Commercial Mold Inspection Procedures
Mold remediation is an extensive procedure that can include the indoor environment of a home, place of business or public building. One of the aspects of the remediation process is a commercial mold inspection that looks at the overall indoor air quality of the property based on its structural integrity, the status of ventilation equipment and any moisture problems that lead to mold growth. Does this Spark an idea?
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EPA Guidelines to Mold Inspection
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The Environmental Protection Agency provides a series of guidelines related to the identification of mold and the causes of mold growth. Appendix C of its online resource, Building Air Quality: A Guide for Building Owners and Facility Managers, provides guidelines for mold inspection procedures, including how to identify the causes of mold. Condensation, temperature inversions and relative humidity are the main causes of mold in a building, according to the EPA. The agency suggests checking for air leaks around exterior windows, doors and electrical outlets, locating cold spots that cause condensation, and inspecting the integrity of wall coverings and insulation.
OSHA Inspection Guidelines
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The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has guidelines for mold inspection procedures. Its tips include checking for humidity problems, moisture incursion and ventilation issues. OSHA suggests that a mold inspection should include looking for plumbing leaks, inspecting drip pans and lines on HVAC equipment, checking the soil grading around the exterior, and asking occupants about chronic moisture problems, musty odors, and health problems.
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Hidden Mold
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One of the biggest challenges in a commercial mold inspection is finding the mold growth itself because mold tends to grow in dark, secluded areas that normally avoid detection by visible means. Mold can grow inside and behind wall coverings, under carpet or other floor coverings, and above ceilings. Locating mold in these areas requires pulling up floor coverings when possible, removing small sections of drywall or ceiling tiles, or even drilling holes into a wall or ceiling and inserting visual detection devices (known as borescopes) into the holes to look for mold.
Other Inspection Procedures
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Mold growth in homes can be a particular problem because of inaccessibility. In some cases, wallpaper needs to be pulled back to check in those areas where moisture is evident or where musty odors are detected. Bathrooms and kitchens are common areas of mold growth because of condensation. Drawers should be checked in cabinets and vanities, and it is necessary at times to remove a cabinet or a vanity in those cases where larger moisture problems are evident. Additionally, water supply lines should be checked for leaks, and proper sealing around pipes should be verified in a mold inspection.
Specialized Mold Inspection Technology
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A commercial mold inspection can include using special equipment to test for leaks and other conditions that lead to moisture incursion. Infrared sensors and thermal imaging devices are used to look for variations in temperature sources that lead to condensation around plumbing. They can also detect air gaps in walls, roofs, and foundations that allow exterior air to enter a structure, causing temperature inversions that lead to cold spots and condensation.
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References
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