New York / New Jersey Mold Inspections

5 Signs You Need a Professional Mold Inspection

Did you know that mold can cause health issues, such as a stuffy nose, wheezing, red and itchy eyes, and other respiratory effects? If you are allergic to mold or have asthma, your reaction can be even more severe. Mold isn’t just an unsightly annoyance, it’s also a threat to your health. 

If you suspect that you have mold, you may need to schedule a mold inspection. A home mold inspection will detect any instances of mold (because if they’re there, they are not going away) and advise whether you should consider mold removal services. Read on to learn more about signs that you need to call the professionals.

1. There Is Visible Mold Growth

This is the most obvious outward sign of mold growth. If you see spots of mold on your walls, ceiling, floors, or on other areas of your home, you need an immediate inspection. If the mold is visible to you, there is a problem and you need to address it. Mold isn’t going to magically go away and you’ll need special tools to remove it. 

2. The Humidity Is High

If you live in an area with high humidity, you have an optimal location for mold to grow. You should keep your relative humidity in your home below 60% (ideally between 30 and 50%). Newer thermostats can measure the relative humidity in your home and alert you when it rises too high. 

Some ways to combat high humidity and prevent mold growth are using a fan in your bathroom when showering, keeping your air ducts clean, purchasing a dehumidifier, and ensuring that your home is properly ventilated. If your rooms feel damp (such as your bathroom or laundry room) or you see condensation on your windows, it may be a sign that your home’s humidity is high.

3. Your Health Is Suffering

Toxic black mold can negatively impact your health, so if you find that you are often sick with no explanation, you may have a mold problem. The mycotoxins in black mold cause respiratory problems, skin irritation and rashes, headaches and fatigue, and even nausea and vomiting. 

These impacts are even worse if you have other medical conditions, such as severe allergies, asthma, or other respiratory illnesses. 

 

4. You Smell an Odor

Mold has a musty smell, which you may recognize from damp areas, such as basements. If you notice a musty smell in your home, particularly in areas like your laundry room, bathroom, attic/crawl spaces, or even your basement, there is a good chance you have mold. 

The smell might be even more noticeable after heavy rain or during extreme weather changes. 

5. You Have Standing Water in Your Home

Standing water causes many problems in and around your home. Outside, standing water is a breeding ground for mosquitoes. Indoors, standing water is an optimal location for mold spores to grow. Mold grows easily on the top of standing water and then spreads to other surfaces. 

Do You Need Mold Inspection? 

If you suspect you have mold in your home and any of the above situations sound familiar, you should contact a professional company to perform a mold inspection. From health impacts to damages to your home, mold can cause significant problems. Addressing it at the first signs will be much easier and less expensive for you. 

HNST Mold Inspections can come to your home and test for mold and any other things that may be impacting your health, such as allergens, asbestos, and lead. Contact us today to schedule a time for one of our licensed mold assessors to inspect your home. 

 

What Are the Benefits of Mold Inspections?

Mold is a type of fungus that can creep into your home unnoticed. This happens because mold is a small organism that is a lightweight spore that travels through the air to find the perfect spot to set up camp, which is where it multiplies and turns into the mold we sometimes see in our homes. Therefore, it is so important to have mold inspections in your home by professionals.

Read on to learn more about how mold grows, why mold testing is so important, and the effects of mold on your health.

Mold Growth

Believe it or not, but mold is actually extremely common to find in buildings and homes. This is because mold can grow in any place that it finds moisture, and mold spores are almost always floating around.

Since mold spores are in the air, they can enter your home in several ways: open windows, vents, heating and air conditioning systems, they can even attach themselves to your clothes, your shoes, or your pets, and carried right inside your front door!

Unfortunately, mold grows the best on the most common products that we build our homes with. Wallpaper, drywall, insulation, carpet, paints, paper products, cardboard, wood—the list can go on and on. Any place in your home that has more moisture or is high in humidity is the perfect breeding ground for mold.

If this is the case, it may be time to call a professional for mold testing.

Inspecting for Mold

If you have a mold problem, you will most likely know because you will either smell it or see it, or both. Mold assessment is extremely important, not only for your health but also for the health of your home. Mold can wreak havoc not only on surfaces but also underneath.

When you see mold, don’t assume that it is only surface level. Mold is likely to affect the entire area that you see and deep inside as well.

When you have a mold inspection done, this will probably be confirmed. This type of damage can ring up a large bill, so when you see mold, call your professional mold removers right away.

If you don’t see any mold but have recently had water damage, it is a good time to get an inspection done just to be on the safe side.

