See what we can see!

A Proper mould assessment is performed with a thorough inspection, detailed instrumentation and laboratory analysis of the air and possibly surfaces. In fact, in order to do a mould inspection properly, an indoor air quality assessment should be performed first.

An air quality assessment using instruments will assist in deciding what type of laboratory analysis is appropriate and where the samples should be taken.

Do not settle for a visual mould assessment together with a few laboratory air samples as the only assessment method.

Look at what they are missing!

Mould inspection companies that perform a visual assessment only will, in many cases, not be able to determine the cause or specific location of hidden moisture issues and hidden mould growth areas. Their findings may determine what room or general area has mould. They may not be able to tell you what wall or specific area has a hidden mould growth problem.

Why don't they do it this way?

It costs a little bit more to provide the service and requires them to own expensive air quality instruments. Many mould inspectors are new to the business and do not have the funds to purchase expensive equipment. Others may not be aware of how to do it properly due to lack of training and experience. Some companies choose to compete on price only and not on benefit to the consumer.

What can we expect from your report?

Our reports will outline in detail and in plain English what the indoor air quality issues are as well as the severity, location and the cause of the mould growth problem. In addition, since an air quality assessment is part of all our mould inspections, other pollutants that may cause health issues are also identified.
All of our findings show you in detail the recommended solutions to fix the indoor air quality problem. In case of a mould growth issue we also provide a detailed scope of work on how the mould is to be removed and can provide a rough costing estimate. This way, our clients can compare contractor prices on a 'apples to apples' basis and have a detailed guide to ensure the work is being performed properly.

Do you do your own laboratory analysis?

Absolutely not! We use third party independent and qualified laboratories in Canada and the United States. They may cost a little more but the results are defensible in court. Consultants should not be doing their own lab work.

Do you do 'discount' mould inspections?

Cheap is not the way to go. There are some home inspectors, mould inspectors and mould removal contractors that will do a discounted visually based inspection to determine if you have mould. Although this may save you a few dollars, it may actually point you away from a potential mould issue if the inspection falsely determines you don't have a mould issue. In many of our cases mould growth was found without any visible signs on walls, floors or ceilings. A visual inspection would not have found the mould. Other cheaper inspection firms use discount laboratories that cost less in order to offer a cheaper inspection. This may also falsely determine you don't have a mould issue if the person doing the lab work is not qualified or experienced.

Do you do your own mould removal?

No. We try in the majority of the cases to be the consultant only. This way we can also perform the clearance testing to ensure the mould was removed properly. In select cases we will perform removal of small areas if the client insists or is unable to get a contractor they like.

Most Indoor Air Quality companies in Canada use the following technique to determine mould growth in an indoor environment.

Their Method

• Visual Inspection of the building for evidence of moisture intrusion and visible signs of mould growth.
• Moisture Meter to determine if walls, floors and ceilings show signs of active moisture problems.
• Viable Laboratory Testing (only) by way of drawing air (living mould spores) into a petri dish or testing strip with an agar solution that grows mould.

Disadvantages

• Difficult to determine location of mould growth.
• Only active mould growth would be detected, inactive or past mould events would not be detected.
• High possibility of falsely determining that there is no mould issue in the building.
• Higher cost because the exact location of the mould still needs to be found once the building is put under containment.

At Haverkate & Associates we use the latest techniques in the industry to determine if a building has mould growth.

Our Method

• Visual Inspection of the building for evidence of moisture intrusion and visible signs of mould growth.
• Moisture Meter to determine if walls, floors and ceilings show signs of active moisture problems.
• Air Quality Testing to determine air patterns and relative humidity in the building which could lead to mould issues.
• Airborne Laser Particle Counter to determine which areas of the building show the highest dust load (which could be mould spores)
• MVOC meter (Microbial Volatile Organic Compounds) to determine off gassing levels for mould in the indoor environment.
• Mould Dog Inspection to pin point areas of the building that have active mould growth. This will indicate in a non-destructive way which walls, floors, etc., have mould growth.
• Thermal Imaging to locate hidden moisture issues inside wall cavities without any holes, marks or other destructive techniques.
• Viable Laboratory Testing by way of drawing air (living mould spores) into a petri dish with an agar solution that will grow active mould spores.
• Non-Viable Mould Sampling by way of drawing air (dead mould spores) into a spore trap which will identify mould spores that have either died, dried up or have been killed by a biocide.
• Tape lift sampling for source identification.

Our Advantages

• More precise investigation.
• Able to pin point exact location of active mould growth.
• Able to locate hidden mould problems.
• Less destructive since walls that do not have growth do not require opening. Note: opening of any wall must be done under containment.
• Able to detect viable mould spores as well as non-viable growth. Non-viable mould spores which are dead or have been killed by a biocide retain the mycotoxins. Dead mould spores are just as toxic as live mould spores. It is essential in a mould investigation to determine both viable and non-viable spores.
• Faster and more precise.