Where there is dampness and excess moisture usually there are some common signs of mold such as musty odors, visual mold seen on the surfaces of substrates such as drywall, wood framing, ceiling joist and beams. Removing mold is one part of the process, but controlling the moisture and dampness is critical. Repairing any source of the moisture problem that caused mold to grow such as water leaks and flooding. If the areas such as floors, carpets, wallboard etc. are not properly dried out then mold will begin to grow after a 24 hour period depending on the moisture level.

Excess relative humidity over 60% causes mold to grow sporadically. It's like putting 'gas on the fire,' where mold spores thrive in high humidity and warmer temperatures. I see this often in the hot and humid months of Cape Cod, Massachusetts and the islands of Nantucket & Martha's Vineyard. When vacationers come to open up their summer homes surface mold is seen throughout several rooms where the humidity has not been controlled. Odors persist in crawlspace and basement due to lack of dehumidifiers which should operate 24/7 when necessary. Dehumidifiers  are best between 30% & 50% R.H. according to the EPA

Dampness affects many people with asthma. When dampness and high relative humidity are controlled then breathing is much more comfortable. Remember, a mold inspection is more than just testing, a thorough visual inspection with the right instruments helps when it comes to finding moisture and any form of water intrusion. Even after mold removal is conducted if needed, your home still needs to control the moisture. If preventative measures are not taken then the mold can and more than likely will reoccur. It's like bringing your vehicle in for a repair, if we do not change the oil often, then another problem will occur. A costly one at that.  

As an independent IAQ consultant in reference to a mold remedition scope of work, mold testing, and mold inspections it is another sign that the industry for mold remedial cleanup , removal, mold testing, needs to address industry standards and guidelines on a local state and federal level. Currently there are none in most states. There are some companies who are using the "fear factor" when it comes to " toxic black mold" and has become alarming as of late. I have had recent clients telling me that some mold remediation-restoration companies are telling them to move out of the house without even conducting a visual inspection on the property! Also, one spcific company was telling them "they do not need a mold inspection or mold assessment. They would come down within the next hour to take out the walls because they already know what needs to be done!" Again, this is without looking at the property. For the sake of time on this article, on a few of these assessments that we were called into it was nothing more than surface mold and not excess and under 5 square feet of area due to high relative humidity. In another recent phone call, a mold company had the wife and baby out the door and the husband calling saying they lived in the house for amost 20 years and there was never a problem. There were no flooding problems etc. The mold removal company did their own testing (which is a conflict of interest in the industry) and told them "the mold spore elevations were off the charts!" The company then proceeded to tell them they needed to get out so they can start the work at excuberant cost in the thousand$.

Another alarming issue are the prices for mold remediation and removal. In two recent cases, an attic such as a ranch had two prices which included entire professional mold cleanup, removal of all insulation and replacement. Two estimates one was $6,800.00 another $2,200.00. This appears to be two  extremes one is to high and the other is too low. I don't know how acompany can professionall do this job with replacing insulation for 2,200.00. After hundreds of assessments this project average cost if done professionall with trained workers and insurance would range in the $3000.00 to $4,500.00 range  Another quote for a crawlspace fairly large with mostly surface mold and little flooding prices ranged from $1,800.00 to $22,000.00! This is abuse and why the industry needs to address state and federal standards.

My professional suggestion is to have an independent mold assessment hiring an Indoor Environmental Profesional - IEP, Industrial Hygienist, AIHA, CIH, Council Certified Mold Consultant-CMC. Hire someone who has t least 5 years of field experience.As for mold remediation companies IICRC S520 Mold Remediation Certication. Home inspectors are not professional mold inspectors, they are trained to assess the structure, electric, plumbing, etc. for leaks and defects. 
Seek out references and get more than one estimate. Remeber it is not always about the best price but hiring a professional who knows their industry and field and guides you into problem solving solutions when it comes to mold inspections, mold removal, and mold assessments.