Mold and Your Health

Mold can cause many health problems, some of which are mild such as a stuffy nose and itchy eyes, or more intense like upper respiratory tract infections and heavy coughs.

A lot of the mold that grows in homes can be harmless; however, the toxicity of the mold does not depend on the color. Many people will see light green mold and will just wash with bleach, but that mold could be toxic for your health and not only growing on the surface.

We all know that black mold is extremely toxic and should be removed from the home instantly. Along with black mold, other toxic molds can cause mold poisoning which can include aches and pains, changes in mood, headaches, and even memory loss.

Mold Inspections

After reading this article, we hope you have learned more about why it is so important to get mold inspections when you believe you may have some growing in your home. Remember that even if it only looks like a bit of mold on the surface, underneath could be much worse.

Contact us here at HNST Mold Inspections for any of your mold needs or questions!

The Warning Signs of Asbestos in Your Home

Did you know that asbestos is a mineral fiber that you can find in soil and rocks? Although it occurs naturally in nature, it can turn deadly if it’s inside your home.

Are you a homeowner who is concerned that you might have an asbestos problem? In this article, we’ll dive into whether you should call for an asbestos inspection for your property.

Read on to discover more about asbestos and how an asbestos home inspection can save your health today. 

What Does Asbestos Look Like? 

Asbestos is made up of long and thin fibers that are easy to pull apart. When the fiber becomes airborne is when problems arise for humans and pets. 

Is Asbestos Hazardous? 

Asbestos testing is vital since it’s hazardous when it’s ingested or inhaled. The tiny fibers that are a part of asbestos become lodged inside of a person’s tissue. 

This can lead to respiratory illnesses, cancer, tissue damage, and inflammation. Pay attention to any signs such as a cough that doesn’t go away, chest tightness, loss of appetite, or shortness of breath. 

Checking for Asbestos

If your home is built between the 1940s and 1970s, it’s a high chance that you might have asbestos in your home.

First, you can take a look at the outline of flooring tiles. Finding 9-inch square patterns are a common type of flooring tile that has asbestos. Check for any uninsulated pipes with gray or white insulation.

Your best bet is to contact an asbestos professional who can do an asbestos inspection in the New York and New Jersey area. 

You Have Corrugated Roofing or Cement Sheets

Besides an older home, one that has corrugated roofing might signal asbestos. This is because corrugated roofing tends to have asbestos material since it’s heat-resistant and more durable. 

If your roof receives damages from fires or weather conditions, it can release asbestos into the air. This can lead to you inhaling it into your lungs. 

Cement sheets also contain asbestos. This is due to it increasing the durability. If they break then that’ll mean exposing yourself and your family to this toxic material. 

Broken Insulation Pipes

Do you notice that the insulation for your hot water pipes is weakening? If so, that means that the asbestos is deteriorating. 

This means that you’re being exposed to this material. Consider a replacement for it that uses fiberglass insulation instead. 

It’s a good idea to seek a professional to install fiberglass into your insulation pipes. It might cause danger if you try to do it yourself. 

Signs You Might Need an Asbestos Inspection

Now that you’ve explored the signs that you might need an asbestos inspection, you should be well on your way to deciding whether your home needs one or not.

Are you wondering whether you have asbestos in your home? Do you need to call an asbestos testing service?

Contact us today! We offer asbestos testing in both New York and New Jersey. Let us check your home for asbestos and make sure it’s safe for you and your family. 

Should I Get a Mold Inspection When Buying a New Home?

Did you know that the average home is valued at $263,351 in the United States?

If you’re on the hunt for a new home, you’re going to be spending a lot of money on this investment. One of the hardest parts about shopping for a new home is getting your heart set on a property, only to find out that there’s a major problem with it later on down the road.

That’s why it’s so important to get a mold inspection done before you buy a new home. We’re here to break down everything you need to know in this quick guide. Keep reading to learn more!

What Is Mold?

Mold is a type of fungus that’s naturally occurring. There are many different types of mold that you can find inside of a home, such as green, white, orange, purple, pink, or black.

Mold begins to grow in homes that have a moist and dark environment. Many homeowners will find mold growing in basements, near washing machines, and wherever there are leaks in the foundation or roof.

As mold grows and develops, it’ll release spores into the air. These spores will float around in the air in your home. While a small quantity of these spores in your home isn’t dangerous, over time, the level of spores can build up in your home.

When the mold levels are too high in your home, it can be very dangerous for the health of everyone in your family. Even if no one in your family has a pre-existing condition, long-term mold exposure can cause serious health problems.

