You’ve noticed something funky growing on one of your walls and you suspect mold. Before it spreads and perhaps causes an allergic reaction, call a mold inspector, says Samuel Dixon, owner of C.S.I Mold based in Los Angeles, Calif. Here’s what a mold inspector can do:
Find moisture source
A mold inspector will carefully examine all of the water sources, including all pipes, appliances and bathroom fixtures, and the surrounding areas and walls, for leaks or condensation. While he’s doing the visual inspection, he’ll likely carry a moisture meter to confirm the percentage of moisture in different building materials. It can also help detect moisture levels behind walls as well as relative humidity of the indoor air.
If he detects high levels of moisture behind a wall, for example, he’ll drill a small hole and use a borescope to examine the space behind. “You can find all types of surprises,” says the Los Angeles home mold inspection expert. “Sometimes I’ve found not only mold but also termites. Mold holds moisture and termites can get moisture from the mold so it allows them to take over the house.”
Another tool C.S.I. Mold relies on: an infrared camera to look for “cooler areas which can be signs of water leaks and even potential areas for future moisture damage,” says Dixon, who is also a Los Angeles commercial mold inspection specialist.
For the $500 package, C.S.I. Mold will send four indoor or surface samples and one outdoor sample to an independent lab for testing. Once the results come back, the inspector will write up a report identifying the mold and his recommendations for how to remove it.
Line up a mold remediation company
Armed with a report that includes protocols about how to remove the mold, you’ll need to hire a mold remediation company to do the actual removal and clean up. That includes scrubbing the air with HEPA filters.
To protect yourself, the Los Angeles mold inspection pro recommends rehiring the mold inspector for a post remediation inspection to ensure that the mold remediation company did its job. “Having the post inspection is important,” he says. “You need to do that before you build back that wall.”
Limits of inspection
Lab results take time, so be patient. No experienced mold inspector can you give you a report at the end of a visit. Nor can an inspector find mold if he can’t get access to the space and see” it with his moisture meter, borescope or infrared camera.
“You say you have a weird smell but lots of things give off weird smells,” says Dixon, who started his Los Angeles mold inspection business in 2009. “Nor am I a doctor. A lot of things can cause rashes. I had a customer who was allergic to pollen. It turns out there was a high pollen count in their house. It also could have been due to a slow natural gas leak.”
Los Angeles, CA 90065
Phone: 213-985-7469