Services
Toxic Mold Testing
Mold is a naturally occurring part of life on earth. It exists both indoors and outdoors, and is typically not harmful. Thankfully, host molds are not toxic. However, molds growing indoors, such as inside of homes and businesses, have the potential to negatively impact air quality and pose dangerous health threats to your family or staff. Dangers of mold growth can often be prevented by controlling the moisture levels inside of commercial and residential properties. This can be a challenge though, especially in humid and coastal areas such as Virginia Beach. Chronically damp or water damaged areas areas such as crawl spaces and basements as well as mold growth in unseen areas such as inside of walls can be especially hard to control. Air Quality Consultants are here to provide various types of detailed mold testing with results you can trust. Our thorough analysis of mold threats in your home will prepare you to act to rid the source. We will provide the professional experience and results you can trust. If you’re wondering about our two types of mold testing (ambient air mold testing and surface mold testing), what they test for, and how much they cost, be sure to check out our Mold Testing Prices page to see which mold test might be best for you.
In the face of an array of unpleasant and even dangerous symptoms associated with exposure to mold, professional investigation and remediation is the wisest course of action.
According to the National Capital Poison Center, “Mold growth in homes, schools, and businesses should be eliminated for the sake of human health, structural integrity, and quality of life.”
The first step to eliminating mold is enlisting the help of Air Quality Consultants. We will provide comprehensive and complete mold test results you can trust. You can count on our experienced team to do our part, as well as the trusted lab we use to provide high quality reports. As an independent third party, you can count on us to give an impartial analysis. We will work to help you understand the data so that you can come up with a viable plan for getting to the root of the mold problem.
Protect your family and your property – request a quote from Air Quality Consultants.
When a professional from the Air Quality Consultants team comes to your home or office to test your air quality, air and surface samples are collected and the property is investigated. The samples taken are then sent to the high-tech lab we have partnered with to provide fast and complete results.
At the lab, the air or surface samples will be scientifically examined to find and identify any potential threats to the quality of your indoor air. Determining not just the presence of mold, but the type of mold in your home is a key to analyzing the danger and formulating a blueprint for remediation. These are the kind of results a DIY mold test cannot provide.
Visible mold is not always dangerous mold, health-wise. However, when mold is visible on a property, there could be other molds growing in unseen locations or invisible molds that pose a greater threat to health and to the integrity of the structure. For example, mold can easily hide in the walls, insulation, attic, basement, crawl spaces, as well as other concealed locations.
The only way to get a full picture of the quality of the air you’re breathing in your home or office is to have your air tested professionally. AQC will provide results that will prepare you to correct any sources of mold and other contaminants in your indoor air.
When you have your residential or commercial property tested for mold by Air Quality Consultants, you will be able to understand the scope of your mold problem.
Mold testing can answer important questions such as:
- Is there mold in my home?
- What type of mold is growing in my property?
- Is the mold in my home a health threat?
- Do I need to hire a mold remediation expert?
- Does my home have the kind of mold I can clean up myself?
- Is mold threatening the structural integrity of my property?
Mold testing from Air Quality Consultants will help you answer these difficult questions, and most likely, ease your fears about black mold.
If you are concerned about mold in your home, don’t hesitate to give the experts on mold testing in Virginia Beach and Richmond a call today!
When our AQC team member completes the air or surface sampling process on your property, the samples are sent off to a highly competent, independent lab for professional analysis.
Once the results of your air quality test have been verified, a painstakingly detailed report is made. After the report is finished, we will deliver the multi-page (sometimes up to 25 pages!) to you. The report will reveal what types of mold spores, if any, are present, as well as figures indicating the concentration of the mold in the air.
We will help you analyze this data, so you can get a full understanding of the quality of your air. You will get a scope of any dangers present and professional recommendations on how to move forward, if remediation is indeed necessary.
Based out of Virginia, Air Quality Consultants work tirelessly and passionately to promote high indoor air quality. Our mold testing services will help you and your family to ensure that every breath you take in your home is healthy and high quality. We care about your air!
