On an average of twice a week, we get a phone from a concerned homeowner who thinks they might have mold. They usually have a fear that mold is growing inside of their walls. The first question I ask is "Have you had a flood lately?" Generally the answer is no. The next question is
"Why do you think you have mold?" Some will say that a friend told them that if you have ants in your home, you have mold. Let's clear this up now.
No Moisture, No Mold. Ants do not mean that you have mold. I personally get ants in my house once or twice a year. Generally, they will come in and get water from the shower or tub drain. Recently, I found them getting water from the toilet tank. This is only normal, they are thirsty and looking for water. This does not mean you have a mold infestation. Ants generally in your house means they have discovered food
r water. Put some bait traps out for the ants and they will disappear. We do not recommend you spray pesticides in your home, use bait traps only.
Now lets talk about mold. This is one example of mold in a Condominium:
The occupant of the Condo Unit is complaining about getting sick after a leak. This generally occurs if the flooded area is not died up properly. We were recently called in by a Condo Association that was concerned about possible mold in a unit that was flooded. The water was cleaned up within 24 hours of the flood by a local contractor. Moisture Testing of the walls proved to be negative which indicates that the unit was dry. No Moisture No Mold. There was no visible mold anywhere but the client was complaining that she was getting sick in the unit.
Your first question, you just told us that "No Moisture, No Mold" which is absolutely correct, "what's up"? Moving along, next, we took mold air samples from inside the walls and mold surface swab samples and sent them to the lab to further evaluate the condo. The mold air samples from inside the walls came back positive. The mold swab samples came back negative. Now there is a dilemma, mold in the walls but no mold in unit. It basically tells you there is another whole story here besides this water leak.
During the second phase of the investigation, it was discovered that the adjacent homeowner had a flood less the 3 months ago. It was improperly cleaned up by the homeowner and resulted in hidden mold in the wall. This is the dilemma of living in a Condo Association. You cannot control what others are doing or not doing correctly. The mold problem was coming from the adjoining unit due to the fact that there was air flow thru the walls due to a break in the firewall. There is always an answer as to why something is happening.
In conclusion, mold generally is the result of water damage of some type. Occasionally, there are cases where it is not apparent but there is mold. Mold can not grow unless there is some type of water such as a flood, water leak, condensation or a hidden leak. If you have Asthma or
Immune Compromised, it is important to be very aware of your surroundings concerning water leaks. Mold can have a negative effect them them.
If you suspect mold, call in an experienced Professional Mold Investigator who has credentials from a valid organization such as the Indoor Air Quality Association. If you are under a Doctors care, always consult with them first before taking any advice.
If you have any questions, feel free to call us or visit our website.
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