Unconventionally, we are presenting our home page with answers to questions that you have asked over the past 18 years.  We have always been customer focused and understand the difficulties that you face. 

 

If it doesn’t make sense, it probably isn’t true!

 

With so many services on offer for your mould (mold) and water damage, or indoor air quality (IAQ) issues,  it can be very hard to judge the difference between the services on offer.  Let Goldmorr Advantage take you on a journey to make your choice easier and explain what all those pesky details mean.

One of our goals is to educate you, the customer, so that you can make your decision with confidence and to be better informed about what it all means.

In the following pages, we will explain equipment, inspection, and reporting, including our services.

 

Mould vs mold – The spelling of mould is, as you see here, m o u l d.  The only country in the world that spells it m o l d, is the USA.  We are an international company, with representation on 4 continents.  We apologize for any confusion or perception of misspelling by those of you viewing this site in the United States.

We may also refer to mould more generally as fungal growth.

 

Why have we referred to both mould and IAQ in the same sentence?

This is simple, mould is caused by excess moisture.  In the absence of a water leak, or other issues that will be described later on, much of that excess moisture is usually found in the air by way of humidity.  Generally, the quality of your indoor air is measured in terms of both moisture and particulate matter within the air. 

 

What do you mean by particulate matter?

Particulate matter is made up of many contaminants.  They can be anything from mould spores, pollens, bacteria, smoke, ash etc, to simple house dust.  You can often see the larger particles such as dust, when sunlight comes into your home where you may see it floating in the air within that stream of sunlight.  Most particulate matter however, is too small to see.  Often, excess particulate matter is what makes you sneeze as it can irritate your mucus membranes.  You need to have this particulate matter quantified as part of your assessment/inspection.  This is very simple to measure, on the spot, in every room, with a written report provided usually within an hour or two.  This is should not come with a hefty price tag, it should be included as part of your initial inspection report.

 

The remediation company says that they will identify what type of mould it is.  Isn’t that more thorough?

In a word, no.  If your remediation company does their job right, they are going to remove all types of mould, regardless of species.  The EPA does not recommend testing specifically for mould as, if you can see it, you know you have it!

 

But I have an allergy to mould, I need to know what species it is!

Your remediation company are not your doctors.  If you have had corrective works conducted in your home and are still experiencing allergic symptoms a week or so later, it is time to consult an allergy specialist for yourself, and a Certified Industrial Hygienist for your home.

 

The representative from the remediation company is an Industrial Hygienist!

There is a distinct difference between an Industrial Hygienist, and a Certified Industrial Hygienist.  Please ensure that you check their credentials on the AIHA website to ensure that they are, in fact, a Certified Industrial Hygienist who has the academic qualifications to back themselves up.

 

They said that they have to remove a section of wall that has mould on it because it is behind the wall.

If the wall is showing signs of damage ie: swelling or many other signs, this is true because it is damaged.  If however you have mould on the surface, with no other signs, there is equipment that is used to check for further damage, without removing the wall.  Two such pieces of equipment are IR Cameras and Boroscopes.  Please refer to our equipment page to find out more about these.

 

I have mould on my favourite shoes and the remediation company said that they have to go to landfill.  What can I do?

Generally, most items can be saved.  Fungal growth on shoes and leather goods is very common.  If you notice mould on your shoes it is generally because they contain moisture from, most commonly, perspiration.  Mould spores that may be floating in the air within your home, look for moist places to form new colonies.  Your damp shoes are like a bullseye for them, they love them.  They can be cleaned by a good remediation company, but try the following:

TIP: Take your shoes outside and sit them in a dry place exposed to sunlight.  When the mould dries out, simply wipe them with a dry cloth.  Clothes that may have been exposed to mould but are showing no staining can be washed and then hung out to dry outside in the sunlight.  Exposure to sunlight, in most cases, will kill mould.  Mother nature at it’s best!

 

The remediation company has isolated the room where the mould is so the rest of my home is fine.  Why do some companies say that my whole house needs to be treated?

Homes are made to be airtight, their own little eco-systems if you like.  If you have mould in the kitchen, every time you create air movement within that room, walk to another room, open a window or door, turn on your AC unit etc, your air is circulating.  Because particulates, including mould spores, circulate within that air, they will circulate throughout your home.  They look for other moisture sources and can grow in an entirely different part of your home.  This is the reason that whole house treatment is recommended.  This can generally be done very safely, affordably, and effectively by way of a fogging, or misting treatment throughout your home.

 

This doesn’t sound very safe!

Frankly, there are companies out there that are using unsafe products.  You are the customer, ask for copies, or access to their testing.  If they cannot provide testing data, it will mean that they do not have any and I would run a mile!

 

Please note that a thorough inspection should always uncover the cause, or causes, of a mould and water damage or IAQ issue.  If cause has not been identified, chances are that you will have a re-occurring issue.

 

Whilst we cannot cover all of the topics or questions that you may have, we welcome your enquiries.  Please use the contact us page on this website for further questions.

For further information on any of the opinions contained within this website, we recommend that you research them independently.  Helpful websites include the USEPA, AIHA, WHO (World Health Organisation), American College of Toxicology, The National Academy of Sciences.  It is recommended that any and all documents you may choose to research, be read in full.