When you want to determine if mold is growing in you home. After any flooding or water damage event. Whenever you find a leak that has been present for more than 24 hours. Whenever you smell a moldy odor. Occupants of your home experience a long-term medical condition without a known cause. Unusual stains appear on furniture or building material. You suspect mold but do not see any visible mold growth. If you suspect you have a mold problem, whether mold is visible or not, one call to A Mold Specialist is all it takes to be sure. Our only interest is in providing our clients with accurate reporting of the data we collect in the course of the inspection process and reliable results of mold tests and samples.

Although toxic black mold is a headline grabber, mold comes in a wide variety of colors and is often not even easy to see. It creeps up the inside of walls, collects in water-damaged basements and crawl spaces, and grows inside poorly cleaned humidifiers, dehumidifiers, and air conditioning units.

The health concerns of mold are wide ranging and cause respiratory and many other problems. While infants, young children, the elderly, and the immune-compromised are at the greatest risk, mold can affect anyone, causing everything from a mild allergic reaction to mycotoxicosis and more serious diseases. According to the Mayo Clinic, nearly all of the 37 million chronic sinus infections are a result of mold. Mold has been linked to both causing asthma and advancing asthma. Fortunately, mold can be eradicated if you know what it is and where it is, which is why regular mold inspection is an important part of general home maintenance.

Still, health problems associated with mold growth aren’t as common as many people believe, but that doesn’t mean the mold is innocuous. Left unchecked, extensive mold damage can require professional remediation that can cost thousands of dollars. Imagine a bathroom with inadequate ventilation. Mold builds slowly on the ceiling and walls, allowing residents to scrub them clean every few weeks. But with poor cleaning habits this mold takes over and begins to eat away at the drywall itself. The same thing happens with mold trapped inside your walls, until discoloration and bad odors require that you rip out your entire wall.

A mold inspection is a simple and important task that should be performed with regularity and/or when the situation demands. If you find water damage, discover that people in your home are having respiratory problems, or if you realize that you’ve never had an inspection, it’s a good idea to get one done and soon. A basic Mold Inspection Los Angeles will cost approximately $500 for a mid-sized home, but more extensive inspections will naturally cost more. These larger inspections should be done on occasion to make sure nothing is left unchecked.

What is “black mold” or “toxic mold”?
You have probably heard a great deal about black mold or toxic mold. It is usually associated with Stachybotrys, a black mold that is often found after there has been persistent water damage. The known health effects from exposure to Stachybotrys are similar to other common molds and may cause illness in individuals with a sensitivity to “mycotoxins” (chemicals produced by certain molds), to people who are immunocompromised, or to individuals who have become sensitive after prolonged exposure. In fact, many molds are black and it is the amount of mold and level of exposure that are necessary pieces of information to discover.

How do I know if the mold in my home is toxic?
Web sites and media articles will often use the terms “toxic mold” or “toxic black mold”. This is largely a marketing strategy, a scare tactic designed to encourage you to make financial decisions that may not even be necessary. In fact, most molds are toxic to some extent and many are black. There is one variety of particular concern; Stachybotrys. About 30% of the strains of this species produce abundant mycotoxins and are reportedly more potent than other types of mold. A few species/strains of Aspergillus and several others can be nearly as dangerous. Ingesting mold in contaminated foods has been shown to poison people and may even cause cancer. Of further concern is mold contamination found around the home in areas in which children could have access to it. It is important that young children do not put items in their mouths if there is a chance of mold, especially if it is Stachybotrys or Aspergilus. The main thing to remember is that many molds are toxic and once you know you have a mold problem, all molds need to be removed to minimize exposure risk. The type of mold has no bearing on the remediation process. All mold contamination needs to be removed, regardless of the type.

Can mold contamination inside a wall cavity be identified?
Yes. For example, after a basement has flooded and the water is extracted, the carpet should be removed and the floor disinfected. However, a mold odor may still be present and the mold source not easily recognizable. Wallboard, paneling, plaster, wood and insulation that make up the walls in a basement absorbed moisture up into the wall cavity and mold growth resulted. Wall cavity samples are collected through very small, drilled holes, cultured, and analyzed similarly to airborne samples. Collection of a control wall cavity sample in a wall that was not affected by the moisture is recommended for comparison purposes.

Surface mold may be a sign of a larger problem and should be tested to determine types and amount of mold.

Washing and cleaning an area, even with powerful industrial bleach or other cleansers does not get rid of mold. Mold does not dry out and die but remains inactive for a while if moisture is not available. This means that it can still grow back and multiply when it is exposed to any sources of moisture. Professional mold remediation and moisture control help to keep mold at bay.