Frequently Asked Questions about Toxic Mold and Toxic Mold Removal How To's. | Volunteer Mold and Indoor Air Quality
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Call Now! 865-385-0170
Call Now! 865-385-0170

FAQ

IMG_4265Volunteer Inspection Services, LLC is available for consultations Monday through Saturday, 8:00AM – 9:00PM. Contact us today!​

Questions About Mold & Indoor Air Quality
Questions About Mold & Indoor Air Quality

Do I Have A Mold Problem?

A Classic Reaction: Our clients often call us because someone is experiencing illness frequently and often, only in one interior environment. Typically the affected person feels better a short time after leaving the interior environment. This is a classic reaction to poor indoor air quality.

What’s that Smell?

Recent studies show that air inside the average home or office is five to two-hundred times more polluted than outside air. Bad hair day? How about bad air day?

Poor indoor air quality can lead to a variety of health problems, including:

  • Allergic reactions
  • Infections of the eyes, nose, ears and mouth
  • Asthma
  • Lung disease
  • Some cancers

What is Mold?

Molds are fungis that grow on surfaces of objects. Molds are microscopic organisms, that when colonized, form large visible colonies. Colonies of mold can cause surface discoloration and notable odors.

Why Does Mold have a “Musty Odor”?

Most people notice a “musty odor” inside a building when large colonized growths are present. The odor is a result of mold’s reproduction cycle. As the mold reproduces it releases spores and a gas known as a micotoxin.

When Does Mold Become a Health Hazard?

Mold spores are released during the reproduction cycle. Just as a flower pollenates to reproduce, molds sporalate, or release spores by the thousands or hundreds of thousands. The mission of the spores is to move and find new fertile growth areas to begin growth and colonization.

Mold becomes a health risk when the spores are present in large numbers and are inhaled by occupants of the building. Mold spores are also transferred by contact with hands eyes and through the mouth.

Health Hazards of Mold are:

  • Respiratory problems, such as – wheezing and difficulty breathing
  • Nasal and sinus congestion
  • Eye irritation- burning, watery or reddened eyes
  • Dry hacking cough
  • Nose and other throat irritations

How is Mold Transported In Our Environment?

Remember, mold is a microscopic organism. It is light and can be carried on dust or hair particles with simple air movement. Often molds are brought in by pets and people doing normal activities like gardening, playing in the grass, mowing lawns, hunting or thousands of other activities.

Mold is everywhere in our world with very few exceptions. Mold is a natural decomposer that has been on our earth for billions of years.

What’s the Best Environment For Mold Growth?

Molds require just a few things basic things to grow and thrive:

  • Moisture
  • A food source
  • Spores

That’s it! Pretty simple! And you thought you were low maintenance!

What Does A Volunteer Mold Inspection Include?

A Volunteer Mold Inspection consists of the following:

  • A quick (and painless) interview with the owner / occupants of the property to understand health concerns and building history in terms of construction, water events, etc.
  • A quick tour of the interior with the owner / occupants to understand where things are and identify areas of concern.
  • A thorough visual inspection of the property from the ground up, both inside and out.
  • An infrared thermal scan of the interior building envelope (the outside walls).
  • Air or surface sampling, completion of a chain of custody and lab analysis.
  • If the client is available after the inspection, a walk through consultation of found items and areas of concern.
  • A written report from the laboratory and the inspector.
  • A recommendation of steps if corrections are needed.

How do I Schedule A Volunteer Mold Inspection?

Call us, send us a text or email us any time or any day. We NEVER SLEEP! (Well, okay, we sleep sometimes, but are most always answering our phones and messages. We’re good that way!)

Questions About Fiber Optic Inspections
Questions About Fiber Optic Inspections

What is a Fiber Optic Inspection?

Fiber optic video cameras allow us to put the camera into small areas like pipes, ducts and walls. On-camera light illuminates the inspection areas while we move the camera through areas to visually capture and look at issues inside the systems. We can use the inspection to look inside pipes, walls, ceilings, floors, and heating and cooling ducts.