Andy Provitola-CMC
Environmental Resources & Services

www.promoldinspections.com
781-248-9975
781-294-7071

Indoor air quality is 90 % of what we breathe inside our homes according to national consensus. Improving indoor air quality is having a preventative plan in place. It is like changing the oil in your vehicle every 3000 to 4000 miles to prevent any further damage. When water infiltrates our homes or workplace such as leaky roofs, flooding, sewer backups, high moisture, high relative humidity and dew points due to lack of air conditioning , dehumidifiers, proper air flow, and ventilation; mold and bacteria can tend to build up and cause indoor air quality problems. Regular, maintenance of our home whether it is the furnace or HVAC units, checking for leaking pipes and faucets, cleaning out areas regular such as basements, crawlspace, attics, garages, etc. Those stains on your ceilings or walls may be more than just dried up water stains from leaks or last winters ice dams! If you have checked your home and still suspect odors, or unusual indoor air quality then its time to call a professional to inspect and assess your home or office. The best way to rule out larger problems down the road is to hire a trained certified professional to investigate your indoor environment. At times testing be needed but not always. Moisture mapping or utilizing Thermal Infrared Camera may help detect problems that are unseen. Our goal is to point you in the right direction as independent consultants and seek to find healthy solutions for your home indoors.

Environmental Resources
www.airenvironments.com
781-248-9975 

Serving Massachusetts, Greater Boston, Cape Cod & the Islands

When homeowners see or hear of black mold they think of toxic mold? Why? Well the media hype and websites that stress fear rather than solutions to sell you a bill of goods through fear. An example of black mold is in attic where dark or black stains may be visible. A mold that often comes up in new England or Cape Cod and the islands is a cladosporium species. This is a common mold in the outdoors and the spore counts are much higher than other mold species during the peak of the mold spore elevation season such as Spring, Summer and Fall seasons. As for black toxic mold, which I prefer to as mycotoxin, a species such as Stachybotrys chartarum or sp. atra. This using stands in chronic wet area and is a slow terciatary species. Usually not as airborne as some would think. It's more of a slimy like substance. Also, other mycotoxic mold species come in different colors as well, besides black.

For a professional assessment hire a trained certified professional to assess and provide solutions for your home or business.


Andy Provitola-CMC
Environmental Resources
www.mold-inspection-boston.com
781-248-9975
781-294-7071

Did you know that ice dams can cause mold problems?



Frozen ice and snow on top of roofs and gutters are creating havoc for homes in New England and the greater Boston area. With cold temperatures in freezing climates then an unexpected 40 to 60 degree day auses a lot of melting of the ice and snow which can cause mold growth, roof dterioration of the plywood, wood rot in th fascais boards behind the gutters. The water and moisture can travel throug the attic area, dormers, wall cavities and down into lower levels such as the basement and first floor.

Some ways to detect mold: 

1. See if water spots and dark stains are noticed and perhaps wet.

2. Look for visible stains such as mold on the surfaces of the ceiling, wallsof the living areas, floors, carpets, attic plywood sheathing, attic sidewalls,  floor joist, wet insulation

3. Check for moisture or high relative humidity over 65% and higher.

4. Smelling unusual odors such as musty or moldy where wall cavities or insulation can be wet inside the walls, but dry on the outside wall. High relative humidity or moisture may be the culprit.

5. Other ways to detect mold is hire a professional with the right tools such as conducting mold sampling the air or visible mold with tapes, swabs, or bulk.

6. Utilizing moisture meters, Thermal Infrared Imaging camera, boroscopes, etc.


For a professional mold inspection and mold assessment call:

781-248-9975
www.promoldinspections.com  

This time of year brings in many calls with some nasty odors. After a dry, but an unusually high hot and  humid summer, the Fall season here in the Greater Boston area has brought some rain fall with the same type of humidity; but now it is getting a bit colder. This means the windows have to be closed and air quality tends to get stale or odors are more noticable.

