Mold Growth and What to do About It in Virginia Beach, VA

Mold growth is something you don’t want to content with at your Virginia Beach, VA home. Living so close to the beach typically means a lot of wet bathing suits and towels lying around the house. If you usually have a lot of friends or family at your home to enjoy the beach, you have double the trouble.

Mold can be either inside or outside. Outside mold in the air can attach itself to your clothing, shoes, and pets and can be carried inside. Once the mold spores fall on places where there is excessive moisture, mold growth can develop. Common sources of moisture are leaky roofs, plumbing leaks, outdoor drainage issues, damp crawl spaces and basements, clothes dryer venting indoors, poor or improper ventilation of cooking and heating appliances and steam from showers or dishwashers, humidifiers, potted plants, and those beach clothes laying around inside your home in Virginia Beach, VA. These areas can lead to mold growth. Once mold spores land on a moist surface, they will begin to reproduce, and you will experience mold growth in those areas of your Virginia Beach, VA home.

There are several different ways to control mold growth inside your home in Virginia Beach, VA. Check your home periodically for any leaky pipes. Make sure you have a good ventilation system to remove steam from cooking and showering, vent your clothes dryer to the outside, fix any outdoor drainage issues you might have, hang wet clothes outside to dry or put them into the clothes dryer. Never leave them lying on the floor, or you may start to notice mold growth on your walls or flooring.

Virginia Beach, VA homeowners can handle small amounts of mold, but anything excessive should be left to professionals. Also, without professionals handling your mold growth, you may not be able to see all mold and only an environmental company has the necessary equipment to test for mold growth.

If you have any mold growth issues, call the team at Envirotex Environmental Services, and they will be glad to answer any questions you have about your home in Virginia Beach, VA. 

Is a Mold Inspection in Fairfax, VA Worth the Cost?

Mold is a very serious matter, especially when it’s in your Fairfax, VA home. A home infested with mold damage can also be detrimental to your family’s health. At the first signs of mold, a mold inspection should be done because what you see may not be all there is of mold growth inside your home. 

Mold is a fungus and, unfortunately, can thrive in most places. It can spread by emitting spores, microscopic particles. Mold spores float around the air until they land on a surface inside homes in Fairfax, VA.  Mold is found outside of homes, as well as inside of homes. These mold spores only become damaging when they land on a moist surface and mold starts to grow and, left alone, unnoticed can do quite some damage to homes in Fairfax, VA.

So you might be wondering when you should invest in a mold inspection, how costly is it, and is it worth it? 

Any kind of water damage, such as your basement flooded, the roof leaking, or a pipe having a slow leak that went unnoticed, could start mold growth inside your home. By the time you notice the mold, it could have spread behind your walls, under your flooring, and you have no way of knowing unless a mold inspection is done at your Fairfax, VA home.

If you purchase a new home in Fairfax, VA, or new to you, a mold inspection is a smart thing to do. A mold inspection is an entirely different process than a standard home inspection. When you purchase a new home, you have no way of knowing of any water damage that might have happened in the home you plan to purchase. A mold inspection is the only sure way of knowing if the house has mold.

Suppose you were unfortunate at one time and went through expensive mold remediation by taking the necessary steps to deal with the mold inside your Fairfax, VA home. In that case, it is recommended that you have mold inspections regularly to ensure the problem of mold growth is gone from the home.

The cost of a mold inspection in Fairfax, VA will vary depending on the size of the home. If you have any questions about a mold inspection, call the experts at Envirotex Environmental Services. They will be glad to help.

The Importance of Mold Inspections in Northern VA

Mold can be potentially harmful, so at the first indication that you either suspect mold or see mold, you should look into a mold inspection for your home in Northern VA. The seriousness of having mold inspections can’t be expressed enough. Mold symptoms, especially those from black mold, are dangerous and can even be fatal. If any of your family members suffer from an autoimmune disease, the risk is even higher.

If mold becomes airborne at your home in Northern VA, the indoor air quality declines significantly. Mold symptoms and exposure comes from mold spores inhaled from the air, which then settle into the lungs or nasal passages. With a mold inspection, a mold technician will test the indoor air quality for signs of mold spores. The mold inspection will also consist of looking for any signs of mold growth throughout your Northern VA home, along with checking the air quality.

Mold growth occurs in warm, damp areas. There could be areas of your home in Northern VA where mold growth is not visible such as behind drywall or wallpaper, under your carpeting, underneath or behind plumbing fixtures or appliances, ceiling tiles, and in the flooring. The water damage causing the mold growth can harm wooden structures, insulation, and electrical wiring inside your Northern VA home. Mold inspections for homes in Northern VA may prevent structural damage or significantly reduce any severe damage from mold growth.

