Comprehensive Mold Inspection Services
At SBG Environmental, we’re committed to bringing you the highest-level service, which means you receive a mold inspection that is thorough, unrelenting, and precise. An exhaustive examination determines the exact source of your mold issues and allows you to treat the problem from the bottom up. Don’t just treat the mold you see; eradicate the problem entirely from your home or office with SBG Environmental, licensed NYC mold inspectors.
Mold and Inspections
What is Mold?
Mold is a living organism that requires the presence of two ingredients in order to grow: food and moisture. While most households are well-stocked with potential food sources, mold doesn’t typically grow in homes that are dry and well-sealed as they lack the necessary moisture for mold growth. Residences that have leaks, poor insulation, or other factors that allow in moisture, however, provide a prime breeding ground for the toxic organism.
Targeting Mold
Our goal when it comes to mold inspections is twofold: find the source (or sources) of your home’s excess moisture, and provide solutions to prevent any moisture-related issues in the future.
Common Causes of Moisture and How to Eradicate Them
Excess moisture is often caused by leaking pipes, high humidity combined with poor ventilation, condensation or groundwater flooding.
Finding the source of the moisture is the only way to permanently solve a mold problem. SBG Environmental provides top-of-the-line mold inspection services that find the source, eradicate the mold, and transform your home or business place into a permanently safe and healthy environment.
Remember, mold growth can escalate rapidly. Don’t wait until you have a full-fledged mold problem; the earlier you catch a leak or potential mold growth, the easier it will be to address. Prevent the problem from snowballing by contacting SBG Environmental before the mold growth multiplies.
Inspection Process
Visual: We first conduct visual inspections of any potentially problematic spaces. There, we can identify whether there is water damage, where it could be stemming from, and check for obvious signs of mold growth.
Air Test: We test the air quality in your home or office to quantify the number of mold spores present.
Humidity Check: Using a humidity monitor, we will gauge the levels of humidity in your home or office.
Infrared Camera: An infrared camera lets us know if moisture is present behind any walls or surfaces.
Mold Sampling: We take samples of any mold growth to send to a lab for testing. See more on mold sampling below.
Mold Sampling
In order to accurately determine whether there is presence of mold, and if so, to what degree, we take samples of suspected mold growth.
There are two types of samples: air sampling and direct sampling, which take different measures of mold presence and toxicity and are used to determine the quantity and quality of said mold.
Quantitative sampling measures the quantity of mold spores in your dwelling and gives you a sense of the extent of your mold problem. The results of these non-viable air sample analyses are provided in a numerical format and compared against national averages, allowing you to see how the scope of your mold problem compares to others like it.
Qualitative sampling is much simpler in that it seeks only to verify if mold is present. This type of sampling is less common, because mold growth can typically be verified visually, without requiring verification via laboratory sampling. Qualitative sampling is useful when mold growth may be confused with similar-looking substances, such as efflorescence. A tape lift sample or bulk sample are the preferred techniques when utilizing the direct sampling method.
Air sampling is the most common lab test used in indoor environmental evaluations, and for good reason: ultimately, air sampling is the most accurate method for determining mold exposure. While a tape lift may accurately determine if mold growth is present on a particular surface, it will not tell you whether that mold growth has actually affected the indoor air quality. An air sample, on the other hand, will tell you about the impact the mold has had.
Results
Once we receive the inspection and lab results of your mold sample, we will call you back within TIME FRAME to confirm whether or not you do have a mold problem and if yes, to what degree. We can then advise you on remediation and the next steps to take.
Call now to get your inspection started and stop the spread!
Identifying Mold
Not sure if you have mold?
If you suspect you might have mold growth in your home or workplace, chances are, you do. Here are a couple of indicators of mold contamination:
Visual Cues: Mold can present in a variety of colors, including brown, green, gray, yellow, black or white. In addition, depending on the specific strain of the mold, the growth can range from completely textureless to cottony, grainy, shiny, fuzzy or leathery.
You might also notice that the wood in the affected area is becoming warped or distorted from water exposure, and that painted surfaces are showing signs of peeling due to the presence of moisture.
Odors: Mold is often accompanied by a musty, earthy, wet, or rotten smell.
Common Growth Spots: Because mold thrives on water and humidity, it often grows in spaces such as bathrooms, attics, basements, crawl spaces, kitchens, around windows and air conditioners, behind furniture or wallpaper, or on any organic materials that are exposed to water.
Environmental Factors: If your home or workspace has recently been exposed to water or humidity, it may be at risk for mold contamination. Floods, sewage malfunctions, leaks, condensation, humidifiers, malfunctioning appliances, broken pipes and windows, or wet materials in the home all pose potential mold growth risks.
Time Frame: In the event that you’ve recently experienced any of the above, we recommend scheduling a mold inspection immediately. Mold growth can occur within 24 hours after water exposure, so the sooner you address the issue, the less damage your home or office will sustain.
Mold reproduces by means of tiny spores that float through the air and land wherever they can find moisture. They begin to grow and reproduce in as quickly as a few hours, in a process that is exponential in nature. This is why it is crucial to address a potential mold problem as soon as you can to prevent further growth, damage, and cross-contamination, and to eliminate possible health hazards before you, your family, or your employees face serious exposure.
Preparation for Mold Remediation
Once you’ve received your results and confirmed the presence of mold in your home or office, here are a few steps you can take to properly prepare for mold remediation and ensure best results.
Gather all the reports you’ve received from your mold inspection company. The remediation group will likely use the data to determine the extent and nature of the mold damage in your home or workplace and decide how to best proceed with implementing remediation.
While this may seem counterintuitive, do not move any furniture or items out of rooms where mold is present. This is because they may already be harboring mold spores, and moving them into a different room or area can contaminate that area as well.
Wash clothing or fabrics that were present in the contaminated area in hot water and detergent to remove any mold spores. You can store them in an airtight plastic bag to prevent re-contamination in the future.
Remove pets from the contaminated area for the course of the mold remediation process
Be sure you have photo documentation of the presence of mold before the remediation begins, so that you can easily file an insurance claim if needed.
Be prepared to relocate for the duration of the remediation process. Depending on the type and extent of the mold growth in your space, the remediation company may ask you to leave the grounds while they work to eradicate the contamination.
Following these steps will help achieve an effective and smooth mold remediation process.