High humidity and heavy rains common in Fort Myers, Florida increase
the chance of having mold growth in your home or business.
Roof and window leaks, even small water intrusions can damage the structure but also can cause the humidity
levels to increase high enough that the HVAC system cannot remove the moisture and promote mold growth.Your mold inspector (assessor) should use an infrared camera to aid in finding
any sources of your mold growth (wet spots / water intrusions). Remember all suspect areas need to be verified "wet"
with a moisture meter.
Moisture intrusions need to be identified and documented.
The wet wall shown in the infrared photo above was the result of a lawn sprinkler
spraying water on the home's exterior day after day.
Lawn/shrub
sprinkler heads often are turn by accident causing water to be repeated sprayed on windows and walls. Most lawns are irrigated
early in the morning or at night when you wouldn't notice the problem. This water can "wick" into the home
thru cracks, gaps around window, even absorption thru concrete. Homeowners should remember mold spore come in thru the open
door or window and will grow when they find moisture.
Real Estate: We just want to
know if the home has a Mold problem.
The only way to know is to inspect everything. ·All accessible areas of a home’s interior
should be checked with an infrared camera and all suspect areas (wet, water damaged and moisture stained materials and surfaces)
must be checked/verified with a moisture meter. ·Clients should understandmold inspections generally take longer and are more intense
than a general home inspection. (you have to inspect everything accessible.) ·Mold inspections require
time and experience to be meaningful and informative .·Mold air sampling simply helps determine the extent of a mold contamination.
(Remember ½ an inspection is just that ½ an inspection, if a home inspection takes two hours, then
a proper mold inspection will probably take at least the same amount of time.)
.
A Mold Inspection MUST identify the location of the mold, the extent and amplification of the mold and the source of the mold problem.
All
accessible areas of the indoor conditioned spaces should be inspected and
documented.(this includes under /behind furniture, behind drawers etc.)
All
suspect areas should be documented with infrared and digital photos and
written descriptions of the area.(Remediators need to know exactly where to perform cleanup)
Detailed or Comprehensive Mold Inspection:
·A non-intrusive visual inspection with the use of infrared thermal imaging
cameras in conjunction with protimeter readings (moisture meter) is performed throughout the interior living spaces for the
purpose of identifying and documenting suspected moisture and/or mold conditions.
·As part
of a comprehensive inspection, appropriate indoorand outdoor air samples
are collected to quantify the respective airborne presence of fungal spores in the interior
living spaces in relationship to what is naturally occurring outdoors, commonly referred to as normal fungal ecology.
·Surface sampling is recommended when suspected microbial growth is observed for positive identification
of the visible mold growth areas and their correlation to the air sampling analysis. Since some molds do not aerosolize easily
without being disturbed, surface sampling in some cases, is essential in identifying an elevated mold presence.
·Report
should provide written and photographic documentation of all identified suspect conditions regarding mold growth and/or conditions
conducive to mold growth throughout the residence. Based on the culmination of information gathered from the inspection and
sampling analysis, inspector will provide remedial recommendations (if necessary) in accordance with the IICRC S520 Mold Remediation
Standard.
The Florida DBPR requires that
Ft Myers Mold Assessors / Inspectors Must be Licensed by the state of Florida. Your Ft Myers Mold
inspectors cannot do remediation work & inspection on same job within 12 months, Florida law.
Insurance requirements for all Ft Myers Mold Assessors / Inspectors include $1 million in liability
insurance with E&O coverage. Homeowners should always consider mold inspectors that are Certified Indoor
Environmentalists (CIE) first. The CIE is a mold professional that has proven his experience and
a CIE will include written recommendations for corrections if you have a mold problem in your Ft Myers home
or business.
Ft Myers Mold Assessors are required to pay the
Lee County tax collector a business tax (occupational license). Anyone
advertising Mold Assessment / Testing / Inspections in Ft Myers must be licensed Mold Assessors / inspectors. DBPR
Call us for the best Radon and Mold Inspections-testing-sampling
or screening for
Estero -Sanibel -Bonita
Springs- Cape Coral -Lehigh Acres- Captiva -Pine Island- Bokeelia- St. James City- North Ft. Myers- Ft. Myers -Ft. Myers Beach
