Have you noticed a musty smell in your home or strange stains on your walls? These issues may be signs of mold growth. If you suspect that mold is growing in your home, schedule mold testing in San Francisco and check out this video clip to find out more about mold growth and how to prevent it.

Mold grows in colonies and may be a variety of different colors. It can release spores into the air that allow it to spread quickly throughout your home. Removing excess moisture from your home is essential for preventing mold growth. If mold testing reveals that mold is present in your home, it is necessary to remove all mold spores from both the surfaces and the air in your home to prevent a reoccurrence of mold issues.

Excess moisture in your home can lead to mold growth, and mold can lead to a range of problems. From headaches and allergies to structural damage, mold growth is dangerous for both your health and the stability of your house. If you suspect that your home has mold growth, it may be time to schedule mold testing in San Francisco . Continue reading to learn the answers to some common questions about testing for mold.

When do I need mold testing?

Mold testing is useful when you suspect that conditions are right for mold, but have not noticed visible signs of mold growth. For instance, if you’ve recently experienced a plumbing leak or a flood in your home, scheduling mold testing may be advisable. There are some signs of mold that you cannot see, such as a musty odor or unexplained headaches—if you notice these, arrange to have your home tested for mold. Another instance in which mold testing can be helpful is when you are buying a home; if mold is present, it will be useful to know this before you complete the home purchase.

How does mold testing work?

There are a few different methods that your mold inspection company can use to test your home for mold. One method is with air samples—with this option, a special cassette is attached to an air sampling pump, and air is pumped through the cassette, depositing any mold spores in the air onto a slide inside the cassette. This slide can then be analyzed in a laboratory for signs of mold. Surface mold testing is another option—to do this, a cotton swab can be wiped along a surface where mold growth is suspected. The swab is then analyzed to determine if mold is present. If mold growth is already visible on a surface, surface testing using a piece of sticky tape can be completed to determine the type and number of mold spores growing there.

Who should I contact for mold testing?

While do-it-yourself mold testing kits are available, they are not as reliable as professional testing, and you may end up disturbing any mold spores growing there. For these reasons, it is important to contact a reliable mold inspection company to ensure that your home is safely and effectively tested for mold.

Mold is not something that you want to find in your home, and not just because it’s unpleasant to look at. A mold problem can be hazardous to health and impact your indoor air quality in San Francisco. You might not even realize that you have been exposing yourself to mold until you develop symptoms, and in some cases, mold only reveals itself during a home remodeling project. If you want to keep yourself and your family as happy and healthy as possible in your home, make sure you take care of a mold problem as soon as it’s discovered. Please read ahead to learn about some of the long-term effects of mold exposure.

When you are exposed to mold for a long period of time, you may start to experience symptoms of this exposure. Since people are typically exposed to mold through inhalation, many of these symptoms relate to your breathing and respiratory system. Those who already suffer from asthma may notice a bigger problem, but anyone can develop symptoms. Headaches, tightness in the chest, and irritation of the skin and eyes are all potential long-term effects of mold exposure as well. Remember that infants and the elderly are particularly vulnerable.

Are you planning on buying a house? If so, then checking it for mold should be considered essential. If you recently scheduled a home inspection in San Francisco , then you may be wondering what happens if the home inspector finds mold. Watch this video to learn what it can mean if the home that you’re thinking of buying comes back positive for mold.

The good news is that even bad cases of household mold can be handled. Today, the technology exists which allows mold remediation teams to perform successful mold removal in homes that have been taken over by fungus and may seem like a lost cause. If your home inspection reveals mold, then it’s important to realize that with the right treatment, the building can be restored.

Your home inspection should include a thorough indoor air quality test before you officially purchase your new home. This home inspection in San Francisco can tell you a number of features you may not know before buying a house , such as if mold is growing and other dangerous air quality issues.

You can locate future problem areas.

Many homes may have certain areas of the house, such as the bathroom, that may be hotspots for the occasional mold growth or bacteria buildup. There may be a ventilation register or section of the HVAC system that has reduced airflow. These are not reasons to back out of buying your dream home. However, they are good traits to know as you go through buying a house, and they can only come with an indoor air quality test. You can then make the decision to remodel those areas after you have purchased the home.

You can back out before purchasing an unsafe home.

On the other hand, there are some houses that have a host of problems, including extensive mold growth, gas leaks, plumbing problems, and many more. Unless you are looking for a fixer-upper house, you should not be pulled into purchasing an unsafe home. A thorough home inspector will test the home’s air quality, plumbing, electricity, and all other utilities to ensure the house is safe for you and your family. If it is deemed unsafe or has too many damages, then you can find out before you move in.

You can learn more about your future home.

Even though you are likely to receive a lot of history from your realtor or the former owners, there are certain features of a new home that can only be answered with a home inspection. You may find out where there were previous mold problems or if fire and smoke damage had ever occurred. These are just a few of the many benefits you will find when an inspector performs an indoor air quality test.

