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Visual Inspection and Moisture Assessment

A visual inspection is the most important initial step to determine if there’s a mold infestation brewing where you live or work. The extent of some prior water intrusion, such as poor ventilation, a plumbing leak or flooding from winter ice dams or ground water seepage, and possible mold growth should be visually assessed. A thorough assessment by a qualified specialist can be done to develop a treatment strategy and to learn if occupants or workers should be provided appropriate personal protective equipment -PPE.

Carpeting and pad, sheetrock, stored cardboard and paper, and other porous and cellulose based materials should be given careful attention during a visual inspection. Unfortunately, not all mold infestation is out in the open to be easily observed. Following a flood, mold growth in the interior wall cavities or ceiling or crawlspaces of structures is very common. Cavities, closets and damp, dark spaces behind furniture with no air movement are ideal environments for mold spores to germinate and propagate like crazy. 

Active Mold Found Growing In a Moist Wall Cavity.

The judgment and experience of an inquisitive remediation specialist will play an important role in the visual inspection because less quantifiable factors, e.g., location of the mold, odors, building use, maintenance and housekeeping, as well as the extent of a prior water damage treatment are also important in assessing mold damage and its potential health risks.

A Frozen Pipe Rupturing Inside a Wall Will Cause Major Water Damage to a Structure – including Secondary Damage From Mold. Professional Remediation is Required to Assure a Total Dryout.

Ventilation systems also should be visually checked, particularly for damp filters, moist conditions in ductwork, and overall cleanliness. To avoid spreading microorganisms including bacteria or mold throughout the building, an HVAC system suspected to be contaminated with mold should not be run. Guidelines from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and CDC provide useful information concerning this topic.

Moisture meters will be used to quantify moisture levels in building materials that may have been effected by water spills or floods. These hand held meters are then also used to monitor daily progress in drying out wet materials to assure that materials like lumber and sheetrock are returned to their dry standard. Seriously stinky or mold damaged materials should be removed and discarded. Humidity meters can also be used periodic to monitor indoor humidity or trace a possible source of moisture damaging a structure.

A borescope is a useful tool that allows remediation specialists to see and record hidden mold problems inside of walls, above ceilings, ducts and plenums, attics and crawl spaces, and other tight areas Only minimal drilling or cutting of dry wall is required. An infrared scope can also be used to detect cold, wet insulation or damp materials lurking behind wallboard or above ceilings.

Photos should be taken to record the condition of any observed materials for the benefit of the property owner, the remediator and interested third parties such as insurance adjusters.

Sampling for Mold

Taking mold samples and lab testing for mold is not part of a routine moisture check. In most cases, appropriate decisions about remediation and the need for PPE can be made solely on the basis of visual inspection. If visible mold (or mildew) is present, it should be remediated regardless of what species of mold is present, and whether samples are taken. Other than in a controlled research setting, sampling for microbes in the environment are not generally meaningful, so would not substantially enhance decision making about treating, determining suitability for habitation, handling of debris, worker safety, or impacting a neighbor’s health. If mold testing is ordered, a clear purpose should exist. For example:

  • To determine a source of the mold contamination. For example, testing the types of mold and mold concentrations indoors versus outdoors will be used to identify an indoor problem of mold contamination that might not be obvious with a visual inspection.
  • To guide the mold remediation plan. For example, if mold is being removed and it is unclear how far the colonization extends, then surface or bulk sampling in combination with moisture readings might be useful.
  • To document the quality of a remediation project for sensitive projects and occupants.

Mold Testing Methods. Types of samples used to assess the presence of mold and the potential for human exposure to mold in a water-damaged building include air samples, surface (swab) samples, bulk samples, and maybe even water samples from condensate drain pans.

While airborne sampling might seem a good indicator of exposure from a theoretical point of view, particularly for assessing acute short-term exposures, however, in practice many problems (e.g., detection problems and large variations over time) limit the usefulness of these types of samples for most microbial agents including mold spores.

If air sampling is conducted, these measurements at best only represent a current exposure. Still, area sampling is the most commonly performed type of air sampling used to assess a mold exposure, despite uncertainty about how accurately the measurements will reflect actual personal exposure over a longer period of time.

One type of surface sampling is the sampling of settled dust. A theoretical advantage of settled-dust sampling is the presumed correlation of concentrations of fungal matter in the settled dust with chronic exposure to those mold spores and particles. However, surface sampling is a crude measure and may not correlate at all to airborne concentrations. Results of surface sampling as a measure of actual personal exposure should be interpreted with caution. Bulk samples can provide information about possible sources of biologic agents in buildings and the general composition and relative concentrations of various mold species, usually mold spore counts.

Conclusion: Have a moisture check done in your home or business if you suspect there have been uncorrected water or moisture issues in the past - Or if you simply want some additional peace of mind. Living or working in a moldy environment is generally not a good idea. Here is what the EPA has to say about the risk of mold:

Some people are sensitive to molds. For these people, exposure to molds can cause symptoms such as nasal stuffiness, eye irritation, wheezing, or skin irritation. Some people, such as those with serious allergies to molds, may have more severe reactions. Severe reactions may occur among workers exposed to large amounts of molds in occupational settings, such as farmers working around moldy hay. Severe reactions may include fever and shortness of breath. Some people with chronic lung illnesses, such as obstructive lung disease, may develop mold infections in their lungs.

There is sufficient evidence to link indoor exposure to mold with upper respiratory tract symptoms, cough, and wheeze in otherwise healthy people; with asthma symptoms in people with asthma; and with hypersensitivity pneumonitis in individuals susceptible to that immune-mediated condition. There is limited or suggestive evidence linking indoor mold exposure and respiratory illness in otherwise healthy children.

Recent studies have suggested a potential link of early mold exposure to development of asthma in some children, particularly among children who may be genetically susceptible to asthma development, and that selected interventions that improve housing conditions can reduce morbidity from asthma and respiratory allergies, but more research is needed in this regard.

Sources: http://www.cdc.gov/mold/faqs.htm#affect

Note: FloodCo LLC is available for answers to water damage questions and offers a no charge visual moisture check to property owners within its service area in NW Montana. For more information or to schedule an appointment, please call 406 892-1717.

For fast emergency service for nearly all property damage issues –Fire, Smoke, Flood or Sewer Backups Call FloodCo First! 

406 892-1717.

Posted By Lloy Mar 6, 2016

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