Keep your home well ventilated with fresh air and sunlight by opening the windows daily.
Keep indoor humidity levels down to 60 percent or lower. Anything over 70 invites mold.
Use a dehumidifier or an air conditioner to keep air circulating and prevent stagnation.
Limit your number of indoor plants that require lots of watering (and creates humidity).
Do not hang clothes inside to dry, which will make the air more humid as well.
Clean and maintain your air conditioning units every 3 months.
Vacuum the carpets regularly and scrub walls and floors with bleach monthly.
Keep an eye out for mold patches and furniture or wall discoloration.
Be on alert when you smell mustiness – a tell-tale sign of a mold colony.
Call a mold inspection expert who can help you identify, treat and prevent mold growth.

A good way to find a qualified Maryland mold inspection professional is to look up local companies that are accredited by the American Society of Home Inspectors (ASHI) or the National Organization of Mold Remediators and Inspectors (NORMI). Basically, you want to make sure the mold inspection group you call in has the educational background and the credentials to help alleviate your mold concerns.

You’ll know you have a termite (rather than some sort of ant) by its straight antennae (not elbowed), its broad waist (not slender) and its thorax-length wings (not smaller hind wings). Termite swarmers are attracted to windows, doors and lights. If a termite inspection uncovers termites outside in a wood pile or tree stump, it is not necessarily a cause for alarm. You should be concerned only if winged termites are seen around your foundation, porch, or patio.

During a termite inspection, other tell-tale signs of infestation may include mud tubes the size of a pencil that provide shelter while termites travel to their underground colonies. Termite-damaged wood is usually hollowed-out along the grain, with bits of dried mud or soil lining the feeding areas. Termites usually bore holes through plaster or drywall and bring a lot of soil with them. Rippled or sunken wallpaper may also indicate a termite tunnel. More often than not, termites leave little to no trace and are only discovered after years of damage has been done.

Dogs trained in the art of mold inspection undergo an extensive 600 hours of training. They can learn how to sniff out mold – and even bedbugs – with amazing accuracy. Often dogs can spot the troubled area within seconds if there are no distractions in the room. Once the dog finds the spot, he or she will sit down in front of it. As a reward for finding the spot, the dog then receives a treat. Mold inspection canines can work on a job for up to five hours before tiring of the job. Dogs, with their super sniffers, can be a great asset, especially for hard-to-find mold that is tucked away inside walls, ducts or crawlspaces.

It’s important to note that not all mold inspection teams are able to remove the mold. Some inspectors just arrive with their dogs and let you know whether you have a problem or not. Then it is up to you to find an appropriate mold remediation professional. Mold cleanup often involves getting rid of excess moisture, throwing out any severely damaged items, and using a dehumidifier.

If you would like more information about a possible Virginia mold inspection, or Maryland mold inspection, please don’t hesitate to contact us to schedule your appointment right away!

The EPA recommends performing at least two tests during your initial Maryland or Virginia radon inspection to make sure you have significant radon levels in your home. After all, radon levels fluctuate and a spike in the levels could be caused by unusual weather or conditions. A secondary test will confirm your situation. If your first test was between 4 and 8 pCi/L, you can re-test within two to seven days. People who are looking to sell their home should fix the home prior to sale if the levels are 4.0 pCi/L or higher.

The importance of hiring a qualified Virginia or Maryland radon inspection professional cannot be overstated. Some states require contractors to maintain a state license, although most states do not require any such license. Instead, you may look for contractor who has taken a proficiency exam administered by the National Environmental Health Association (NEHA). It is not recommended that you try do-it-yourself radon treatment on your own, as it involves a lot of skill and knowledge to contain the emission of this colorless, odorless gas.

Here’s what home inspections often uncover: sinks with “S” trap drains. This type of drainage system has been prohibited for decades now (replaced with a “P” trap drain), but occasionally S trap drains will still be found in older homes that haven’t been updated. With these drains, the trap is siphoned dry over time and the seal becomes nonexistent. Odors (sewer gas), bacteria and viruses can then seep up into the home. On the other hand, “P” trap drains have the proper shape that enables the sink to hold its seal, sending sewer gases outside where they belong.

Another common problem found during home inspections is improper ventilation. Vents should always extend beyond the roof of the home to allow drains to flow freely and sewer gases to escape all the way. Sometimes vents are discovered that are too short at the roofline, which allows snow or debris to interfere with their function. Also, some vents terminate inside the attic so drains cannot work as well as they should. For all these reasons, it’s important to have a Maryland or Virginia home inspection done before buying a home – and hire a licensed contractor to tackle your plumbing if necessary!

Here in the US, we only have 50 of the 2,000+ termite species worldwide. While that may sound like a relief, it should be noted that every state except Alaska has termite activity. The most common regions requiring a termite inspection include the South, Southeast, West, and Southwest, where the weather is warmer and more conducive to termite proliferation. The three most destructive types of termites are the Subterranean, Drywood and Dampwood varieties.

Termite inspection experts will look for the tell-tale signs of termites, including: wood damage, discarded wings, swarmer colonies, mud tubes, mounds, or droppings. Often, many of these signs are hidden to the unsuspecting homeowner with the untrained eye. Termites commonly devour the entire inside of a 2×4 plank of wood, while leaving the exterior surprisingly untouched. However, a termite inspection pro who is used to seeing evidence of wood-chewing pests will find these unwelcome guests in no time at all.

