Mold Assessment and mold inspection

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Without mold testing how do you even know if you have mold? Mold testing and a mold inspection can answer your questions. A certified mold inspector knows that mold creates the most common indoor air quality complaints, from the smell of “mildew” to the adverse health effects of fungal spores.

For most home owners and home buyers, the principle environmental concern is mold. Be aware that without a visit from a certified mold inspector mold can cause serious damage to your property.

We not only make sure you are safe, we deliver with information you can understand. Gulf Coast Environmental is stopping the spread of mold in Florida. If you need information on toxic mold, mold test kits or black mold testing in Florida, we are the company you should call.

We provide Florida mold inspections, mold testing, and mold remediation referrals.

Here at Gulf Coast Environmental, we pride ourselves on continuing education and keeping up with the latest advancements in mold testing. All of this information is especially important to those dealing with CIRS. We have the tools and resources to discover the following information about your home: 

• Mold information – Mold, or fungi, exist all around us, both inside and outside of buildings. Water damage indicator molds such as Stachybotrys, Chaetomium, Ulocladium, and Fusarium can indicate chronic water problems in a building. 
• Mycotoxins information – Mold needs to defend its territory just like any other organism. Therefore, certain molds produce mycotoxins as defense mechanisms. Some common types include Afflatoxin, Ochratoxin, Tricothecene, and Gliotoxin. 
• ERMI/Hertsmi-2 – The ERMI (Environmental Relative Moldiness Index) is a study developed by the EPA to provide a straightforward, objective, sensitive and standardized way to assess mold and indoor air quality investigation. The USEPA developed the ERMI as a ranking based on dust samples collected from home. The ERMI will help predict the moldiness of the home and is also a good tool when comparing the moldiness of multiple homes. At this time the EPA does not use this method, nor recommends it.

• Bacteria – Bacteria are the primary colonizers or first organisms to grow after a water event occurs in a building. As bacteria die, they can produce dangerous toxins called endotoxins. Bacteria species present in water-damaged buildings (WDB) are Actinomycetes. 
• Endotoxins – Toxins (poisons) released by gram-negative bacteria into the environment, toxins kept within the bacterial cell and are released only after the destruction of the bacterial cell wall. The bacteria that produce endotoxins grow alongside fungus/mold in indoor water-damaged environments. These gram-negative bacteria harbor in the human digestive tract and are a source of inflammation in the gut and other parts of the body. The most common routes of endotoxin exposure are through inhalation or intestinal tract absorption through food or water. The health effect of endotoxins varies depending on the individual, dosage, and route of exposure.
• VOCs – Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), such as formaldehyde. They are emitted as gases from certain materials. VOCs include a variety of chemicals, some of which may have short and long-term adverse health effects.