Buying a house is a significant investment for any family. Before you get ready to close on a property, it is essential to hire a home inspector to perform a complete evaluation of the safety and condition of the house and its internal structures. When you do air quality testing before you buy a house, you can make sure that your new house will provide you and your loved ones with a safe indoor environment. A company offering home inspections in San Francisco can take care of every step of your air quality check. Let’s take a look at why indoor air quality checks matter when you are buying a home.

Check for VOCs

When you perform an air quality check before you purchase a home, you will be able to check your indoor air for the presence of VOCs. The term VOCs stands for Volatile Organic Compounds, and these materials can be very prevalent inside of a home. When VOCs are left untreated, they could lead to a variety of health issues for your family.

Inspect for Black Mold

Along with checking for VOCs, your indoor air quality inspection may also include tests for black mold. While black mold can be found in the basement or attic of a home, mold spores may also be present in the indoor air. By getting rid of a black mold problem before you move into a home, you can avoid the serious health effects that are associated with black mold exposure.

Improve Quality of Life

Overall, air quality checks can help you improve your overall quality of life when you move into your new house. An inspector will take the time to ensure that your home’s indoor air is completely free of any toxins or hazardous materials. After your potential house has passed an indoor air quality inspection, you will be able to enter into the buying process with total confidence.

There are enough things to worry about in life, especially if you have a family. But as if the list wasn’t long enough, there’s something else you should be concerned about if you aren’t already: Asbestos. It’s true that asbestos was outlawed for residential use in the United States in the 1970s, but there’s no guarantee that homes built before this time have been tested and made asbestos-free. Fortunately, there are air testing companies in San Francisco that can inspect your home for asbestos and make sure your family is safe. What exactly is there to worry about, anyways? Here are just a few of the diseases that can be caused by exposure to asbestos.

Mesothelioma

This cancer, which affects the lining of the lungs and the lining in the lower digestive tract, is almost exclusively related to exposure to asbestos. Tragically, by the time mesothelioma is diagnosed, it is almost always fatal.

Lung Cancer

Lung cancer related to asbestos looks the same as lung cancer causes by smoking and other causes. By some estimates, there is approximately one asbestos-related lung cancer for every mesothelioma death. In other words, lung cancer is a very serious and very real threat stemming from exposure to asbestos.

Asbestosis

Another serious lung condition causes by asbestos exposure is asbestosis. This condition causes scarring of the lung that leads to progressively worse breathing difficulties over time, and in some cases can even be fatal. Asbestosis normally occurs after heavy exposure over a long period of time.

Pleura Thickening

In addition to asbestosis, prolonged exposure to high levels of asbestos can also cause the lining of the lung (pleura) to thicken and swell. Over time, the lung itself can contract and make it difficult to breath. Shortness of breath and chest discomfort are common with sufferers dealing with pleura thickening due to asbestos.

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.

When you are getting ready to buy a house , you may want to consider scheduling a full house inspection. A company that offers mold inspection and home inspections in San Francisco can determine whether a house is a safe space for you and your family.

One of the most important types of test that you may want to schedule before you buy a house is a bacteria test. If bacteria are present in a home after a sewage spill or other type of emergency, the health and safety of your loved ones could be at risk after you move in. Bacteria can cause serious illnesses when they are not treated and properly removed from the home. Fortunately, a home inspector with bacteria testing experience can perform a thorough test for your potential property. By taking a look at whether a house has any bacteria contamination, you can embark on buying a house with total confidence.

If you are embarking on a home renovation project in San Francisco this summer, you may want to consider hiring a renovation contractor. With the help of your renovation contractor , you can update your living spaces so that they are perfect for your needs. In order to perform a healthier home renovation, it is a good idea to talk to your renovation contractor about whether you should schedule an air quality test before you embark on your remodeling procedure. Here is a closer look at how construction materials can affect your indoor air quality.

VOCs

The term VOCs stands for Volatile Organic Compounds. When you are performing a renovation project in your home, VOCs can be released into your indoor air. VOCs are dangerous because they can aggravate asthma, allergies, and other respiratory issues. When a person who has asthma inhales VOCs, his or her symptoms may be flared up intensely. To ensure that your loved ones are safe during a renovation project, it is important to make sure that any VOCs are removed from your indoor air.

Asbestos

Asbestos is another serious concern when you are planning a home renovation project. If your home was built in the 1970s or before, there is a chance that your home’s building materials may contain asbestos. Exposure to asbestos has been linked to a number of very serious health concerns, including lung cancer and asbestosis. In order to protect your family from the dangers of asbestos, you may want to consider scheduling an asbestos inspection for your home.

Lead Paint

Lead paint is another construction material that can greatly affect the indoor air quality of your home. Lead poisoning is a serious health condition that is especially dangerous for children. During a home renovation project, your contractor could unearth lead paint in your home. For this reason, you should make sure to schedule an indoor air quality test before you get started on your renovation project.

At Safe Air Fast, our highly trained, experienced contractors are experts in toxic mold testing, asbestos testing, lead testing, and testing and maintaining indoor air quality near San Francisco . If you’re worried about asbestos, lead paint, or mold in your house, you should contact us immediately for a professional, thorough indoor air quality evaluation. If asbestos, lead paint particles, or airborne toxic mold or black mold spores compromise your indoor air quality, you and your family can suffer serious health problems.

When you need immediate testing and remediation services, it’s important to hire contractors who are skilled and experienced to restore the indoor air quality of your home and maintain your family’s safety. Our contractors have over 10 years of experience in environmental testing, indoor air quality testing, and bacteria testing.

We’re committed to staying on top of the latest and most advanced methods of maintaining the indoor air quality of our community, and protecting residents from symptoms of mold exposure, asbestos exposure, and lead toxicity. We use high-tech equipment to perform asbestos, lead paint, and mold inspections. We also provide safe, efficient asbestos, lead, and mold remediation services to restore your home.

The air inside of your home might not be as clean as you think it is. You shouldn’t wait for asbestos, lead, or mold symptoms to show up before you have asbestos, lead, or mold testing in San Francisco done. Safe Air Fast specializes in environmental testing and uses state-of-the-art equipment to find mold, lead, asbestos, and other harmful contaminants inside your home.

Many older homes in San Francisco contain asbestos and lead that can cause serious health risks. Often times, homeowners don’t even realize they have either of them until they are suffering the consequences. Mold is another big issue for those who have excessive moisture in their homes, which is particularly problematic in a damp city like San Francisco. But people often wait until mold symptoms show up before seeking help with possible mold growth. When you contact Safe Air Fast, we will perform an asbestos, lead, or mold test in your home and give you the peace of mind that comes along with it.

Safe Air Fast is committed to providing the San Francisco Bay Area with the best quality testing in the business. We offer state of the art inspections, timely reporting and unprecedented service. See what our clients have to say about us by taking a look at our reviews on Yelp . We would love to hear from you too. Please take a moment to leave a review of your own on our Google+ page.

“He (Ignatius) was very professional and took his time testing our house. He also gave us a lot of suggestions as to what we can do to keep the house safe.” – Sue H.