FAQs

Mold is capable of growing on soft fabric or paper-like materials. Under the proper conditions – particularly in the presence of adequate moisture – mold can grow on:

• Drywall
• Insulation
• Window and doors frames
• Curtains and upholstery
• Floorboards
• And more

Mold is considered “bad” when there is too much growth and/or it is causing damage to your property and health. A “toxic” mold is a strain that produces toxins, albeit not all molds that grow in residential or commercial properties are capable of this.

While there are between 50 and 60 strains of mold in total that are identified as “hazardous” to human health, stachybotrys chartarum, or black mold, is considered to be the most toxic.

That being said, it’s unlikely that individuals will inhale enough toxic spores to truly impact their health unless the mold growth is extensive and/or the individual has experienced prolonged spore exposure.

Mold remediation is the process by which actively growing mold is removed from a property. The remediation site is then cleaned and sanitized to mitigate further growth.

You may want to look into the necessity of mold remediation if an area in your residential or commercial property contains a mildewy odor, the property has remained vacant for a long period of time, moisture intrusion has occurred (e.g. burst pipes), and more.

Once you believe mold may be present, it is imperative that you schedule a mold remediation appointment as soon as possible, as extensive mold growth may cause structural damage, thus requiring require more costly services.

We do not recommend using DIY at-home mold testing kits. Not only has Consumer Reports rated these products “Not Recommended” due to quality concerns, but these tests typically do not provide reliable or meaningful results.

Additionally, mold kits are not likely to provide you with the peace of mind you’re looking for. For example, these testing kits are often used to inspire fear in consumers, thereby increasing sales. Moreover, the mold inspection itself is more important than the mold samples, and most individuals who are not in the industry will lack sufficient knowledge to carry out a proper mold inspection.

Finally, taking a mold sample yourself is risky, as you may be handling a toxic strain. Industry professionals will be able to handle the mold safely, thereby preventing harmful mold exposure.

A mold assessment should encompass both the inside and outside of your property. During this time, professionals will take on-site samples to later have analyzed for accurate and insightful data.

• Mold assessments may involve:
• Capturing and analyzing airborne samples
• Testing surfaces to determine if and how much mold is present
• And more

We do not recommend completing a mold assessment on your own. Instead, be sure to look for licensed mold professionals.

Indoor air quality tests are designed to provide you with insight regarding the overall optimization of your property’s health. In other words, it can determine how safe the indoor air is to breathe.

There are several instances in which you may elect to undergo IAQ testing, including:

• The conclusion of a property renovation
• The completion of the mold remediation process to determine its overall efficacy
• When water damage occurs or is suspected to have occurred in the past
• When a musty or mildew smell is present
• When an individual is predisposed to or begins to experience persistent upper respiratory symptoms
• And more

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recommends keeping one’s indoor humidity levels “between 30 percent and 50 percent.” This is because, when humidity levels exceed about 50 percent or 60 percent, the water vapor concentration may cause and/or exacerbate indoor mold growth and rot.

Here at Coastal Air Assessments, our team is trained and certified to use industry-standard tools and technology. This includes laser particle counters, thermal imaging technology, spore traps, and more.

That being said, we are unique in that we utilize InstaScope, a state-of-the-art indoor air quality monitoring device. The InstaScope, which utilizes cutting-edge bio fluorescent readings, is capable of sampling the air, measuring and identifying the overall airborne particle load, and generating results in real-time.

Unlike many other assessment companies, when we perform mold assessments, we can provide you with rapid on-site results and emailed reports within the next day for most testing completed.