Indoor Air Testing For Allergens
Allergens are found in the home, office, at the park, in the grocery store, and pretty much anywhere life takes us. According to the American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (ACAII), “Asthma and allergies affect millions of people and some don’t even know it.” In discussing dust mites, the ACAII explains that “People with dust mite allergies often suffer the most inside their home.” They explain that “Dust mites are microscopic organisms that feed off house dust and the moisture in the air. They are one of the most common indoor allergens, and symptoms can be present year-round.” Whether dust mites are the source of your air quality problems or something else, Air Quality Consultants will help you assess the level of allergens in your home. Our tests will quantify the amount of potentially harmful allergens in your air down to the particulate, whether the cause is outside plants and weeds, pets, cleaning supplies, and many other common household items. The allergen testing will not reveal what allergens are present (all homes are likely to have many different allergens present in the air), but will rather reveal the level of concentration of allergens in your air. If the level is abnormally high compared to the baseline taken from outside, you will know it is time take corrective measures.
According to the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (AAAAI), “Millions of people suffer year-round from allergy symptoms caused by indoor allergens. These culprits include dust mite droppings, animal dander, cockroach droppings and molds.”
With such a large percentage of our lives spent indoors, whether at school, in the office, or at home, a key ingredient to good health is breathing clean indoor air. Most people area surprised to learn that the air we breathe indoors can actually be far more polluted than outdoor air.
Breathing low quality air over long periods of time can have serious health effects. Enlisting professional help from Air Quality Consultants can help you analyze the quality of the air you are breathing in your home or office and act to eliminate the sources of your symptoms.
Professional allergen testing will help you identify the invisible culprit of your allergy attacks in your home. Your home may seem spic and span, but it’s the unseen biological and chemical pollutants in the air that could be causing your suffering. For example, pet dander, cockroaches, dust mites, pollen, bacteria, and household cleaners may be the invisible, yet manageable source of your allergic symptoms.
Many homeowners are unaware of the scope of the threat of indoor allergens. The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America reports that “Eight out of 10 people in the United States are exposed to dust mites. Six out of 10 are exposed to cat or dog dander. Cockroaches cause allergic reactions in people who live in the inner cities or southern parts of the United States.”
Our team of Air Quality Consultants based out of Richmond and Virginia Beach has received expert training to effectively test indoor air for allergens and provide in-depth results. We use high-tech, professional grade home allergen testing equipment to determine if there are pollutants threatening the cleanliness of your air. Our detailed air quality testing results will prepare you to take any necessary measures to rid the source of your allergy or flu-like symptoms.
Ever-true to our motto “we care about your air”, Air Quality Consultants handles each allergen investigation on a case-by-case basis. After all, you are unique and so is your home. When one of our air quality experts arrives to your home or office, we will listen carefully as you explain what issues you face with your air and what symptoms you have experienced. We will ask questions and call on our experience in the business to get a good idea for what unseen allergens may be floating in your air. Once we have a grasp of the situation, we will provide you with testing options that we believe will be most effective in your specific circumstance.
Depending on the age of the home or business, the symptoms of the residents or employees, and other relevant factors, we will make our professional recommendation for the most appropriate test.
If you need allergen testing, we will take at least one sample of the air from the outside of the house to be used as a baseline. This will also help us observe the level pollutants may be floating in from the outdoors, so we can understand if the root of your allergen problems may be coming from the outside (such as trees giving off pollen, nearby construction projects using chemicals, etc.). Afterwards, our Air Quality Consultant will carefully take at least 1 air sample from inside the property.
The results for allergen testing are instantaneous. This test will measure particulates in the air down to .003 microns. Bear in mind, the results will not reveal what the allergen is, but it will tell you if there are particulates in the air you breathe that may be causing your allergies.
Once the Air Quality Consultants team has completed your indoor allergen testing, you will receive a detailed, comprehensive report containing the air quality data.
Based on the results of the allergen testing from your property, we will consult with you on ways to effectively clean up your indoor air. We will happily provide professional tips for working to eliminate potential causes of allergy symptoms, whether the source is biological or chemical. It may be a matter of finding alternative home cleaning products, a need for a deep carpet cleaning, or need for installing a high quality air filter to sift out pesky pollen and other ultrafine particles that could be aggravating your allergies.