Mold inspections should be considered essential anytime you purchase a house. Just because mold growth is found during a mold inspection does not mean you shouldn’t purchase the home. Any home can be restored with the right treatment. Whatever moisture issues causing the mold would need to be fixed so that mold growth isn’t a reoccurring problem.

Bathrooms are a significant concern for mold growth. A mold inspection can determine if you have mold growing in behind your bathroom walls. Using thermal imaging, a technology that can detect and identify sources of moisture that support mold growth, can aid in making better–informed decisions on a plan to rid your home of any mold growth.

If you have any questions, call the experts at Envirotex Environmental Services. They will be glad to help with any environmental issues you have at your Northern VA home.

How to Pass a Mold Inspection in Fairfax, VA

Anytime you go to sell your home in Fairfax, VA you will have to go through a home inspection which will include detecting for mold growth. If you have musty odors in your home, it is best to have a mold inspection done before the home inspector comes. Any signs of mold should be removed or cleaned completely before home inspections because it will be noted and a potential buyer may be turned off, and you might lose a sale for your home in Fairfax, VA.

Small amounts of mold or mildew can be wiped away with special cleaners. A musty smell might possibly mean it could be hiding behind your walls or under your flooring. Your best bet is having a mold inspection for your home in Fairfax, VA.

Reasons for a Mold Inspection

  • Noticeable signs of mold such as musty smell or mold symptoms.
  • Identify the type of mold in your Fairfax, VA home.
  • Find out where the mold is growing.
  • To test indoor air quality by measuring the amount of spores in the air.
  • To retest to be sure all mold has been fully removed.

If you have mold in your home and have it professionally removed and fixed any issues related to mold growth, document all repairs. Keep a copy of the mold inspection for proof that a mold inspection was performed and your home in Fairfax, VA is free of mold. This will provide the homebuyers documentation if it becomes a problem later on.

A mold inspection in Fairfax, VA will give you the assurance you need that once you find a prospective buyer and the home inspector comes to inspect your home, it will be free of any mold issues. Buyers with small children for sure do not want to take any chances on the health of their loved ones if there is even the slightest suspicion of any mold.

Even if you are not selling your home and you suspect mold, call a profession mold inspection company so they can come and inspect your home and if mold is found, advise you of a plan to have it removed from your home in Fairfax, VA.

How are Mold Inspections in Washington, D.C. Conducted?

When properly diagnosing a mold or indoor air quality problem, a mold inspection company in Washington, D.C. should always ask a homeowner about any current or previous issues including moldy odors, plumbing leaks, past or present roof leaks, humidity or condensation problems or if there is any visible mold present.

Visual Inspection for Mold

Mold inspections consist of a complete visual inspection of your home conducted to search for visible mold growth or possible water penetration and other problematic conditions. Moisture meters for detecting moisture, hydrometers for measuring indoor humidity, boroscopes for viewing inside the walls, and laser thermometers to check surface temperatures and the operation of AC units may be used during mold inspections at homes in Washington, D.C. Also, digital photographs might be taken to document the condition of your Washington, D.C. home.

Mold Sampling

Sometimes a mold condition cannot be visually seen but can be detected by taking air samples. As part of conducted mold inspections, samples are taken indoors and outdoors to determine if the mold spore count filtered through the air inside is higher in comparison to the mold spore count filtered from the air outside the home. It can tell you which types of mold are on the property.

Surface-lifted samples of mold are taken by scraping mold from building material surfaces with the aid of swabs or clear tape. Bulk samples may be taken by cutting samples from building materials that are contaminated with mold.

Analysis of Mold Samples

A professionally trained analyst analyzes these samples collected by the mold inspector at a specialized lab. A mold inspection report is provided with the results of the samples taken at your home in Washington, D.C.

Mold Report Information

A written report of the findings from the mold inspection will include color digital photos, spore levels and types of mold. This report will be sent to you with a recommendation of the procedure that needs to be conducted to remove the mold from your Washington, D.C. home. At that time, you should call an environmental service company and immediately have all mold removed from your home in Washington, D.C.

Some molds can be toxic and cause health issues for you and your family, so you want to get rid of all molds as soon as possible. Once the mold has been professionally removed from your Washington, D.C. home, you should have another mold inspection conducted to verify all mold is gone.

Mold Inspections in Fairfax, VA—What to Know and When to Get

It would be best if you always consider having a mold inspection whenever you purchase a new home. A mold inspection is totally different from your typical housing inspections. Your cost will be based on the house’s size in Fairfax, VA that you are purchasing. You might be wondering, is a mold inspection worth the cost?