When you are buying a house near San Francisco , you may not know everything that has occurred in that home, such as leaky pipes or flooding. If there was ever a problem with excess moisture, in the bathroom for example, you may have mold growing behind the walls or under the flooring. The only way to be truly confident your new home is without mold is to schedule a home inspection for mold.

As seen in this video, any type of mold can be dangerous to your health. If it is ignored or removed improperly, your family and pets could be in danger of developing or exacerbating respiratory problems. With a qualified home inspection for mold, you can buy a house with full confidence that you will be safe from mold and other air quality dangers.

When planning a home renovation near San Francisco, you have a lot to consider regarding the project’s design. In addition to dimensions, layout, and style, the effect of the remodel on your indoor air quality , or IAQ, should be factored into your decisions. During new construction, there are several reasons why you should talk to your contractor about your home’s air quality.

To Make the Most of Your Home Remodel

Whether your house is new or old, there may be existing materials that are affecting your family’s health. If it is poor, the quality of your indoor air can cause allergic reactions, discomfort, and even illness for anyone residing in the home. A renovation, however, gives you the ideal opportunity to address the construction of your home in a way that improves your IAQ. After having an air quality test performed, talk with your contractor about any areas you’d like to remove or repair to address any IAQ issues.

To Remove Unhealthy Materials from Your Home

Home remodeling gives you the chance to tear out or contain any dated, damaged, or unhealthy materials that may be affecting your IAQ. For older houses, lead and asbestos are common issues that homeowners face during a remodel. Also, bacteria, mold, and mildew can develop in both newer and older homes. Before you begin your renovation, schedule a professional IAQ evaluation for your home to identify any contaminants you are facing. Next, speak with your contractor about the best course of action regarding the removal of problematic construction materials and any need for lead or asbestos removal services.

To Choose Materials that Support Better Indoor Air

In addition to addressing any problematic materials in the construction area, the home remodel allows to you to replace these with new and better options. Today, there are products available that can resist the growth of bacteria, mold, and mildew to help protect your home’s IAQ. Also, the VOCs, or volatile organic compounds, found in some construction materials can release vapor into the air that lowers indoor air quality, so speak with your contractor about your low or no-VOC options.

Thousands of children are exposed to lead every year, with multiple cases being reported of children being poisoned by lead. Lead poisoning is a very serious condition in young children, as it can cause learning difficulties, behavioral problems, and even lower IQs. Watch this video to learn more about the dangers of lead and why it’s important that you protect your children from unsafe levels of lead exposure.

To protect your family from the dangerous of lead exposure, schedule lead testing with Safe Air Fast. As San Francisco’s leading residential environment testing company, we can test for the presence of lead, mold, asbestos, and bacteria. Our mission is to identify environmental dangers inside your home that can be harmful to your health and put your family at risk. Call Safe Air Fast today to schedule lead testing or to learn more about our full range of testing services.

Although the vast majority of bacteria are not harmful to humans, exposure to the wrong kind of bacteria can make you extremely sick. Fortunately, you can be sure that your family is not exposed to dangerous bacteria by scheduling bacteria testing . The most dangerous bacteria in a home is typically the result of a sewage backup or other plumbing emergency that causes black water to spill out and cover surfaces of your home. Even if you thoroughly clean the spill area, some bacteria can still remain that can lead to serious illness, disease, and even death. Bacteria testing can tell you for sure if the area is clean and safe for your family.

Whether you’re home has suffered a sewage spill or you’re just concerned about the presence of dangerous bacteria in your home, contact the environmental testing experts at Safe Air Fast. We provide bacteria testing services for residents of San Francisco and the surrounding Bay Area.

Many people live in a home with mold and never realize it. Although some types of mold are relatively harmless in low levels, all molds can cause adverse health effects, with some even causing serious disease and even death for certain people who are exposed to them. That’s why it’s important that you learn to recognize the warning signs of mold in your home so you can contact a mold testing company in San Francisco right away before the problem gets any worse and affects your health or the health of your family. Schedule professional mold remediation if you recognize any of the following warning signs.

Musty Odors

Your five senses can be very helpful in detecting a mold problem in your home, none more so than your sense of smell. If you recognize an unmistakably musty odor in your home, or even in a specific room or section of your home, schedule most testing right away. Musty odors are a very telling sign of mold, so take steps to address the problem before the mold gets any worse.

Water Stains

For the most part, a large percentage of mold problems are hidden. This is extremely problematic, since it means the mold can grow unabated and spread like a wildfire, requiring much more extensive (and expensive) mold remediation efforts. If you spot water stains on your walls or ceilings, this is an indication of hidden water damage and is most often accompanied by mold. A mold testing company can inspect the area behind the stain to look for mold.

Mold Growth

The most obvious sign of a mold problem in your home is the visible growth of mold. However, even if the growth is contained to a single area and doesn’t appear to be very large, you should still schedule a full mold inspection to make sure mold spores haven’t spread to other areas of your home.