Detailed Explanation of Mould Testing
For a comprehensive review of reasons to test for mould, signs of mould, kinds of mould testing and our mould testing services, please read our “Mould Testing Explained” article. To book in-person mould testing, please contact us.
About Mould Testing
It is common that we are called in to do a mould test because there there is ambiguity around what is actually causing the mould in the first place. Our inspectors can inspect the property and look in all those cavities and conduct moisture testing with a moisture meter as well as a thermal imaging camera to find and locate the source of the leak. Completing a detailed moisture investigation like this is likely to show you where the problem may lie.
How to Remove the Mould
Now that we have found the mould and why it is occurring, positive steps can be made to ensure the moisture issue is fixed first. If this is not attended to, any attempts to remove the mould may result in the mould coming back again. By conducting mould testing through us, we can provide a scope on how to remove the mould after the moisture source has been corrected.
The value here is, we can show you the correct way of doing it within the context of the environment. Much time and money can be spent remediating the mould, it can be a massive expense. Therefore it is important to know that you are actually doing the right actions to ensure the problem is fixed.
Importance of Mould Sampling
We may recommend testing the mould through mould sampling. Mould sampling is important because it can tell a story on what is causing the mould. For instance, if we conduct mould test outside the property then we conduct a mould test inside the property and we find the the both samples contain the same mould – then we know that the outside environment is contributing to the mould issue.
Also, let’s say we have an environment where there is a mould susceptible person. In this case it is important to know the species and genera of mould in the environment as well as the levels. This can reveal important information to a medical doctor treating the person.
Should I Do Mould Samples?
Drying wet carpet is not as simple as drying the surface. You need to understand what is under the carpet and whether there is moisture underneath. In this article, we will discuss what an air mover is, and how it is used to draw out moisture from water damaged carpet as well as the carpet underlay and subfloor.
What is an Air Mover?
An air mover is principally used as the moisture lifting apparatus in a wet building to dry out the moisture from wet components that might be affected by water inundation. It’s driven by an electric motor with a barrel fan in it. It has a three-speed switch that moves large volumes of air. Probably the biggest thing that an air mover does is to dry wet carpet. When the carpet is wet, there is no other way of drying them other than putting high-speed air movers over the top or underneath them to ventilate and to draw out the moisture into the atmosphere.
A standard ‘Snail’ air mover, specially designed for water damage.
How to use your Air Mover at home?
The first thing you need to do is to get the water extracted from the surface. You can use a carpet cleaning machine or a wet and dry vacuum. The next thing you should do is to place the air mover on the surface for the air to pass over and lift the moisture.
Remember, that feeling the surface of the carpet will only indicate dryness of the carpet surface fibres. This process will not tell you what is going on underneath. This is where you’ll need a moisture metre and a professional representative to check it on a daily basis. They will be able to find out when to pull the equipment out and when you’ve reached a make safe level.