Mold thrives in moist spaces, and it spreads by emitting spores which float around inside your house in the air until it lands on a surface area. These mold spores are outdoors as well as indoors. Fortunately, if you keep the interior of your home in Fairfax, VA dry, you should be able to prevent mold growth. How to do this?

  • Repair any leaks with your HVAC system, plumbing, or roof.
  • Ensure your kitchen, bathroom, and laundry room are well vented to take the moisture out of your Fairfax, VA home.
  • Clean up any spills; it only takes 48 hours or less for mold to set in.

When you see mold, you are aware of the problem and can take care of it. However, what about mold that could be growing in spaces that you can’t see, such as between your walls, inside your ducts, or under your carpet?

There are several reasons why you should get a mold inspection, including—

  • Water Damage—If you have experienced any water damage to your home in Fairfax, VA, such as a pipe broke and leaked into the ceiling or down your walls, and all you could see to clean was the water on the floor, you should get a mold inspection. Any place that has gotten wet and not cleaned up and dried within 48 hours is prone to be contaminated by mold and should be inspected.
  • Buying a New Home—You will never know if the previous owners dealt with any water damage leading to mold growth, and quite possible, when builders leave materials outside in the damp and then use them in the construction inside, it’s likely mold could be growing behind the walls of a newly constructed home. The only way to be sure is to have the Fairfax, VA home go through a mold inspection process.
  • Unoccupied House—Whenever a house has been vacant for long periods, humidity may have built up, causing mold growth. This is especially problematic for warmer areas where there is higher humidity.
  • Previous Mold Remediation—Once you’ve had mold remediation at your home in Fairfax, VA, you might want to have regular mold inspections to be sure you got rid of all the mold.
  • Visual Mold—Anytime you notice mold growth, a mold inspection will ensure that you find it all.

If you have any questions or concerns about mold, call the experts at Envirotex Environmental Services, and they will be glad to help.

The Mold Inspection Process for Homes in Gainesville, VA

As a homeowner in Gainesville, VA, you want your family safe. If you are noticing moldy smells or actually seeing mold in certain areas of your home, it is time for you to get a mold inspection. Mold growth is something you don’t want to ignore because it will continue to grow and spread throughout your Gainesville, VA home if not properly taken care of.

A mold inspection at your home in Gainesville, VA will involve taking air samples and surface samples. Air samples can be done in various ways, the most common being a method using “spore trap samples.” This method involves setting up a spore trap sampling device where a volume of air pass impacts a sticky surface as it passes through the device.

Particles in the air impact the sticky surface and adhere to it, and then the trap is sent to a third–party mold testing lab for analysis. The laboratory opens the spore traps and applies stains to the sticky surface the mold spores absorb and then identifies the types of mold spores captured from your home in Gainesville, VA, during the mold sampling process.

A mold inspection may also include surface sampling, including—

Bulk samples—This is when a portion of the sampled area is physically removed by the inspector handling the mold inspection at your home in Gainesville, VA  and sent to a third–party testing laboratory for analysis.

Swab samples—During the mold inspection, similar to a cotton swab, a swab is rubbed across an area to be sampled and sent to a third–party mold testing laboratory.

Tape samples—A clear piece of tape is pressed against and removed from the area being sampled, which picks up and removes some of the mold present on the surface, and again this is sent off to a mold testing lab for analysis.

Your mold inspection should include recommendations on how to rid any future mold growth in your Gainesville, VA home. If the moisture source causing the mold growth is not repaired, removing the mold is just a temporary fix. Both need to be done by a professional mold company such as Envirotex Environmental Services.

What Happens During Mold Inspections at Homes in Fairfax, VA?

For the most part, mold inspections at homes in Fairfax, VA start with a visual inspection of the house. A professional mold inspector will discuss with homeowners any moisture problems they are noticing or water damage from previous leaks or floods.

Professionals who do mold inspections in Fairfax, VA are familiar with where to look for the most common areas of a home which are prone to mold growth. Sometimes a mold inspection may require tearing out a piece of drywall or paneling and pulling up carpet to get a better look of where mold could be growing in an inaccessible place.

Once mold is detected, the home inspection will determine where the moisture source is coming from, which is causing mold growth. Unless this moisture source is fixed, any plan to remove the mold from the home in Fairfax, VA will only come back sometime in the future. A plan for mold remediation will be developed during the mold inspection process, along with how to rid your source of moisture.

