Columbus Ohio mold testing and investation

Got Mold? Get a Free Quote!

Give us a call at: 614-963-3373

Or, send us a note!

The type of mold and the scope of the mold removal process must be determined before any work happens. This means that we’ll come and observe your mold/mildew situation, surveying the extent of the damage before taking any samples of the fungus itself. Mold leaves many clues as to what type it is and how best to deal with it. Smells/odors and unnecessarily high moisture levels (perhaps due to broken or leaking pipes, water damage, or standing/stagnant water) are good signs that mold is nearby.

We’ll then look for the actual placement of the mold. This part involves a little investigation: checking vertical surfaces (behind wallpaper or inside cabinets and closets, in some cases even down to and behind drywall) and checking horizontal surfaces: from the ceiling (leaking ductwork above basement ceiling tiles for example) down to the floor (moving large pieces of furniture to look beneath them, looking underneath carpets and rugs, etc). Don’t worry!

We won’t actually do any re-organizing of your furniture or remove that wall paper from the 1970s just because we both know it’s ugly!: we will only be working where we believe the mold may be hiding.

Often, we will be able to determine the correct course of mold removal treatment even before sampling and testing takes place. Sometimes situations will also be so dire that quick action is needed and necessary to ensure the health and safety of the people living in that environment. Time is often of the essence in the projects we handle. Mold issues are too dangerous to take lightly, and we take your needs and well-being seriously. Also, when mold is visible, testing may not be needed.

SURFACE AND SWAB TESTING:
Surface and swab testing is what it sounds like: cotton swabs are made to touch surfaces known or suspected to contain mold. Upon being sent to a labratory, the samples these swabs contain are made to grow on a culture medium in a petri dish.

BULK AND DUST SAMPLING
This type of sampling will often involve collecting dust samples from many surfaces within the problem area, like floors and furniture, and via a vacuum that has been used with a collection filter. Sometimes a dust sample will be collected over a long period of time, up to several weeks in length, by setting out a petri dish and quite literally “waiting for the dust to settle”. Samples are then analyzed in a lab to determine mold type and species.

AIR SAMPLING:
Air sampling is considered the best way to gauge one’s risk of exposure to mold through the air, which can result in allergic reactions, a whole host of respiratory issues, and ultimately lung infection and damage.

When taking air samples, a technician will test air both at the contamination site (indoors) and in a space outdoors near the contamination site and compare the two. The concentration of mold spores in the air taken from both places should be roughly equal to each other. We know there’s an issue when the indoor sample contains a much higher concentration of mold than the outdoor sample.