Mold needs these conditions before it can begin to grow in a home:
- Mold spores
- A food source (eg wood, drywall, cotton)
- Darkness (mold can't grow under ultraviolet light)
- Warmth (mold can't grow in freezing temperatures)
- Oxygen
- Moisture (eg water leaks, humidity)
- Enough time (most molds can begin to grow in 24-48 hours if the conditions are right)
Moisture is really the key cause of mold growth since the other conditions on the list are always going to be present in homes.
So, essentially, the difference between whether mold grows in your home or not comes down to whether you have a moisture problem. We do offer mold testing. For more information please call
(404) 626-7726.
Why Test The Water
Private or Public Systems:
- You have brass fixtures, lead pipes, or lead
soldered jointsin your household.
- Your water has a strange taste or odor.
- Your water is hard and is leaving soap
scum on bathroom fixtures.
- You are purchasing a home, and you want to test the efficiency of a current
water treatment setup.
- You want to purchase a water treatment
setup for your house, but are not sure of what problems exist in your
current water supply.
- You want to test the efficiency of an existing water treatment setup.
Private Systems:
- There is recurring gastrointestinal
distressin your family or visiting guests.
- You are pregnant, or have a child less than six months old living in your
household.
- Your well is next to a septic tank, and
it is questionable if the septic tank is set back far enough from your well.
- Your property has an underground storage
tankthat is in close proximity to your well.
- Your property has a leaking gas tank that is next to your well.
- You have a new well, and want to test for the purity of your water.
- Your well is next to an area where livestockare kept.
- You have mixed pesticides or other
chemicals near your well, or accidentally dropped these into your well.
- Your well does not meet current building codes.
- Your water stains laundry, or fixtures.
- Your property is near a chemical plant, a gas station (either abandoned or
not), mining operation, a landfill/dump, dry-cleaners, junkyard, heavily salted roadway, or an oil/gas
drilling company.
Private water users should test at least yearly for bacteria and other
chemicals that may be of interest. Even if your water is safe, yearly testing
will enable you to have a record of your water's prior history, so that if a
change occurs, you will know. In addition, should anyone damage your water
supply, you will have proof of your water quality prior to the damage (2).