Suppose mold is visually noticeable at your Fairfax, VA home, which calls for mold remediation. In that case, the mold remediation company will determine the extent of the mold problem, which essentially is a mold inspection. Once the mold remediation is complete, a mold inspection should be done to ensure the remediation was done correctly and your house is mold–free.

Preventing mold growth is the best solution, but unfortunately, sometimes, it can’t be avoided. When you notice any leaks inside your home in Fairfax, VA, fix the problem as soon as possible. The sooner you clean and dry things, the less chance you have for mold growth. Mold needs moisture to grow, and if materials within the home aren’t allowed to dry within 24 to 48 hours, normally mold will start to grow.

Some homeowners in Fairfax, VA may notice a musty smell yet do not see any mold. Mold inspections are crucial to these type of incidences so that it doesn’t get worse over time.

Professionals such as the team at Envirtoex have special equipment that can determine mold growth that is not out in plain sight. Call Envirotex for all your environmental needs at your home in Fairfax, VA.

When Should Mold Inspections Be Performed in Fairfax, VA?

Buying a home is one of the most significant investments you will make in your lifetime. The last thing you want to find is mold growth after you have moved in. Make sure you know what you are investing in before you make the move into a new home in Fairfax, VA. Although a mold inspection for buying a home in Fairfax, VA might not be required, a good home inspector should be able to pinpoint any areas of concern.

It is a wise move to invest in a mold inspection during any real estate transaction. Nothing could be more devastating than once you move in, you start noticing musty smells. These smells usually come from the bathroom, kitchen, or laundry room—places where water and steam are always prevalent. Be sure when touring a new home in Fairfax, VA, which you are considering purchasing, that you take extra time to look under the sink and behind appliances for any signs of leaks or visual mold damage.

A professional mold inspection will determine if there are high levels of mold spores inside the Fairfax, VA home. This could significantly change the terms of the real estate transaction or even end it altogether.

If you already own your home and are noticing musty smells, you should invest in mold inspections. Mold can be detrimental to members of your household. Many health issues can arise from mold inside your home in Fairfax, VA.

Once mold inspections are done, and if the results are positive, you will need to hire a company such as Envirotex Environmental Services to bring in their crew and rid your home of all related mold. From the mold inspection report, they will be able to go in and remove all mold-infested materials and safely discard them. Once the mold removal has been completed at your Fairfax, VA home, any necessary repairs should be done, such as drywall that was torn away or flooring that was removed.

Whatever issues you have going on in the home that is causing the mold damage, such as roof leaks, or plumbing leaks, no exhaust for bathrooms or kitchens should be handled as soon as possible, or the mold will only return.

Call the team at Envirotex for all your mold inspection or removal needs. They will be glad to come to your home in Fairfax, VA and map out a plan to make your home a much safer and comfortable environment for you and your family.

What Should Alexandria, VA Homeowners Expect During Mold Inspections?

If you suspect you have mold growth in your Alexandria, VA home, the best action you should take is to call the experts at Envirotex for a mold inspection. As a homeowner, you might be wondering what you can expect during a mold inspection, and this article will explain just that.

First of all, you should understand that the goal of a mold inspection should determine why you have a mold problem to begin with at your Alexandria, VA home. Without knowing the root cause, the source of moisture in your home will continute to grow. Once the cause has been identified, which might be a leaky pipe, leaky roof, or high humidity, the moisture problem must be fixed. Otherwise, once the mold has been removed, it will only come back if the moisture problem isn’t solved.

Next, the mold inspection at your Alexandria, VA home will determine just how bad your mold problem is. To what extent the problem is will decide the plan of action to remove the mold growth. All situations are different, so the mold remediation plan will be specific to your particular scenario.

The mold inspection will start out as a visual examination of your Alexandria, VA home to locate any visible mold. The outside of the house will be inspected for any seepage issues. The inspector will be looking to see if your drainage system is working properly to drain flowing water away from your home. The facia, eaves, and drain spouts are an essential part of mold inspections to make sure these aren’t your sources of water intrusion into the property.

Next, the mold inspector will be looking for any clues of moisture under your sinks, behind appliances, behind the baseboards, and any window condensation you might have present inside of the Alexandria, VA home . Thermal imaging testing may be used which can determine moisture behind the walls and under the flooring, because not all mold is visible to the naked eye.

Humidity levels and the temperature of each room will be taken as well as this could be a clue that there is mold in a particular place of your Alexandria, VA home.

Samplings will be taken to determine the type of mold that is present. These samples will be sent off to a third-party lab for analysis.

Once all the proper testing is finished and the results have been analyzed, a plan will be mapped out for you to determine the best route to rid your Alexandria, VA home of all mold.