What's that smell? These complaints are often called in and I ask a few questions such as: Have you been flooded due to the recent heavy rains last spring or prior years. How about roof leaks? How effective was the cleaning, drying out process and did you get to the water early such as within 24 to 48 hours to help avoid potential mold growth problems.  What type of smell are you experiencing such as is this a chemical smell, foul smell, a rotten decomposed smell such as a dead rodent, or a strong musty mold smell.

Not all odors are mold or due to water damage, so an investigation requires a rule out process. Taking a few samples for mold is not necessary the solution, it may help in the ruling out process

Conducting a thorough visible investigation of the odor or where the smell appears to originate is a beginning is important. Some odors can be on the second or third floor but have originated from the basement. The basement flooded out months prior and now the relative humidity "fuels the fire" for the odor and the draft from the stack pipe or plumbing drift up to the upper levels. A professional can provide the proper assessment with the proper tools to help to determine such factors as relative humidity, temperature, air flows, moisture meters, Thermal Infrared Imaging, cannisters, etc.

In a recent odor investigation of a bathroom-Laundry area in an antique home 150 + years on the north shore, the smell was overwhelmingly strong. It did not necessarily have the odor of mold but strong in this area to say the least. After a plumber, contractor, and even a pest control company, the odor was not solved up to this point. This can be frustrating and costly. I don't like to use the term "witch hunt", but at times professionals can go on a witch hunt and it can end up being very costly in the hundreds if not thousands of dollars with no solution in sight. The key is the scope of work conducted has to be a rule out process and talk about a budget that you may be willing to spend before the work begins. There is no gaurantee for discovering the odor problem, even after paying for this type of service. To sum up this antique house, a dead rat was trapped behind the lower wallboard behind the washing maching shut off valve. This was even after a company inspected this area. Again, sniffing odors can be hard to find even when they are right under our nose!

Most odors are caused by ventilation issues in general. It is best to open windows until the odor can be discovered. HVAC systems, pet, rodent odors, dampness, mold, the trash can, refrigerator, etc. Sampling can help as an inidcator, however, a thorough visible inspection with the right tools from a professional is an excellent start if you have come to your wits end as to finding this irritable odor.

Environmental Resources is here to help identify problem areas. Also we provide solutions with products and quality air purification with several pounds of carbon to fight odors.  We offer sampling if it is called upon. Call for a professional consultation of your home or business' indoor air quality today. 781-294-7071

Recently I read a yellow page ad stating that there Thermal infrared is a mold detector! 
As a trained and certified Building science Thermogapher with FLIR i realized that the ad was misleading. Thermal Infrared is designed to detect temperature differential whether it is hot or cold. For example, when a water leak or flood occurs this can create a potential for mold fungi to grow. depending on the extent of the leak, how long the the water has been leaking such as over a 48 hour period and the temperature for mold to grow. The best environment for microbial growth is between 68 degrees to 86 degrees farenheit is the best environment. Yes thermal infrared will help to identify a leak or continous water intrusion, but it will not detect mold. Water and moisture is the by product to feed mold depending on the food source such as dry wall, ceiling tiles, carpet, etc. Thermal Infrared is a great tool to utilize heat loss for energy savings, roof leaks, missing insulation in walls or ceilings,radiant floor heating,  moisture, flooding, and more. 

www.moldtestingma.mobi
Environmental Resources LLC
781-248-9975

Basements have been flooded severely throughout the greater Boston massachusetts area due to the recent heavy rainstorms. basements have  experienced flooding from a couple of inches of water to as much as 6 feet in some cases. The longer water stands in the basement along with moist walls, floors, furnishings the more prone to mold and microbial growth inside the basement. There is no doubt that many homeowners have experienced a disaster due to the water, flooding, and mold growth. To add insult to injury many of the affected flood victims do not have homeowner insurance coverage. Environmental Resources is providing affordable solutions with mold and moisture assessments using the latest state of the art Thermal infrared Camera Imaging to detect water damage. I have seen many walls look dry and people are trying to save the walls. The insulation behind the walls and walls themselves are saturated with wet and mold. We provide consulting services and are saving homeowners thousands of dollars of unnecessary expensive restoration. These companies can charge thousands of dollars for their services, the flood and mold problems may not be as extensive as they claim. Our consultants goal is to point you in the right direction whether you need proper restoration or just a good cleaning and drying out.

