Mold caused by a
leaking ice maker line
Mold caused by improper
bathroom exhaust venting
Mold caused by moisture
under bathroom sink
Mold caused by a
leaking water line
M3 Real Estate Inspection Company, LLC is a highly trained and professional mold inspector and our mold testing sampling is done by a Nationally Certified and Accredited “AIHA” Environmental Laboratory. We perform mold testing and moisture intrusion evaluations in residential homes, commercial/industrial buildings, medical offices, nursing homes, schools, auto dealerships and churches. We have worked with mold remediation projects for many years for both large and small,as well as insurance companies providing mold investigation and assessment.
M3 Real Estate Inspection, LLC professionals carefully follow mold inspection and sampling protocols that meet or exceed the standards established by: The United States Environmental Solutions Association, The New York City Department of Health and The American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists.
M3 Real Estate Inspection, LLC Inspectors follows strict sampling guidelines, utilizes legal chain of custody paperwork, and sends all of our mold samples to AIHA accredited laboratories for testing and analysis by a PhD.
WHAT IS MOLD?
Interior Mold Growth Mold is a microscopic organism found virtually everywhere indoors and outdoors. Mold can be found on food, plants, and other organic material. We even eat food with mold in it, such as Blue Cheese. Mold can also be found on cardboard, paper, ceiling tile, sheetrock, carpet, carpet padding, wood, plaster, many types of building components, in air conditioning air handlers/systems and air conditioning ducts.
Mold is very common and essential to nature. With poor ventilation, high humidity, and the right materials, mold may grow to un-acceptable levels in your home. Many undiagnosed cases of allergies and sinusitis are caused by the presence of mold in your home. Some mold is harmless, others very aggravating to your health, some may be deadly. Holmes Inspection can inspect and test your home for the presence of mold and determine what may be causing its growth and how it may be eliminated or controlled. Samples from swabs and from the air are taken and sent to a laboratory to determine exactly which mold is present.
The following are some sources of indoor moisture that may cause mold problems in your commercial building, retail store, home or workplace:
- Flooding
- Leaky Roofs
- Humidifiers
- Damp Basements or Crawl Spaces
- Plumbing Leaks
- Bathroom vanities leaks
- House Plants
- Steam from showers, baths, and cooking
- Clothes dryers vented indoors
People at high risk for adverse reactions to mold exposure are:
- Infants
- Children
- Elderly
- Immune Compromised Individuals
- Pregnant Women
- Individuals with Existing Respiratory Conditions
Mold can cause a wide range of health problems including:
- Wheezing
- Nasal & Sinus Congestion
- Watery & Red Eyes
- Nose & Throat Irritation
- Skin Irritation
- Aches & Pains
- Fevers
- Asthma
- Emphysema
The following is a list of symptoms associated with exposure to Stachybotrys or Black Mold spores:
- Pulmonary hemosiderosis (bleeding in the lungs)
- Respiratoryproblems
- Nasal & sinus congestion
- Eye problems
- Dry hacking cough
- Sore throat
- Chronic fatigue
- Skin irritations
- Central Nervous Systems Problems (constant headaches, memory problems, moodchanges)
- Aches & pains
- Fever
- Diarrhea
- Immune suppression
THREE MAJOR MOLD GROUPS:
Molds are organized into three groups according to human responses:
ALLERGENIC, PATHOGENIC, AND TOXIGENIC
Allergenic Molds
Allergenic molds do not usually produce life-threatening health effects and are most likely to affect those who are already allergic or asthmatic. The human system responses to allergenic molds tend to be relatively mild, depending on individual sensitivities, typically producing scratchy throats, eye and nose irritations and rashes.
Pathogenic Molds
Pathogenic molds usually produce some type of infection. They can cause serious health effects in persons with suppressed immune systems. Healthy people can usually resist infection by these organisms regardless of dose. In some cases, high exposure may cause hypersensitivity pneumonitis (an acute response to exposure to an organism).
Toxigenic Molds
Mycotoxins can cause serious health effects in almost anybody. These agents have toxic effects ranging from short-term irritation to immunosuppression and possibly cancer. Therefore, when toxigenic molds are found further evaluation is recommended.
More on Allergenic Molds:
Along with pollens from trees, grasses, and weeds, molds are an important cause of seasonal allergic rhinitis. People allergic to molds may have symptoms from spring to late fall. The mold season often peaks from July to late summer. Unlike pollens, molds may persist after the first killing frost. Some can grow at subfreezing temperatures, but most become dormant. Snow cover lowers the outdoor mold count dramatically but does not kill molds. After the spring thaw molds thrive on the vegetation that has been killed by the winter cold. In the warmest areas of the United States, however, molds thrive all year and can cause year-round problems. In addition, molds growing indoors can cause perennial allergic rhinitis even in the coldest
More On Pathogenic Molds:
Pathogenic molds usually produce some type of infection. The word pathogenic literal means causing disease". A normal, healthy individual can probably resist infection by these organisms regardless of dose, however, pathogenic molds can cause serious health effects in persons with suppressed, underdeveloped, or compromised immune systems. In some cases, high exposure may cause hypersensitivity pneumonitis (an acute response to exposure to an organism). People with compromised immune systems would be, infants and small children whose immune systems are not fully developed, elderly people whose immune systems are essentially worn out, and anyone exposed to AIDS, pneumonia, bronchitis, and other respiratory infections.
More On Toxic Molds:
"Black Mold" is a term commonly used to describe molds that are black and slimy. It is also often used in reference to toxic mold; molds that are know to present health risks to humans and animals by producing Mycotoxins. Mycotoxins(poisons) are fungal metabolites that have been identified as toxic agents. It should be noted, however, that not all black mold is toxic and that not all toxic mold is black. In fact, there are over 400,000 different types of mold and many of them are black in color of which only a portion have been identified. Black Mold and/or toxic mold are terms often used to identify Stachybotrys. Many fungi (Aspergillus, Penicillium, Fusarium, Trichoderma, and Memnoniella) can produce mycotoxins, some of which are identical to compounds produced by Stachybotrys. For this reason, Stachybotrys can not be treated as uniquely toxic in indoor environments.cases, high exposure