The Environmental Protection Agency says that a test result of 4.0 Picocuries per liter or more is considered too high. Problems may occur in homes with poor ventilation or following an earthquake, for instance. They add that radon exposure is directly linked to 20,000 lung cancer deaths each year.

A radon inspection professional may conduct a long-term or a short-term test. With a long-term radon test, an activated charcoal canister with a filter will be left in the home for 90 days, sealed, and taken back to the lab to analyze the results. A short-term test looks at just 2-6 days. The national average cost of a radon inspection and lab testing starts at about $100-$200.

If it turns out there is excessive radon in your home, you will need a mitigation system installed. This series of perforated PVC pipes installed in your floor will be connected to a fan and will suck the radon into the pipes and blow it outside where it can’t harm your family. The price of this system may range from $900 to $1,500, or more, depending upon the specifics of the job and the house being worked in. However, it is very effective. Radon inspection crews have seen homes go from 200 down to 1.5 pCi/L.  An added benefit of the system is that it makes the basement drier and the air cleaner.

All in all, reviewers found it difficult to assess what the most effective form of mold treatment might be. Some homes and offices were cleaned through building renovation, while others were cleaned using a fungicide or bleach solution. Nothing was terribly conclusive for asthma and respiratory illness sufferers, but it was clear that having a mold inspection and subsequent remediation was necessary. Reviewers did make a special note that an effective mold treatment in one of the larger studies involved removing all visible mold colonies, applying a fungicide treatment, and installing fans to improve the room’s ventilation and reduce humidity.

This may sound terribly obvious, but until now, there hadn’t been a significant side-by-side comparison of the existing data regarding the different mold remediation strategies and how each one affects the health of a building’s occupants. Naturally, more extensive research is needed to determine the best course of action when it comes to mold treatment.

ABC News recounted the Murray family’s horrific ordeal with mold. When their 5-year-old suddenly became gravely ill, they expected the worst – cystic fibrosis, leukemia, or some other disease. The problem happened to be lurking in the basement, where mold had taken over inside a crawlspace. The family left the home immediately, but it took three years before she finally felt better. Since the family’s home was so well sealed, it tended to trap moisture from clothes dryers, showers and dishwashers inside. This is a common scenario discovered by mold remediation experts nationwide.

Mold Causes Illness & Plummeting Home Values

Not all mold spores are created equally. There are more than 100,000 species, with at least 50 considered toxic. The worst types of mold produce something called mycotoxins, which has been known to pose a risk to humans – especially youngsters, the elderly, and those with compromised immune systems. Mold also causes plummeting home values and even litigation lawsuits if landlords are deemed negligent in their mold cleanup efforts.

Mold Inspections

It’s possible to have mold that you’re not even aware of, experts say. Some companies use “mold dogs” to detect the presence of spores, although a trained nose can often smell “something musty.” Often, the signs of mold are visible in black, brown, green, blue or white spots. Other times evidence of water intrusion will indicate a leak that can contribute to mold formation. Sometimes the only signs are physical symptoms like sneezing, runny noses, itchy eyes and skin rashes. You should consider a mold inspection if you’re buying or selling a home, and also if you witness any of these smells or symptoms.

Professional Mold Remediation

To find a professional, make sure you find someone who is licensed, bonded and insured (like us!). Check the licensing board and Better Business Bureau for complaints. Get references and check those too. Ask whether the project was done properly and within budget. Mold removal professionals should look for the source of the excessive moisture and humidity to correct that as part of their mold remediation efforts. Beware: anyone who just tries to seal the mold in with an expensive spray is probably not a qualified professional!

Homeowners often wonder whether mold remediation is such a serious business or if it’s just a classic scare tactic used by contractors who want to get homeowners to dole out large sums of money for safety’s sake. This is a valid question, since mold inspections often turn up scary stories. Yet, any true mold removal expert cringes when they hear people ask, “What’s the big deal? Can’t I just bleach the mold and paint over it?”

What Science Says About Mold…

• Respiratory Problems: “We were able to find sufficient evidence that certain respiratory problems, including symptoms in asthmatics who are sensitive to mold, are associated with exposure to mold and damp conditions…. Excessive indoor dampness is a widespread problem that warrants action at the local, state, and national levels.” (Noreen Clark, Dean of the School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, 2004).

• Toxins: “Previously it was claimed that the occurrence of mold does not necessarily mean that there are toxins present. But they are! On the contrary, we can assume that wherever there is visible mold, there are also mold toxins.” Even tiny amounts of these toxins (one millionth of a millionth of a gram) were found to affect immune cells to increase allergic reactions. (Erica Bloom, the Division of Medical Microbiology at Lund University in Sweden, 2008).

• Childhood Asthma Risk: “Early life exposure to mold seems to play a critical role in childhood asthma development. Genetic factors are also important to consider in asthma risk, since infants whose parents have an allergy or asthma are at the greatest risk of developing asthma.” (Tiina Reponen, PhD, lead author of a UC and Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center study, 2011). • Lung Infections: Invasive aspergillosis mold can kill 30 to 90 percent of its victims, particularly people with weakened immune systems due to medical treatments, HIV, chemotherapy or organ transplants. In the lungs, inflammation and invasive mold growth reduced oxygen availability (Montana State University study, 2011).

Mold Remediation – You can think of your home as a giant petri dish. You can have mold cultures on wet clothes, damp crawl spaces, shower ceilings, plumbing leaks, or within your air conditioning system. Exposure to mold is especially dangerous for infants, pregnant women, and people with compromised immune systems, but anyone can suffer from sore throats, wheezing, congestion, itchy eyes and asthma.