We’ve been licensed and insured since 1991, so you can rely on us to work tirelessly and professionally to resolve your air quality issues. Give us a call today or request a free estimate on your indoor allergen test.
Water Testing
Lead | Metals | Nitrates | Bacteria Levels
Beyond air quality testing, detailed water testing is another service offered by our trusted consultants. The average human should be drinking about a gallon of water a day. Ensuring the quality of your drinking water is a key step to eliminating health risks. For example, the presence of harmful substances, such as nitrate in water can be dangerous. According to a fact sheet from the Utah State University Water Quality Extension, “Nitrate can interfere with the ability of the blood to carry oxygen to vital tissues of the body in infants of six months old or younger. The result is called methemoglobinemia, or ‘blue baby syndrome’. Infants may be especially vulnerable if they are fed with formula mixed with well water that has a high nitrate concentration.” Such water pollutants are clearly not worth risking. Our professional water testing will help you get to the bottom of your water quality issues. We thoroughly test your water and provide a detailed multi-page report to help you to better understand any problems within your water source.
A team member from Air Quality Consultants will come to your home or office and collect a small sample of your water. The process is short and hassle-free! Once we have the water sample, we will send it to a high-tech lab we have carefully chosen to test your water for bacteria, lead, metal, and nitrates.
The water testing laboratory will provide detailed results on the composition of your water. We will not simply deliver you the data from the lab, but we will also discuss it with you so you can get a full understanding of what the report means. Our team will explain any contaminants that are present in your water, if any, as well as the levels of these pollutants and what you can do to achieve clean, drinkable water.
With the human body running on ideally 64 ounces of water intake every day, the importance of the availability of a clean water source in your home or office is essential to health. The invisible presence of dangerous organic and non-organic matter in your water can easily pose a threat to safety.
For example, the Water Quality Associationreports that “Some studies link high levels of lead in drinking water to delays in physical and mental development, short attention spans, and learning difficulties in children.”
Even if for the priceless value of having peace of mind, testing your water supply is always a good idea. An especially helpful time to have your water tested is when moving to a new home or office space so you can know from the start if your water is decreasing your health or even the efficiency and function of the appliances in your home.
Testing your water supply is an important step to ensuring health and safety for you, your family, and your staff. Here at Air Quality Consultants, we not only offer high quality water testing services, but also advice on remediation of water issues. Licensed and insured to test water in the Richmond and Virginia Beach areas since 1991, we are prepared to make professional recommendations for products that will help keep your water clean.
Thankfully, with filters, softeners, and many other options on the market today, it is easier than ever before to have clean water right at your fingertips.
Our expert air and water quality consultants will discuss the findings from your water test with you and help you to understand the various contaminants in your water supply, if there are any.
If your water is indeed contaminated, we can help you assess the danger level as well as create a remediation plan to correct the problem. If your water test comes out clean, you can rest assured knowing that your water is 100% safe to drink.
The first step is to order a professional water test.
Radon and Poisonous Gas
Radon is a naturally occurring element that is found in the gaseous form. It is tasteless and odorless which makes it very hard to detect. The presence of radon in a home or business is almost impossible to determine without professional testing. It can be found in all areas, but lower areas of the home are at higher risk because radon gas typically enters through the soil in the earth. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reports that studies have definitively linked indoor radon exposure in residential properties to lung cancer. The Former Director of EPA’s Indoor Environments Division explains “We know that radon is a carcinogen (AKA cancer-causer). This research confirms that breathing low levels of radon can lead to lung cancer.” Clearly, radon is a threat to public health that should not be taken lightly. Testing for radon in the home is the first step to prevention.
The Office for Disease Prevention and Health Promotion warns that “About 1 out of every 15 homes in the United States have a level of radon that is too high… If you are breathing in too much radon, you won’t feel sick or have any symptoms right away. Testing your home is the only way to know if there’s a radon problem.”
Radon is known to cause cancer, and is actually the lead cause behind lung cancer, second only to cigarette smoking. Because it is an invisible, naturally occurring, yet radioactive gas, it is undetectable by human sight or smell. Radon can enter into homes and buildings from the outside, and build up indoors.
Radon in the air comes from the natural decomposition of uranium in soil, water and rocks. In enters homes through cracks, openings, or even through well water. New homes and old homes alike are susceptible to radon build-up.
