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Mold Testing

Mold Remediation Success

Its very satisfying when you walk into a home, look at the water damage, document the affected area with an infrared camera, and conclude that there is a plumbing leak in the wall, only to find out later that you were right-on! I originlly suspected a roof leak, but since the arera of concern was on the lower level, and the upper level had no damage, the water had to be coming from the lower level. We opened a small section of drywall to check it out and guess what.... I was dead-on! There was a plumbing leak that was spraying water on the inside of the wall cavity.

Viable Sampling vs. Non-Viable Sampling

Viable Mold SampleThere seems to be a lot of confusion around viable sampling and when its appropriate to collect viables. The most common sampling method is the non-viable sampling method. I use Allergenco D sporetrap cassettes, on a buck pump calibrated to 15 liters per minute for 5 minutes. During the 5 minute sample, 75 liter of air pass through the cassette, where airborne particles are impacted on an internal slide that is coated with an adhesive substance. I send them off to a lab where a mycologist opens up the cassette and looks at the slide to see what stuck in the adhesive.

Do I Need a CIH

Certified Industrial HygienistWhat is a Certified Industrial Hygienist (CIH)? I recently did a mold inspection at a commercial property in Santa Rosa that involved faulty stucco installation, which resulted in mold growth. One of the attorneys involved mentioned the need for a CIH to inspect the property in case it went to trial.  Why... I asked? "Well... I dont know... isnt that what we are supposed to do, get a CIH?".

Mold and Foreclosures

I did a mold inspection in Concord, California, last week. It was a bank owned property that was vacant for about four months. The prior occupant thought it would be a great idea to break off the pressurized toilet valve in the upper floor befor he left, so the water ran for over 120 days... full blast!  To say that there was mold would be redonkulous. There were mold-sickles hanging from the ceiling! Every square inch of drywall in the structure was saturated. Some of the walls looked like leapard skin, some looked like they were made of cotton. There was actully grass growing out of the living room carpet. There was no point taking air samples, the smell of mold was overpowering, instead I took a few surface samples (it was mostly Stachybotrys).

Hot Water in Crawlspace

With the recent cold spell that has effected Northern California, I have seen a rise in mold projects caused by the expansion and contarction of water supply lines. One recent project in San rafael involved a hot water supply line in a crawlspace. The pipe burst approximately five weeks ago but the owner was unaware. They did notice a drop in water pressure, so they turned up the heat on the water heater to co0mpensate for the loss of hot water. They did not know that they were actually increasing the temperature of the water that was spraying under their house. The water and steam buclked the haredwood flooring in aboput half of their home, and caused mold growth under all of their bathroom cabinets.

Stachybotrys

Stachybotrys is a genus of molds, or asexually-reproducing, filamentous fungi. Closely related to the genus Memnoniella, most Stachybotrys species inhabit materials rich in cellulose.

Cost Effective Mold Testing in the Bay Area

Pacific IAQ is a local Santa Rosa company that specializes in mold testing, mold inspections, and the indoor air sciences.  With experience on over 2000 mold projects, Pacific IAQ is the first choice for mold and bacterial inspections for builders, property managers, insurance companies, and homeowners in Sonoma County and around the North Bay.