Earth Environmental Consultants

MOLD CONSULTING

Among the missions of Earth Environmental Consultants is to protect our clients from exposure to hazardous substances including exposure to fungi and other potentially hazardous microorganisms, commonly referred to as mold. Molds are ubiquitous in the environment, and can be found almost anywhere. There is no practical way to eliminate all mold spores in the indoor environment, but there are ways to control mold growth in the indoor environment. Mold-related illnesses could result from both high level/short-term exposures and lower level/long-term exposures. The most common health effects or symptoms reported from exposure to indoor mold environments are a chronic clearing of the throat, runny nose, eye irritation, cough, congestion, aggravation of asthma, allergic reactions similar to cat allergies, headache, and fatigue. Mold-related health effects are often reported as feeling like you have a cold but you don’t. Also, mold is a great enemy of your building. Mold can invade your building if it finds the appropriate condition to growth on it.

How can Earth help you with your mold problem?

Earth professionals will let you know if you have a mold problem in your building, they can perform a risk assessment, and will give you recommendations to resolve the mold problem. Earth provides the highest quality air sampling, mold testing, and mold remediation services. Earth’s mold professionals are dedicated to assist our clients to eliminate if possible or reduce and control hazard exposure to mold in their indoor environments.

How do you know if you have a mold problem?

Large mold infestations can usually be seen or smelled. Non-visible mold growth can be detected by a mold investigation that could include bulk, tape, swab, and air samples collection.

How do molds get in the indoor environment and how do they grow?

Mold spores occur in the indoor and outdoor environments. Mold spores may enter your house from the outside through open doorways, windows, and heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems with outdoor air intakes. Spores in the air outside also attach themselves to people and animals, making clothing, shoes, bags, and pets convenient vehicles for carrying mold indoors.

When mold spores drop on places where there is excessive moisture, such as where leakage may have occurred in roofs, pipes, walls, plant pots, or where there has been flooding, they will grow. Many building materials provide suitable nutrients that encourage mold to grow. Wet cellulose materials, including paper and paper products, cardboard, ceiling tiles, wood, and wood products, are particularly conducive for the growth of some molds. Other materials such as dust, paints, wallpaper, insulation materials, drywall, carpet, fabric, and upholstery, commonly support mold growth.

How do you get the molds out of buildings, including homes, schools, and places of employment?

In most cases mold can be removed from hard surfaces by a thorough cleaning with commercial products, soap and water, or a bleach solution of 1 cup of bleach in 1 gallon of water. Absorbent or porous materials like ceiling tiles, drywall, and carpet may have to be thrown away if they become moldy. If you have an extensive amount of mold and you do not think you can manage the cleanup on your own, you may want to contact a professional who has experience in cleaning mold in buildings and homes. It is important to properly clean and dry the area as you can still have an allergic reaction to parts of the dead mold and mold contamination may recur if there is still a source of moisture.