Detecting and Testing for Mold in Your Home

The Bay Area is a great place to live, especially for mold spores. The wet weather and humidity make San Francisco and surrounding communities prime territory for indoor mold. You can protect yourself and your family from the potential health threats caused by mold and also help prevent the structural damage it causes by calling Vital Restoration at 650-262-4545 to schedule a professional mold inspection

Why Is Mold Dangerous?

Not only can mold cause structural damage, such as weakened floors and walls, but it can also impact your health. Mold spores can cause allergic reactions, asthma episodes, and other respiratory problems, even in people with no previous occurrences. The microbial volatile organic compounds (mVOCs) contained in mold spores, can affect the brain and central nervous system. The Environmental Protection Agency and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have even linked some molds to certain cancers.

How Do I Know if My Home Has Mold?

A thorough mold inspection by a licensed professional is the only way to know for certain if your home has mold. There are, however, three common clues that suggest that mold is present.

1.    Your nose may be your first tool to detect the presence of mold. The telltale musty smell of mildew comes from the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that all varieties of mold release into the air. The smell is sour, pungent and easy to identify.

2.    You may see mold (though you might not know it). There are many different types of mold and they don’t necessarily look alike. Mold may be black, green, white or even yellow. Even though their colors may vary, every strain will appear moist. Mold spores require a source of water to germinate, so mold tends to look slimy or velvety, but always wet.

3.    You may also suspect a mold problem if you begin experiencing unexplained health problems, most notably respiratory issues, coughing and sneezing. Even people with no previous history of allergies or respiratory issues may experience symptoms such as nasal stuffiness, eye irritation, coughing, wheezing, or skin irritation when exposed to mold.

Professional Mold Inspection – The Reliable Way to Detect Mold

Even if you can’t smell, see or feel the effects of mold, it can still be hiding in your home. Mold can grow anywhere, including behind walls, in the ducts of heating and air conditioning systems, beneath furniture and in subflooring. Issues like water damage, insufficient airflow, or lack of proper insulation can go undetected until it’s too late and mold has taken hold. Once mold begins to colonize inside of your home or business, it can become difficult to manage. A thorough mold inspection by the professionals at Vital Restoration is important, even if you don’t find any obvious signs of mold growth. Our trained and certified professionals have the expertise and most up-to-date technology to seek out and identify mold growth and to treat it before it can cause serious harm.

What to Expect During a Professional Mold Inspection

A typical assessment usually starts with a visual inspection of the damaged areas and other parts of the structure where mold could be present. The technician will identify the source of the moisture and evaluate the mold growth both visible and hidden. The technician will take samples from the affected surfaces and sometimes will sample the air in the building as well.

It is important to call a qualified professional mold remediation company to ensure that you are getting a complete and high-quality inspection.

Next Step: Mold Remediation

Mold remediation is the process of stopping mold growth and removing existing mold from a home or business. If a problem is found during the mold inspection, the technician will outline a plan to remove it, repair the damage, fix the problems to ensure that the mold doesn’t return, and then restore your property as close to its original condition as possible.

If the mold problem is serious, it’s important that you don’t attempt to deal with it yourself. Cleaning mold by hand may cause the spores to travel freely through the air, which can increase the risk of health problems and actually spread the mold. Instead, rely on the mold remediation experts at Vital Restoration for safe and effective mold removal.

Call the Mold Professionals at Vital Restoration

Call Vital Restoration at 650-262-4545 to schedule an inspection of your San Francisco home or business by the most experienced and knowledgeable professionals in the cleaning and restoration field. We can determine if you have a mold problem, identify the type of mold and where it is, and eliminate the problem using the most current tools and methods to stop mold growth and remove existing mold from your home. We provide free estimates and emergency response 24/7, 365 days a year. Call us today.