South Florida is known for its hot and humid environment. This makes it a perfect breeding ground for mold growth. Add to this our weather occurrences that can cause water intrusion and damage, it is understandable the ease at which a home or workplace can become infested with mold growth.
Harmful Mold Growth and Your Health
If left unchecked, mold growth can be harmful to humans and can lead to health conditions. Mold can trigger allergic reactions in the way of upper respiratory symptoms and exacerbating asthma conditions. Today in the United States, asthma has increased by 60 percent over the past two decades. It has been suggested that this is due in large part to the indoor air quality in our homes or workplaces. The most susceptible to symptoms are young children, the elderly, and those who suffer from respiratory or immune system issues. Testing for indoor air quality and mold growth is one way of controlling air contaminants in our indoor air environment.
Toxic Black Mold
Many black molds are toxic and release spores that can further colonize throughout the property. High concentrations can cause what is known as mold poisoning even in healthy individuals. Exposure to toxic black mold spores can result in nausea, vomiting, and bleeding in the lungs and nose.
Even if you do not detect visible mold in your home, it may be hiding. There are other ways you may suspect mold growth without actually seeing it:
- Musty smells
- Feeling of stuffiness in the home
- High humidity levels inside the home
- Any water leaks that have remained undetected
- Water damage
- Roof leaks
- Flooding of home or building
Where Mold Grows
Mold is able to grow on any porous material. In South Florida, it can grow on drywall, particle board, ductwork, and inside walls making detection extremely difficult. Even if you don’t see visible signs but suspect mold growth, you owe it to yourself to contact a qualified professional for a mold inspection. In the state of Florida, it is required to attain a mold assessor license to be qualified to perform a mold assessment in your home or building and to determine the indoor air quality. If you are purchasing a new home, Realtors® suggest a mold inspection and test with a regular home inspection for peace of mind.
Inspections Using Specialized Equipment
At Florida Inspections Unlimited, we understand the nature of mold growth and the environmental hazards it represents. With professional inspection, mold assessment, indoor air quality, mold inspection, and testing, water leak detection, HVAC system inspection, microbial analytical testing, water intrusion inspection, and moisture inspections – we will detect the presence of mold that may be harmful to the health of your family or employees. Before conducting the mold assessment, a visual inspection of your home or building is performed to determine the best areas for sampling as well as identifying visible mold and water damage. Then, using specialized tools and thermal imaging cameras, we locate areas of moisture with a moisture meter, humidity and temperature readings even if they are behind walls or under flooring and not detectable during a visual examination. We then take air, wall cavity, ceiling cavity, and surface samples in suspected areas by a licensed mold assessor.
Offering Reports and Recommendations
Our professional mold and inspection services offer fast and thorough testing in order to provide homeowners and building owners with inspection reports and detailed recommendations. Because the safety of the indoor air quality in your home or business is vitally important to your health and wellbeing, our accredited and certified mold inspectors understand the importance of comprehensive testing so your home or workplace is mold-free. We fully evaluate any problem locations using the most advanced technology and perform air and swab samples as needed. We then provide a full written digital report with pictures and recommendations for remediation.
Prevention and Remediation
To mitigate and prevent future mold growth, we suggest a few areas where homeowners or building owners can alleviate the potential for more mold infestation. These are:
- Dehumidifying the air inside the home or building
- Keeping airflow and circulation free of obstructions
- Quickly removing any wet materials
- Watching for signs of standing water or leaks inside the home or building
- Quickly restoring any areas that have experienced water damage
- Examination of the HVAC system for evidence of mold growth
- Regularly inspecting all areas of the home or building for any signs of mold growth
Our expert team of indoor air quality and mold inspectors specialize in locating and assessing mold infestations and indoor environmental hazards. Since 2008, we have become a local leader in providing inspection services in the South Florida area serving Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach, and Monroe counties with professional environmental inspections. We take pride in our knowledge, our professionalism, and our dedication to our customers and the safety of their household environments.
We provide expert inspection services tailored to meet your individual needs. Our service areas cover Miami-Dade County, Broward County, Palm Beach County, and Monroe County. Miami, Weston , Fort Lauderdale, Miami Beach, Coral Gables, Cutler Bay, Pinecrest, Homestead, South Miami, Miramar, Pembroke Pines, Pompano Beach, Tamarac, Dania Beach, Coral Springs, Deerfield Beach, Southwest Ranches, Davie, Hollywood, Hallandale Beach, Sunny Isles, and Aventura.
For fast, thorough, and professional mold inspection and consultation services in Miami and throughout South Florida, call Florida Inspections Unlimited in Miami Dade County: 305-910-1171 or Broward County: 954-861-0666.