What can you inspect with a fiber optic Inspection?

Fiber optic inspections yield answers to questions in a non-destructive manner that only highly destructive methods used to accomplish. During the inspection our clients can see live images on the integrated monitor as we move the camera through the areas of inspection.

Our systems and operators remove the guesswork out of typical inspections. We professionally and quickly provide answers to your concerns and diagnose the problem. Areas that were previously inaccessible and “uninspectable” are now visible and captured in brilliant color in both video and still photos for our clients to understand hidden issues.

In addition to stunning photos we have an ultrasound locator beacon that precisely identifies areas of concerns wherever the camera head is in the process of filming.

What type of system do you use to perform the fiber optic inspection?

We use the state of the art Viper Video Scope System with high resolution still and video image capture and a locater “sonde” wand system. Our inspection unit has an on board monitor and can store video and still images on a SD card for sharing or future analysis.

Will the inspection process be expensive?

While each job is unique, we can typically accomplish a lot of interior inspections in just a few hours. Typically we charge a fee of $250.00 per hour for the scan.

Will the inspection be damaging or require holes or removal of components?

Typically we need a small opening to access a system. We normally can open an access point without drilling and cutting. Once we are on site, our project assessment will enable us to determine exactly what our approach will be.

What happens after the fiber optic inspection?

We will consult with our client and make recommendations. We can provide both written reports and photos of our findings for you records.

Volunteer Inspections, LLC provides cost efficient inspections for every property owner to insure the integrity of buildings save on costs of repair and protect the health of family, employees and customers.

Questions about Thermal Imaging
Questions about Thermal Imaging

What can infrared thermography be used for?

Infrared Thermography (IRT) is a useful tool that has applications for many areas of commercial, industrial and residential building evaluations. In the hands of a trained and certified thermographer it makes non-destructive building inspection fast and thorough.

We use IRT frequently for:

  • Finding water leaks and tracing damage
  • Location of missing or compromised in wall insulation
  • Identifying sources of drafts and energy loss
  • Locating potential and existing sources of mold growth
  • Evaluation of hidden framing or structural issues in walls
  • Identifying rodent and insect infestations
  • Location of breaks in radiant heating grids in floors and ceilings
  • Preventive and predictive maintenance of mechanical components
  • Loss of energy on refrigerated trucks and cooling units

What professionals have need of IRT?

  • General contractors
  • Building owners
  • Property managers
  • Homeowners
  • Remodelers
  • Architects
  • Plant and maintenance managers
  • Insurance companies
  • Computer server operations
  • Trucking companies with refrigeration vehicles
  • And much more

Is a thermal scan expensive?

The equipment and training is expensive but the service is very cost effective. If you compare IRT services to typical destructive techniques, it’s a bargain. Typically our fee for service is only $150.00 per hour plus report writing time. Scans are fast and easy on our clients.

Call us for more details and tell us about your project for a free quote.

Questions About Commercial Building Inspections
Questions About Commercial Building Inspections

We are outside of the Knoxville area. How far out do you travel to inspect?

Though headquartered in Knox County, TN, we frequently work in Anderson, Union, Grainger, Jefferson, Sevier, Blount, Loudon and Roane Counties

What types of commercial facilities have you inspected?

Sick Building Syndrome GraphicWe have inspected surgical centers, nursing homes, preschools, apartment complexes, condo association communities, hospitals, restaurants, manufacturing plants, retail stores and malls, grocery stores, refrigerated freight carriers and more.

Are reports provided of the results?

We provide high quality, easy to read digital reports with color images and documentation after every inspection. Reports can be tailored to the unique needs of our client.

What does a commercial building inspection cost?

Our clients tell us that our inspection and reports are a tremendous value and have saved them ten to twenty times the actual inspection fee. We base our fees on the size and scope of the clients’ project needs. We will give you an estimate of cost online or on the phone when we hear from you. Tell us what you need and we will surpass your expectations in value.