What’s the Importance of a Mold Inspection?

Before buying a home, a mold inspection is very important. This is because it’ll make you aware of any dangerous level of mold in your home that could be hazardous to you or your family.

A mold inspection will let you know what type of mold may be hidden inside of the home that you’re considering purchasing. If there is a high quantity of mold that’s been found in the home, it could be a warning sign that there’s a larger problem that hasn’t yet been identified.

If you don’t get a mold inspection completed on a house that you’re considering purchasing, you run the risk of exposing your loved ones to the toxicity of mold. Long-term mold exposure can cause respiratory health problems, fatigue, eye irritation, allergies, asthma, and even a weak immune system.

Hiring a professional mold inspector to come to look at any areas of concern in the home that you’re considering buying is important. They will provide you with an accurate reading of how much mold is in your home.

Understanding the Importance of Mold Inspection

By having a firm understanding of why you should get a mold inspection completed on a home that you’re considering buying, you’ll help to save yourself a lot of trouble in the future. Mold inspections are critical to invest in if you’re looking to protect the health of yourself and your loved ones.

Are you interested in getting a mold inspection completed on your home? We’re here to help you with any questions or concerns that you may have. Click here to contact us today to learn more!

5 Signs That Tell You It’s Time to Get a Mold Inspection

Our homes are the biggest investment we are likely to make in our lifetime, with the United States median home price at $320,000 as of March 2020. Mold growth in our home threatens to reduce the value of our home and what’s more, destroys the health of our families.

It is for these reasons a mold inspection is so important, but how to tell if there’s mold in the house? Keep reading for five signs your house needs a mold inspection to avoid the little monsters from taking over your home.

1. Visible Mold Growths

Among the most obvious signs of mold issues in the home is mold growths on walls, floors, and ceilings. If you can see mold growing, there is a good chance there is more mold where you can not see it. Mold inspectors use specialized equipment to detect mold in places you can not see.

2. Prior Water Damage

A staggering 14,000 households in the United States will experience an emergency water damage situation every year. Do you have a leaky roof? Have you suffered a flood or broken pipe?

If there has been water damage to your home, mold could surely follow. A water damage assessment should include inspecting the house for mold. Inspectors will check not only the areas that sustained water damage, but also areas moisture could still be breeding mold all around the house and substructure.

3. Health Issues in the Home

Mold is well known to cause adverse health effects especially for those who have fungi allergies. Among the symptoms of mold-related health problems are:

  • Sore throat
  • Stuffy nose
  • Burning or itchy eyes
  • Skin rashes

Certain types of mold are more toxic than others, and inhaling the spores of toxic black mold can have serious and even deadly consequences. If there are black molds growing on or inside your walls it is absolutely imperative that you have professional hazardous material specialists perform the cleanup.

4. High Humidity Environment

Where there is moisture there is usually mold. If you live in places where the weather is humid for long periods of the year the chances are you are going to have mold problems. Even if you don’t see visible mold in your home, mold could be running rampant in the subflooring and inside the walls because of the high humidity environment.

Humidity is highest in the summer during the rainy season. Read this article for summer mold prevention tips.

5. Something Smells Funny

The next time someone mentions a musty odor in your home you might want to ask – is there mold in my house? The smell of mold and mildew is rather distinct and you have probably smelled it before say in an old basement or cellar. At times the smell could be overpowering and other times barely noticeable depending on the type of mold and the degree of the growth.

Mold Inspection Experts

Considering how dangerous to your health and wallet mold can be it is wise to keep a lookout. If you notice any of the above warning signs it would be a good idea to get a mold inspection to assess the damage and risk prior to attempting removal and restoration. New York and New Jersey residents contact us and make an appointment for a mold inspection before the problem grows out of control.

A Home Inspection vs. A Mold Inspection

In the process of closing a sale on a home, a buyer hires a home inspector to look for damages that could affect its value. Too often, however, hopeful homeowners go through this process and say “My home inspector didn’t find anything!”, only to find dangerous mold growing in their new home months down the line. While home inspectors have an invaluable part to play when you are in the process of purchasing the home of your dreams, a mold inspection looks for things that could otherwise be overlooked. 

A mold inspection is a very different inspection. As mold inspectors, we are not looking at your light switches and doorknobs, or to see if the furnace is working. We are looking specifically for mold and water damage, as well as ventilation and humidity issues. Even the slightest sign of a water stain could indicate previous or active water damage. We inspect inside wall cavities, under carpets, behind baseboard heaters and base moldings, and inside your AC unit. Home inspectors don’t inspect the furniture for mildew, but we do. These are areas that often go overlooked when diagnosing a home for mold. It’s not always about what’s obvious to anyone, but that’s only obvious to a trained eye of an experienced mold inspector.

