Is there a mouldy or musty smell in your home or office?

Has there been flooding or water leakage which resulted in building materials being wet/damp for more than 48 hours?

Or are you concerned about dark staining on your walls or ceilings ?

If so, mould may be growing on the building materials, in wall cavities or in ceiling or crawl spaces and may be affecting your health.   

Mould in buildings

Mould grows wherever it can find both food and water. As food sources are abundant in buildings, mould growth generally indicates the presence of excess moisture which may be due to numerous factors including leaking water pipes, flooding and condensation.

Hence, moisture sources should be eliminated and any wet building materials thoroughly dried as quickly as possible to prevent mould infestation. Where  mould proliferation is present, remediation should be conducted using procedures described in recognized mould remediation guidelines to ensure that the contamination is contained. Depending on the nature and extent of the contamination, the use of a professional remediator may or may not be required. 

Tips for reducing exposure to mould are included in the 20 page Building Wellness book which is available from our on-line shop .   

Mould  Analysis

When determination of the types and concentrations of mould present in your building is required, 

 air or surface samples will be taken. When air sampling is required, one sample must be taken in

the outdoor air for use a s a control against which the indoor air samples are compared.  

Air samples will be collected on either Air-o-Cell or Via-Cell cassettes or on agar plates, while

surface samples will generally be taken using Biotape strips. Where Via-Cell cassettes are used,

both bacterial and mould contents of the samples can be determined.  

Sampling is generally recommended when 

• there is evidence of widespread mould growth
• there are strong mould odours without visible mould growth
• there are materials that have been wet or damp for at least 48 hours
• you experience health problems while in the building
• you wish to detect mould species as part of a health risk assessment
• genus identification is required so that mould inspectors can identify the sequence of events leading up to a mould contamination situation

Building Wellness building biology service - Moisture detection and Mould Testing Procedure

When conducting moisture detection and mould testing in a home or workplace, our building biologist will 

• Speak with you to determine your specific needs
• Visit your site at an agreed time
• Use an indoor air quality meter to detemine relative humidity levels in the affected areas
• Use a protimeter to determine moisture levels in building materials in the suspect parts of the building
• Determine sources of moisture
• Conduct a visual inspection for mould in the indoor and surrounding outdoor environment
• Conduct mould testing, if required. Samples will be sent to a specialised mycology laboratory for analysis before results can be obtained.
• Discuss all findings
• Explain areas of concern
• Recommend thenext steps to be taken to reduce exposure to any concerns identified.

Where mould sampling is not required, a brief summary of the major findings and recommended solutions will be emailed to you 1-2 weeks after the assessment date.  Should you require a fully typed report detailing all findings and recommendations, a fee of $195 will apply in addition to the consultation fee.

Where mould sampling has been done, the laboratory report and a brief summary of findings and recomendations will be provided once the results of the laboratory analysis have been received. This will generally be about 2-3 weeks after testing is conducted. 

Cost of services

The cost of a moisture detection and mould  inspection varies according to the building size and location and the level of testing required. Prices start at $297 (including GST) for a basic moisture detection and visual mould inspection procedure (excluding mould testing and laboratory analysis) for a 1-2 bedroom apartment in the Melbourne metropolitan area.  For a standard 3 bedroom home in the Melbourne metropolitan area, the price will be $345.

Where mould  testing is required, the cost of mould sampling and laboratory analysis will vary with the type and number of samples taken. The cost of an assessment comprising moisture detection, visual mould inspection and four mould samples will range between $1,095 and $1,395 (including GST) in the Melbourne metropolitan area, depending on the type of samples taken. If more than four samples are required, an additional cost of between $135 and $155 per extra sample will be added to the initial fee.

If you are a tennant or home owner who simply wants sampling conducted - without a moisture inspection - to confirm whether or not the exposure to mould in your home is likely to be a concern, the cost for three viable samples plus a full written report will be $995. 

We will be happy to provide a quote for your specific circumstances after discussing your requirements with you. Please contact us for further information.