Certified Mold Inspection and Assessment

What is a mold inspection (assessment)?

"A mold assessment is to determine the sources, locations and extent of mold growth in a building, to determine the condition(s) that caused the mold growth, and to enablethe assessment consultant to prepare a mold remediation protocol."

A visual inspection is the most important initial step in identifying a possible mold contamination problem.  The extentof any water damage and mold growth shall be visually assessed by acertified mold inspector / remediator.  This assessment is important to determine remedial strategies. 

Ventilation systems shall also be visually checked, particularly for damp filters but also for damp conditions elsewhere in the system, and for overall cleanliness.  Ceiling tiles, gypsum wallboard (sheet rock), cardboard, paper and other cellulose surfaces shall be given careful attention during a visual inspection. 

The inspector shall use hygrometers, a boroscope (fiber optics),  a protimiter (moisture meter),  and air testing where necessary, to detect hidden mold behind the walls, ceilings and floors and to determine the areas of potential mold growth and continuing moisture penetration. Surface testing with swabs, tape lifts and bulk samples may also be necessary to do a complete analysis  and develop a remediation protocol and plan

Mold Remediation & Prevention

Midwest Envirospect will be able to inspect your home and determine if you have any mold growing in damp or dark areas. If we find that you do, it will need to be removed immediately in order for your family to avoid suffering from the many health complications associated with mold.

Mold removal is a serious and crucial job that, if done wrong, can have serious consequences. Mold Spores can become airborne during cleaning and inhaling them can cause allergic reactions, skin rashes, and asthma attacks.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has a list of guidelines for mold removal and cleanup. These guidelines include many requirements for those who take on this important project. Midwest Envirospect is not only familiar with the EPA's guidelines, we have followed them for countless homeowners.

With new advances in microbiological preventatives we can treat your home or place of business to lessen the exposure to mold and microbiological contamination and damage.

Radon Testing & Mitigation

Radon is a colorless, odorless, tasteless radioactive gas that's formed during the natural breakdown of uranium in soil, rock, and water. Radon exits the ground and can seep into your home through cracks and holes in the foundation. Radon gas can also contaminate well water.

Health officials have determined that radon gas is a carcinogen that can cause lung cancer. Studies show that radon is more of a risk to smokers, but nonsmokers have a slightly elevated chance of developing lung cancer when radon levels in the home are high. The only way to find out if your house contains radon gas is to perform radon tests. There are two basic types of radon gas testing devices, passive and active.

Radon levels can usually be lowered using a process called mitigation, a term that means to moderate something or make it less severe. Some radon mitigation methods prevent radon from entering your home and others reduce radon levels after the gas is there.

The EPA recommends you use mitigation techniques to reduce indoor radon if levels in your home are above 4 pCi/L (or 0.02 working levels [WL] if your lab uses that reporting method).

Radon Mitigation for Existing Homes
Midwest Envirospect offers complete details about different types of radon reduction systems and will be in a better position to recommend the "best" system for your house after determining how radon is entering your home. Costs vary, but most systems can be installed for $1,000-$3,000.

Radon Mitigation for New Homes
If you're building a new home, now is the time to install a radon reduction system. The cost is far less than fitting a system after the home is built, and having the system in place will help the home's resale value.

Lead Testing

Buying a Home that Might Contain Lead Paint
One source of exposure to lead is the lead-based paint that was often used in homes that were built prior to 1978, when the Federal Government banned lead paint in residential structures. Federal regulations require that home sellers provide lead disclosures to home buyers who are purchasing a home built before that year.

When the body is exposed to lead — by being inhaled, swallowed, or in a small number of cases, absorbed through the skin — it can act as a poison. Exposure to high levels of lead in a short period of time is called acute toxicity. Exposure to small amounts of lead over a long period of time is called chronic toxicity.

Lead is particularly dangerous because once it gets into a person's system, it is distributed throughout the body just like helpful minerals such as iron, calcium, and zinc. And lead can cause harm wherever it lands in the body. In the bloodstream, for example, it can damage red blood cells and limit their ability to carry oxygen to the organs and tissues that need it, thus causing anemia.

Most lead ends up in the bone, where it causes even more problems. Lead can interfere with the production of blood cells and the absorption of calcium that bones need to grow healthy and strong. Calcium is essential for strong bones and teeth, muscle contraction, and nerve and blood vessel function.

