Local Mold Testing Companies – Keep Your Home and Business Healthy
Finding mold growing in your home or business can be upsetting. Mold creates unhealthy conditions that can make your loved ones or customers sick. Mold spreads quickly and can sometimes be hard to find, so you must have a local mold inspector test your home or business to identify the type of mold and its source and advise you on your mold removal options.
A local mold remediation company like Precision Environmental Services has experience and familiarity with the types of mold common in your area, their causes, and where these molds are typically found. Professional mold removal specialists have the necessary training and expertise on local mold varieties to safely diagnose and address your mold issue, beginning with mold inspection and mold testing.
Is Mold Toxicity Making You Sick?
Molds can produce mold spores, poisonous mycotoxins, and toxic gases. These gases and chemicals can travel throughout your home or business and affect people’s health. Symptoms of mold sickness usually appear between 2 to 9 hours after exposure and will remain until the mold is removed. How long mold sickness symptoms last after mold removal varies based on the type of mold. If exposed to small amounts of nontoxic mold, your symptoms may be resolved within a few days. If you were exposed to a large amount of a toxic mold like Aspergillus or Stachybotrys, it could take several months or years for your symptoms to lessen.
The symptoms of mold toxicity depend on the type and amount of mold and a person’s sensitivity to mold. Everyone is affected differently by mold toxicity. Some people may experience constant headaches and migraines, brain fog, fatigue, and shortness of breath. Other common symptoms include cognitive difficulties, a metallic taste in the mouth, tinnitus, dizziness, and abdominal pain. Severe symptoms include hair loss and extreme weight loss.
What Are the Signs of Mold Contamination?
- damp or musty odors can be smelled in one or more spots
- experiencing symptoms of a mold allergy
- burning and irritation of the eye, nose, or throat
- frequent headaches
- you or others are having breathing difficulties, including raspy breathing
- the air in your home feels differently
- your home is currently flooded, or there has been a flood in your home in the past
- your home has leaks presently
Can Mold Grow Behind Drywall?
Mold can grow on many surfaces, and mold behind drywall is common when water is damaged behind your walls. Sometimes, mold behind your walls can be easy to identify and take care of, but often, it’s the mold you can’t see that is the biggest problem. If you suspect you have mold behind your walls, a professional mold inspector can confirm if you do or don’t have mold and give you recommendations for handling any mold issues discovered.
Mold Testing Companies Near Me
All molds can affect someone’s health, but black mold or toxic mold are the most concerning. Getting rid of mold as soon as possible is crucial to decreasing and preventing health risks from mold exposure in your home or business.
It’s best to hire a local mold remediation service provider like Precision Environmental Services for mold testing. This provider has experience and familiarity with the local mold types common in the Dallas—Fort Worth Metroplex area and throughout North Central Texas. Our TDLR-licensed local mold specialists know where these common molds are usually found and their causes.
What Do Mold Tests Tell Me?
Mold tests will help identify the types of mold species present in your home or commercial building. Additionally, mold tests can estimate how many mold spores are in the air in your home or business.
While mold testing can use a variety of equipment, all professional mold inspectors collect samples that are then sent to a lab to be analyzed. If mold is present in the samples, the lab will identify the type of mold.
What Are Mold Remediation Services?
Mold remediation services cover every aspect of the processes involved in eliminating harmful mold growth. The purpose of mold remediation services is to return the mold levels in your home or business to a safe level, which is the point of normal or healthy fungal ecology. Mold remediation services can include mold testing, identifying the source of the mold and its cause, mold removal, sanitizing, containment, demolition, restoration, and mold cleaning.
How Long Does Mold Removal Take?
Mold removal is one element of the mold remediation process. Completing the mold remediation process can be done within twenty-four hours or take up to a few weeks and varies based on factors including:
- Location of mold growth in your home or business
- type of mold: if your mold problem is with black mold or toxic mold, the remediation process will take longer since specific safety measures must be in place.
- Amount of mold: larger areas and multiple areas of mold growth will lengthen the mold remediation process.
- Mold damage: mold can damage carpet, floorboards, wallpaper, paint, ceiling and floor tiles, drywall, and wooden studs. In severe cases, mold damage can lead to crumbling walls, collapsing ceilings, and caving floors.
Cost of Mold Testing by Type
Mold testing comes after mold inspection. A professional mold inspection can cost anywhere from $250 to $1,100 or more, depending on multiple factors, including the size of your property, whether it’s a home or a business, accessibility concerns, and the types of mold tests you choose. Depending on where you live, homeowners with average-sized homes pay an average of $450, while the costs will be higher for much larger homes or commercial spaces.
Some mold tests cost more than others, and the type and amount of mold tests you choose to have done will affect the overall cost of mold inspection and mold testing.
Swab
Swab tests are a simple, effective, and fairly budget-friendly way to test for mold. They usually cost between $200 and $350, and the test results will show the type of mold found and its toxicity level. However, swab tests can only be done if you know where the mold is and don’t test your air. Swab tests are often paired with air cell testing.
Air Test
Air cell testing generally costs around $250 to $400 and gives a more complete picture of what is happening in your home or business than a swab test. Professional mold specialists set up equipment in multiple areas of your home that will run for several hours, conduct several tests each hour, and collect samples. The samples will be sent to a lab and analyzed. The mold problem’s type and severity will be identified, which will help your mold remediation professional develop a comprehensive mold remediation plan.
HVAC
Testing HVAC systems for mold costs $75 to $100 and should be done with an air cell test. When testing the HVAC system, the mold inspector puts specialized tape inside the ducts and on the filters to capture any mold spores as they pass through the system. HVAC systems with mold can quickly spread mold spores throughout your home or business, contaminating multiple areas. It can be hard to remove mold from an HVAC system, and an accurate reading of the amount and location of mold in the ductwork helps with mold remediation.
Stain Testing
Stain testing is used with swabs, air cells, and HVAC tests and adds $100 to $200 to testing costs. For stain testing, samples from other tests are treated with specialized stains to help specialists identify the type and number of mold spores present, the mold’s growth pattern, and whether or not the mold is toxic.
Mold Cultures
This type of test is relatively inexpensive, usually under $100, and uses the mold spores that have already been collected from a swab, tape, or air cell machine. The sample will be placed in an enclosed space and allowed to run wild and grow at will. The test will show if the mold spores in your home or business are alive. Cultures that proliferate will need immediate and extreme mold remediation techniques, while cultures that don’t grow or grow slowly won’t need mold remediation techniques that are as aggressive.
Does Insurance cover Mold Damage?
Insurance companies don’t usually cover mold damage or removal unless the mold results from a specific problem covered by the insurance policy. For example, mold damage and removal would be covered if water damage from a burst pipe leads to mold.
Mold Inspection Services Request
Precision Environmental Services is a premier company that bases its business model on customer health and satisfaction. We offer premium air quality testing, mold testing, and mold remediation services in the Dallas—Fort Worth Metroplex.
What Happens If Your Home or Office Tests Positive for Mold?
If your home or office tests positive for mold or you have questions about mold sampling, testing, and removal, Precision Environmental Services can help. Our professionally trained and certified mold inspection specialists can evaluate your mold issue, advise you on the best way to remove the mold to solve your mold problem and answer your questions.
If you need assistance with mold testing and removing mold in your home, contact Precision Environmental Services at 940-597-2673.
