Mold Assessment

Air Quality Canada Inc. is an environmental consulting firm with experienced professionals who perform Mold Assessments and other testing services. Whether your concerns are residential, commercial or industrial, we are here to help. Your Safety is our business.

What Is Mold?

Mold is the common word for a living organism that often grows indoors and can have significant negative effects on your health. Mold can be black, white or almost any colour. It often looks like a stain or smudge and it can often smell musty. Mold can aggressively spread throughout a house or office through direct contact or via airborne “mold spores”. The longer you wait to test for Mold, the greater the chance it has spread throughout your property.

Upon initial growth, Mold patches release hazardous “spores” into the air, which are small enough to be inhaled, and infiltrate the body. It is by inhalation that Mold can significantly impact your health.

Who Needs a Mold Assessment?

Anyone who notices visible Mold growth is advised to get a Mold assessment ASAP.

A Mold Assessment is also advised if:

• You are considering purchasing a residential or commercial property.
• You are considering renovations
• You suspect previous water damage.
• If you had a flood and want to make sure your environment is safe.
• If you have health concerns with symptoms that are constant with Mold growth.

What Causes Mold to Grow?

Mold grows as a result of stagnant moisture or humidity. Its growth can be expedited by extreme temperatures. Mold can grow on any organic surface. Mold is most prevalent when relative humidity exceeds 60%.

Common sources of moisture include:

• Condensation on surfaces due to excessive humidity.
• Steam or excess moisture as a result of baths or showers.
• Water leakage such as a flooding, roof leaks, plumbing leak.

The most common locations and surfaces where Mold will be found are:

• Attics (on sheathing, support beams & insulation)
• Basements
• Drywall (often behind the drywall)
• Wood (such as window sills, framing, subfloor, attics)
• Under or behind stored items
• Beneath showers and cabinetry
• Carpets
• Furniture

What Does the Mold Assessment Include?

We have a standard “Mold Assessment” procedure, however every situation is unique. Therefore, we custom tailor every inspection to suit your needs. We will consult with you to determine the specifics of your situation.

Our Mold Assessment Includes:

• Visual inspection of the building for evidence of moisture intrusion and signs of visible Mold growth.
• Measurements with a Moisture Meter to determine if walls, floors and ceilings show signs of active moisture problems.
• Indoor Air Quality probe to assess Relative Humidity in various parts of the building.
• Swab + Tape lift Mold sampling to determine specific species of Mold and identify specific health hazards.
• Viable petri dish sampling that will allow the Mold to grow in a contained environment to confirm the presence of airborne Mold spores.
• Mold Air Quality testing to determine airborne Mold spore count and types of species present.
• A detailed 15-25 page report on our findings and your plan of action moving forward to remediate the hazardous situation.

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What are the differences between Mold Assessments and Mold Inspections?

Typically, restoration companies offer “free inspections”. This is simply an another way of saying “free estimate” and offers no detailed information. A free Mold inspection does NOT offer any diagnostics or analytical reporting. There are significant differences between Mold inspections and Mold assessments.

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What are the Health Symptoms of Mold?

Mold is very dangerous and can be extremely harmful to your health.

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Symptoms of Mold Include:

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If you suspect that you or your family’s health is being affected by Mold, talk to your health care provider as soon as possible.

People respond to Mold in different ways, depending upon the amount of exposure and the person’s overall health. Some people are more vulnerable to the effects of Mold than others. This includes children, the elderly and those with a weakened immune system or other medical condition(s), such as asthma, severe allergies or other respiratory conditions.

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Do You Do Your Own Laboratory Analysis?

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We do not. In order to offer an ethical service our clients can trust, we work with a third-party, local A2LA accredited Laboratory. This allows the results to be defensible in court. It is strongly suggested that you work with a environmental consulting company who does not perform in- house lab work.

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