Carbon Monoxide / Carbon Dioxide / VOC Testing

The Centers for Disease Control reports that carbon monoxide (CO) exposures and poisonings occur more often during the fall and winter, when people are more likely to use gas furnaces, heaters and generators in their homes. According to CDC statistics, approximately 480 U.S. residents died during 2001-2003 from non-fire-related carbon monoxide poisoning. The most common symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning are nausea, headache and dizziness and they can be easily mistaken for other conditions such as a viral illness. The more severe symptoms including loss of consciousness, shortness of breath and loss of muscle control are often not reported.

Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC's) emanate from a broad range of sources in industrial and general indoor air quality (IAQ) applications. Your home or work environment may contain high levels of VOC's from cleaning chemicals, building materials, new carpets or home furnishings and a multitude of other sources. These VOC's can cause toxic reactions and diseases like cancer. 

Allergen & Microbial Screening

The purpose of the Allergen/Microbial Inspection and Sampling is to detect the presence of a potential allergen problem in the inspected areas of the subject property and collect appropriate data to enable cleaning specifications.

Scope of Service.
The Allergen/Microbe Inspection and Sampling consists of a visual inspection in readily accessible areas for common Allergen/Microbial and/or conditions that may indicate the presence of Allergen/Microbe agents, for example, musty odor, pets or pests.

If the visual inspection shows no or one “red flag” area, then recommendations for sampling is made and if agreed will be taken, as set forth in the “Sampling” section below.  If “red flags” are found in multiple areas, then you will be advised and offered the chance to have additional samples collected in any and all identified areas (“Additional Sampling”). 

It is important to note that all “red flag” areas identified MUST have samples collected if cleaning specifications are to be produced.  The objective of the Allergen/Microbe Inspection and Sampling is to determine whether Allergen/Microbe problems exist in the readily accessible area(s) sampled at the time the service is performed. As such, the results of the Allergen Inspection and Sampling is not a guarantee that an Allergen/Microbe sources does or does not / will or will not exist in the subject property; the results are indicative only of the presence or absence of common Allergen/Microbes in the areas sampled at the time the service is performed. 

In light that not all Allergen/Microbes have currently established Threshold Limit Values (TLVs) at this time, for the majority of substances of Allergen/Microbes origins that are associated with building-related exposures, We follow the guidance of the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) or the Laboratories acceptable limits.  NEVER attempt to incorporate remediation activities (unless YOU are fully qualified); You should consult a Remediation Specialist or other appropriate Professionals concerning allergens.

HVAC Duct Cleaning 

Air duct cleaning is becoming a major factor in the cleaning industry.  More than 50 million Americans suffer from allergies, and the level of some hazardous pollutants in indoor air has been found to be up to 70 times greater than the outdoor air (USEPA).  Many of  these pollutants include: dirt, pollen, dust, and mold in the heating and air conditioning duct system.  More and more people are becoming aware of the benefits of air duct cleaning.

Methamphetamine Lab Inspections & Remediation

The methamphetamine (meth) lab problem is growing. Meth labs, used to make the illegal drug methamphetamine, are discovered in houses, apartments, motel rooms, sheds, or even motor vehicles. In 1998, federal, state and local authorities were involved in the seizure of more than 500 labs in Indiana alone, and the number of meth labs seized by law enforcement agencies increases each year.

As the problem grows, and agencies seek to restrict the products needed to make methamphetamine, the methods and the locations of its production are changing. This adds to the difficulty health and environmental agencies face in assessing meth related health risks.

The Methamphetamine Remediation Research Act of 2007 required EPA to develop guidelines for remediating former methamphetamine labs. This document provides those guidelines for States and local agencies to improve "our national understanding of identifying the point at which former methamphetamine laboratories become clean enough to inhabit again." The legislation also required that EPA periodically update the guidelines, as appropriate, to reflect the best available knowledge and research

How can you find out if a property has been used to make meth?

Currently, there is no comprehensive method for tracking or listing homes that were used as meth labs. MDOH is creating a list of reported addresses. Your local health department can verify if the property in on that list. You should call your local law enforcement agency to confirm that a seizure of chemicals took place on the property, and to obtain the name of any hazardous materials contractor who may have removed materials. The contractor should have information on what chemicals were present on the property. Additional information may be obtained from your county health department, fire department, or the owner of the property

Indoor Air Quality Assessment

Good indoor air quality will enhance the health and comfort condition of the people who live or work within a given building. Failure to respond to indoor air quality issues may result in serious medical complications.

• According to the American Lung Association, elements within our home and workplaces have been increasingly recognized as threats to our respiratory health. The most common pollutants are radon, combustion products, biologicals (molds, pet dander, pollen), volatile organic compounds, lead dust and asbestos.
   
• The Environmental Protection Agency lists poor indoor air quality as the fourth largest environmental threat to our country.
   
