.com).

If you live in another area, you can find an inspector using the “find a mold inspector” tool at Planet Mold – http://www.planetmold.com/mold-inspection/find-a-mold-inspector

Mold Inspection Sciences – Colorado company gets great review on ServiceMagic

mbains — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 04:25:18 +0000

Mold Inspection Sciences of Colorado (www.moldinspectioncolorado.com) received an excellent review on ServiceMagic.com. Here is what the client had to say:

“excellent service and quality product. also recommended a company to fix the problems. already completed total project. affordable and superior results.” Richard H. of Lafayette, Colorado

To see the full Service Magic page and all the review information, visit Mold Inspection Sciences Service Magic page: Mold Inspection Sciences Colorado Mold Company on Service Magic

Mold Inspection Sciences launches Colorado operations

mbains — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 21:59:39 +0000

Mold Inspection Sciences, the premier mold inspection and sampling company in southern California, has launched operations in the Denver-Boulder metro area of Colorado. We offer the same high quality standards and service as our California clients have appreciated for years.

Their website address is www.moldinspectioncolorado.com. They can be reached at 303.339.0133.

The Great State of Colorado