 

Contact HNST Mold Inspections today to discuss our process.

Is poor drainage to blame for your mold?

There are many different ways that structures such as homes and offices can be affected by moisture. One of the prime ways that moisture gets into your home could be rainwater. Think about the amount of water that sometimes falls at once! When water comes down quickly and in quantity, it can lead to a lot of moisture where there are leaks!

Even if your home has never had a previous issue, when a lot of water comes down in a short amount of time, the system put in place to aim the water away from your home or to drain it can become overwhelmed! If a small problem is already happening, don’t wait until the next storm to do something about it, it may be too late.

Water damage to the house is the first step to mold growth, mold requires moisture to develop! This is why it’s important not to ignore poor drainage around the home, which aims rainwater away, as well as any small roof, window, or door leaks you may see.

To protect your home from rainwater there are a few things you can do. Of course, all of these options aren’t always necessary for everyone.

  1. Check for the ground to slope away from the foundation of your home. You don’t want the ground close to the outside of the home to slope down toward your house, or you will have to cut into a trench to drain it
  2. Add extensions to the gutter downspouts, this way you can direct the water further away from the foundation.
  3. Create openings on the border of flowerbeds to help the soil drain away from the house. This also keeps your flowers from rotting too!
  4. Keep roofs and gutters clear of debris to allow for proper drainage
  5. Dig a Trench that extends to the lowest point of your property. Line the high end of this trench with some filter fabric and then fill with gravel or rock. This way the water will get filtered before clogging the drain.
  6. Build a Dry Well in the ground and fill with gravel or crushed stone. If you have a home that puddles or has a big pool of water after a rainfall, this is a great idea to act as a makeshift drain to return the water to the ground without flooding or pooling.

These are some beginner tips to prevent moisture from getting into the home. If you already have a small leak or a problem that has been on your list to fix, make it your priority. Dealing with mold due to moisture in your home is a much larger and more hazardous problem in the long run. Call us today for a water damage assessment.

Does Your Vacation House Have Mold?

Like many in the NY/NJ area, people are starting to pack up and head to the beach as summer begins. Whether you’ve driven down the shore, or you’re headed to the Hamptons, be on the lookout for Mold. If you’re greeted by mildew or musty odor upon entry into your vacation home, there’s a good chance you’re dealing with some excess moisture, high humidity, or some sort of leak in the home. If you find yourself in this situation, here’s what you do. …

Summer Mold Prevention Tips

Summer weather came in like a bang with its heat, humidity and inevitably thunderstorms will come rolling in. When heat and moisture come together this time of year, it’s important to be on the lookout in your home for potential mold issues.  Mold loves this type of weather so it’s smart to prepare yourself now in order to prevent damage to your home and health.

If you’ve read our previous blogs about asthma, you know that toxic or not, mold can cause some serious health issues. If you haven’t read up about Molds relation to asthma, check out our blog section, or the EPA’s website for more information.

Here are the quick points, mold can infiltrate carpet, furniture, drywall, and flooring. There is no limit to where it can grow. In some cases, the mold is behind the walls or under the floorboards, and homeowners may not see the problem initially. Controlling moisture levels in your home is the key to prevention in these cases.

Here’s what to do:
Step 1. Set humidifier to below 50% to prevent moisture.
Step 2. After a flooding event, take action immediately to prevent mold. Rain and severe thunderstorms can also be a worry, this time of year. It is important that if any flooding does happen that you take steps to remove it IMMEDIATELY! Anything that is wet, carpets, flooring, furniture, etc. can be a breeding ground and needs to be dried within 24 hours.
Step 3. Get your home tested for mold after a water event
Step 4. Check the perimeter to make sure water isn’t being funneled towards your home. Ensure all gutters and downspouts are free and clear of debris. Check to make sure connections to downspouts are intact and that they are aimed away from the house and foundation.

Use these four steps and keep your summer mold-free! Unfortunately, we know not all of your summers will be mold-free, but fear not! HNST Mold Inspection is here for you whether you’re in New York or New Jersey.

Reasons To Consider Mold Testing

Mold testing is one of those services that some naturally add to their spring cleaning checklist. There are multiple reasons to consider mold testing for your home. The most important reason is your health. Your home should be an environment where you can relax and feel at ease, and with a mold issue, that’s impossible. …