• There are an estimated 42.6 million Americans living with hay fever and/or asthma. Learning how to control a home’s environment to reduce allergen levels is important for managing allergies and asthma. Individuals who suffer from asthma, or have other respiratory illness may potentially be at a greater risk for health complications associated with poor air quality in their homes.
   
• Asthma is a serious chronic respiratory disease that affects people of all ages. The number of people in Minnesota and nationwide with asthma has risen during the past two decades.
• In the house, poor indoor air quality can result in structural rot within the walls and attic and around window framing from excess moisture.
   
• Common pollutants can enter our houses through air leaks in the structure.
   
• Common housing problems or failures that occur in our homes include: musty odors and mold growth, window condensation, structural rot, peeling paint, back drafting appliances, damp basements and ice dams, or build-up of ice on the roof’s edge, and high utility costs.

Midwest Envirospect spot check’ assessment, longer term or indoor air quality monitoring program can be used to confirm that the indoor air quality measures are maintaining acceptable hygienic standards thus reducing exposure to medical problems, claims  and possible litigation.

Flood & Water Restoration

Clean-water flood damage is typically caused by, but not limited to, broken pipes, tub or sink overflows, appliance malfunctions, falling rainwater, broken toilet tanks, and even toilet overflows in some cases. At Midwest Envirospect, our skilled Service Technicians have the tools and knowledge to handle even the most challenging of these situations. Our quick response and turnaround helps minimize water exposure to walls, ceilings, floors, and contents. 24-Hour Service allows us to offer this rapid response even in the worst of times...like 3AM on a Monday morning.

Remove, Restore, and Replace, Our Flood Restoration Teams are prepared to remove, restore, remodel, and replace your structure and/or contents as needed. Ceilings, walls, flooring, furniture, appliances...we'll haul everything out of the affected area, repair and restore if possible, and replace the contents to their original pre-flood locations. If remodeling is necessary, our Expert carpenters and craftsmen are trained to provide superior remodeling services.

Smoke & Fire Restoration

Fires can happen to anyone and in the event that you experience a fire in your home, you should call Midwest Envirospect. Time is of the essence when a fire happens and it is important that the cleanup begins as soon as possible. Smoke residues are acidic in nature and with a short time they will cause surfaces to corrode and stain permanently. Smoke residues that were pressurized during the fire will permeate cracks and crevices of building materials and deposit odor-causing residues.

Midwest Envirospect professionals will work quickly to stop the damage and restore your home and contents back to pre-fire condition by using cleaning systems and equipment that will help eliminate costly replacement of restorable items.

Smoke odors can be difficult to remove due to its penetration and absorption into drywall and other building materials. Midwest Envirospect service providers have the knowledge, products and equipment to permanently remove these stubborn contaminants and odors.

Ozone Cleaning & Odor Control

Breakthrough Sanitization Technology

Effective. Safe. Economical.

Midwest EnviroSpect uses a revolutionary technique to rid homes and commercial buildings of harmful toxins, pests and odors. Not a simple cover-up or ionizer, our ozone machines use ozone gas to economically destroy pollutants and toxins, leaving pure, fresh oxygen in their place. 

The use of ozone gas is not only less costly than other methods, it’s cleaner and simpler. As a gas, ozone moves freely throughout any building, seeking out and destroying molds, bacteria, pests and other indoor pollutants. It’s guaranteed to penetrate inside and behind walls and carpets where mold , bacteria and pests live. Unlike with other remediation techniques, walls and carpets are left intact.

 Our process is guaranteed to safely eradicate:

• Viruses and bacteria such as Streptococcus, Salmonella, Ecoli, Listeria, Anthrax and others.
• Toxigenic or black mold including Stachybotrys Chartarum
• Unpleasant odors caused by smoke, mildew, pets and other sources
• Pests, including dust mites, cockroaches, bedbugs, lice and mice.

Harnessing the Power of Nature

Ozone occurs readily in nature, protecting us from the sun’s ultraviolet rays and purifying the air we breath, the water we drink, and food we eat. In fact, the clean, fresh-smelling air after a thunderstorm is the result of ozone! It is a colorless gas made up of three atoms of oxygen, and possesses a distinct pungent odor. As the second strongest disinfectant with 3,000 times the power of chlorine, ozone easily destroys bacteria, viruses, mold mildew and odors.

One Complete Treatment

Ozone is the only method that can be used to kill hidden mold and bacteria without tearing down walls. Our technique is guaranteed to penetrate inside and behind walls and carpets using the most powerful eradicator available. Midwest EnviroSpect permanently destroys toxigenic mold.