Your Home Inspection - Mold Testing & Sampling For Mold

Molds are found almost everywhere in our environment, both outdoors and indoors. Their spores float continually in the air we breathe. Molds can grow on just about any substance, as long as moisture and oxygen are available. Mold growth may occur when excessive moisture accumulates in buildings or on building materials including carpet, ceiling tile, insulation, paper, wallboard, wood, surfaces behind wallpaper, or in heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems.

Read the EPA Home Mold Guide

We provide mold testing services for suspect areas found during the normal course of general home inspections. If we encounter an area that would be conducive to the presence of mold, we alert you to these conditions and make recommendations for sampling in specified areas, with the number and types of samples that should be taken. Two means of acquiring a mold sample are with specialized air cells and surface swabs. Mold testing is a service we provide while conducting an inspection so that our clients can be assured that their health will not be at risk when moving into their newly purchased house. The first sample taken (air cell or surface swab) is $175.00. Additional sampling is $75.00 per sample. Mold testing or sampling will only be performed with your approval and in the areas that you specify.

Common Environments For Mold To Grow Include:

• Water penetrating the building exterior, such as the roof
• Plumbing leaks
• Window leaks
• Flooding
• Ground moisture penetrating a building slab
• Condensation on cold surfaces (e.g., pipe sweating)
• Poorly maintained drain pans
• Wet foundations due to landscaping
• Gutters that direct water into or under the building
• Water vapor from un-vented or poorly vented kitchens & baths
• Combustion appliances
• Steam pipes

Mold colonies can be created by any of these conditions, because it can grow wherever there is dampness. Especially in the absence of light and with a lack of air circulation, the colonies can grow rapidly and release toxins (known as mycotoxins) into the air.

Is mold a health risk? Mold can bask a home in unpleasant odors, but even worse, it can negatively affect your health. The presence of mold creates poor indoor air quality and building related illnesses (BRIs). Information on indoor mold exposures is constantly changing. For current health info, check the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention's FAQ on mold exposure.