Mold Inspection Portland Region
The human body needs approximately 15 cubic feet per minute of clean air to function properly.
Mold in the home can prevent the body from getting the clean air it needs to be healthy.
Our Expertise
Thomas J. Consulting, LLC, has a history as a General Contractor licensed both in Oregon and Washington States Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) as an Asbestos Abatement Contractor, and by the State of Oregon Department of Human Services as a Lead-Based Paint Abatement Contractor. This environmental background, combined with our experience as a licensed handler of PCBs, Mercury and other hazardous materials, led us 10 years ago into Mold/Indoor Air Quality Inspection & Testing.
We developed an expertise in the realm of "Mold Remediation" long before the term was coined by the media.
It's Up To You
Despite the danger it poses to human health, mold in buildings where people live and work is not controlled or regulated by local, state or federal agencies. Lead, asbestos, mercury, radon, black water and septic tanks all fall under strict governmental control, but not mold.
Which is why it's important to pay attention to mold conditions in your home.
Mold Isn't Always the Bad Guy
When a family has sick children, or a home has a stale / musty odor, people often suspect that mold is to blame.
But it isn't always mold.
In our many years of experience inspecting and testing hundreds of buildings, we have seen where ...
- pet dander
- bed bugs/fleas
- aquariums
- improperly maintained HVAC systems
- incorrectly stored old paints, varnishes, cleaning compounds
- Volatile Organic Components, e.g. off gasses from chemicals / paints / building materials (down to even your new carpet) , has many times been the underlying problem.
Just because you don't see any mold growth in your home, does not mean that you do not have a mold problem.
55% of our mold investigations are of homes less than 5 years old-new construction.
Mold Doesn't See Green
That 55% includes only a small number of low-end homes. The cost of the home has no bearing on its susceptibility to mold.
Designer, Custom and Spec homes are not exempt from mold problems.
The Testing Process
A thorough Mold Inspection/Air-Quality Test contains seven key components:
- Infra-Red Thermal Imaging - by looking into floors, walls and ceilings we are often able to find problems of which the homeowner was unaware.
- Indoor Relative Humidity Test - the humidity inside your home plays an instrumental role in air quality.
- Carbon Monoxide Testing - if you have gas heat, this ensures that the level of carbon monoxide (parts per million or ppm) is at an acceptable level.
- Outside Air Control Sample - this identifies mold concerns in the ambient air outside your home.
- Indoor Air Sampling - this determines if mold spores are present and identifies the mold types and concentration.
- Swab Samples - we use swabs of suspected mold stains to identify the type(s) and concentration of mold spores.
The size of the mold structures we are identifying ranges from 1 to 3 microns.
How small is a micron?
The width of a human hair is 80-90 microns.
Does My Home Really Need All This?
There are three reasons why the answer to that question is "Yes":
1. Your health and the health of your family are important to you.
2. Your home is probably the largest investment you will make.
3. Your home's longevity plays a key role in the return on that investment.
How Do You Know it's Time to Have Your Home Tested?
- Someone in your household suffers from ongoing health concerns that Western medicine can't identify.
- Children are sick with more than the normal illnesses of childhood.
- Adults suffer from flu/cold-like symptoms that won't go away (See our Mold Symptoms page). http://www.thomasjconsulting.com/mold_symptoms.php
- Wall, floor, ceiling surfaces show signs of water staining.
- Wall, floor, ceiling surfaces show signs of mold staining.
- Your house has a history of water leaks and/or water intrusion.
- Your home has a strange odor that ordinary cleaning doesn't dispel.
- You've scheduled a real estate sales inspection.
How to Choose a Mold Inspection/Testing Service
There are many companies that advertise Mold Inspection or Indoor Air Quality Inspection & Testing services.
Here are some tips for finding and hiring a reputable inspection and testing service:
- In this industry, the old cliché, "You get what you pay for," can hold true.
- Laboratory testing is expensive. If the mold testing cost you're quoted is lower than the majority of companies, then it's probably not a professional, recognized lab. The accuracy of the lab testing is integral to the accuracy of the report you receive.
- Your report should be available to you - preferably by e-mail - on the third day after your home is inspected and tested
- Your report should be not just a set of lab results, but a comprehensive description of the results and what they mean, broken down and explained in plain language.
- The company you choose should be able to immediately respond to your questions or concerns, at any point in the process.
- The service should come with a guarantee.
Integrity
It's advisable not to hire a company that conducts both the mold inspection and mold testing as well as the remediation (clean up) work. A disreputable company could use the test results to encourage you to hire them to do the clean up.
Instead, ask your Mold/Indoor Air Quality Inspection & Testing contractor to recommend a mold remediation firm that is not employed, owned or financially tied to the referring company. Confirm, also, that the remediation firm specializes in that trade and has been inspected by the company that refers it.
Who We Refer
Thomas J. Consulting, LLC, refers a small, hand-selected group of remediation contractors that have met our requirements, which include:
- Professionalism & Pride in their work
- Ability to follow outlined working procedures
- Adequate and appropriate insurance
- On cost/On time service
In addition, we ensure that the completed clean up work meets the required standards before you pay the contractor.
Our Other Services
In addition to Mold/Indoor Air Quality Inspection & Testing, Thomas J. Consulting, LLC, offers the following services:
- Certified Radon Testing
- Asbestos AHERA/EPABuilding Inspection and Testing
- Volatile Organic Compound Testing
- Organic Vapors Resolution