Environmental Resources & Services
781-294-7071
781-248-9975
Serving Massachusetts & providing special assignments throughout the U.S.  

www.mold-inspections.mobi

www.promoldinspections.com

What happens when water stands in a basement for a prolonged period of time? Recently Massachusetts experienced some of the largest rainfall in  a short period of time including 6 to 13 inches of water in a 3 to 4 day span. Towns such as Andover, Billerica, Hingham, Topsfield, Peabody, Waltham, Sudbury, Canton, and many others experienced unusual flooding in the homes and businesses.

The longer the water stands in the basement or building they are prone for active mold growth throughout the affected substrate areas. Water, floods, dampness, moisture are all key ingredients when it comes to mold fungi to grow on substrate sources such as drywall, carpet, furniture, boxes, etc. Toxic mold and black mold can grow even after the drying out process if the area is not dried out properly. The visible mold is the easier areas to handle such as wallboard or ceiling tiles, however, mold spores are not always visibly seen or noticed until after the fact. Such as several weeks or months later when odors begin to arise or a family member may be experiencing some breathing discomfort.

The to prevent any mold growth is to keep the area clean and dry, preventing moisture from accumulating. A proper mold and moisture professional assessment is a wise choice to prevent this from happening. Environmental Resources uses the latest state of the art technology when it comes to detecting mold and water leaks. A Flir Thermal Infrared Imaging Camera well help detect water and moisture problems. Certified  mold testing and mold inspections utilizing accredited microbiology accredited labs will determine the type of mold species growing and the describe the extent of the growth whether is active or not. 

                                                                     "An Ounce of Prevention is Better Than A Pound of Cure"

Environmental Mold Resources                Serving Greater Boston and Southern New England
www.promoldinspections.com
www.mold-inspections.mobi

781-294-7071
781-248-9975

Mold inspections and mold testing are an important part of the mold process to determine the extent of a mold fungi problem, especially when it may involve professional mold removal or mold remediation. Too often a mold remediation contractor will try to conduct their own testing or exaggerate an inspection claiming the mold is very extensive when in reality it may not be extensive in nature at all. For example, Environmental Resources does not remediate mold or remove toxic mold in homes or business. We are an independent consulting firm providing professional environmental inspection services for mold and indoor air quality issues.  A real estate company will call us stating, "there was a home inspection and dark or black stains or what looked like mold fungi was indicated". (A mold company was in prior to us coming proposing a very high cost estimate for mold removal after the buyer called a mold remediation company in Boston MA area). After providing an independent inspection using the proper instruments and tools to determine water and moisture issues to determine the source of the problem with mold and why it may have occured. After some mold sampling along with the inspection it was determined that the extent of the mold problem or mold damage was not as extensive as was told to the homeowner. Since the mold assessment was by a third party and does not remediate mold this brought assurance to the homebuyer and seller because there was no coflict of interest. The suspect area for mold did need some mold remediation but was not as extensive as first claimed.

Independent mold assessments also help insurance claims and insurance adjusters to provide non bias professional opinions of indoor mold growth. Many homeowners deal with floods and water leaks in disasters such as hurricanes, flooding, heavy  rainfall and high relative humidity which happens often in the Boston, Massachusetts and Cape Cod areas along the entire coast from maine to CapeCod. High relative humidity and moisture to mold spores is like putting gasoline on a fire which flares up the problem even more. Water problems need to be addressed within 24 to 48 hours for the best results for mold prevention and its microbial growth indoors.  Our philosophy is that, "An ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure". A certified trained professional mold inspector providing mold inspections and  mold testing could end up saving you thousands of dollars in the long run along with peace of mind and assurance.  If you think you have a mold problem or are not sure because the mold may be hidden behind a wall or underneath a floor then call a professional.

Environmental Resources & Services
www.promoldinspections.com
781-294-7071