Radon testing is appropriate for any home or business, whether new construction or old, basement or no basement, well-insulated or not.
No level of radon in your home is safe. This subtle, radioactive gas typically enters into homes from the soil through the foundation. Groundwater is also at risk of contamination, which poses a threat to well water.
Professional radon testing is the safest way to accurately determine the radon levels in your home and prepare you to take corrective measures if the level is indeed dangerous.
If you are looking to purchase a new property, whether residential or commercial, having a preventative radon test done on site is a good idea.
A small testing monitor will be placed in your home to check the levels of Radon for at least 48 hours if you are testing for Radon in the short term.
This monitoring should occur in all rooms below the third floor according to the EPA. Continuous monitoring can also be achieved through a stationary monitor placed in your home in the same locations to keep an eye on Radon. This may be particularly helpful if you’ve had radon issues before.
As with any test, the most important part is the results. Once our Air Quality Consultants of Richmond have determined the levels of radon within your home or business we will personally report our findings to you. AQC reports are always detailed and comprehensive, leaving no stone unturned.
Since no level of radon is safe, even if the radon level is relatively low, remediation efforts are still recommended. We will gladly discuss your options with you and offer professional advice on how to address the problem.
The good news is that homes affected by radon can be made safe again. Radon levels can be lowered with a radon home mitigation system. These systems are most commonly composed of a vent and fan to help move the radon outside of your home and back into nature where it can do much less damage.
Backed by decades of experience in the indoor air quality testing business, you have found the right company to help resolve your radon problem. Contact us today.
Pre 1978 Homes
Our customers often wonder if they should truly be concerned about lead-based paints within their homes in 2018. Can old lead-based paints really cause health issues? Are all the scary claims from the ‘experts’ true? There is no mistake. The Virginia Department of Health warns “Protecting children from exposure to lead is important to lifelong good health. There is no safe blood lead level, and even low levels of lead in blood can potentially affect IQ, ability to pay attention, and academic achievement. The effects of lead exposure cannot be reversed.” They call on all Virginia citizens to “Prevent lead poisoning. Get your home tested. Get your child tested. Get the facts!” Yes, lead is a proven dangerous threat to humans, especially young children. If your home is older, or your walls have had many coats of paint applied over the years, you may have lead in the original paint. Get a test!
Lead-based paint inspection and testing is recommended before remodeling, repainting, or refinishing in your home or business.
You should also get lead testing done if you have concerns or if your home or business was built prior to 1978. Lead testing is also a good idea if you are considering purchasing a property with a structure built before then. Paints used prior to this often contain high amounts of lead in their base making them toxic to occupants of houses or buildings where they are present.
The EPA has found that homes built before 1940 are up to 87% more likely to contain lead paint and estimates that millions of U.S. homes are still at risk from lead poisoning.
Virginia Beach’s Air Quality Consultants will collect a sample of your paint for analyzation as well as inspect and collect samples from the many surfaces in your home or business that could be susceptible. Samples are around one square inch and up to four square inches in size.
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development reports that “Lead is a highly toxic metal that may cause a range of health problems, especially in young children… It can cause damage to the brain and other vital organs, like the kidneys, nerves and blood. Lead may also cause behavioral problems, learning disabilities, seizures and in extreme cases, death.”
Lead poisoning also poses a special risk for pregnant mothers. Lead paint chips are a serious health threat, especially when young children are present who are prone to put things in their mouth. Poisoning may also occur when sanding or refinishing lead painted surface if this dust is inhaled.
Lead is a naturally occurring element and in small quantities it is usually not overly harmful. However, in many cases, especially in older homes, lead poisoning through paint may be possible. Due to the serious symptoms and health conditions associated with lead poisoning, it is certainly not worth risking.
Testing for lead-based paint can help to keep you and your family safe from the threat of lead poisoning. When you have your commercial or residential property tested for lead paint, you will either become aware of the need for speedy remediation or have the peace of mind that you and your loved ones are safe from the risks of exposure to lead.
Lead can contaminate floors, window sills, toys, bedding, and even the soil around homes or businesses when the paint is damaged and begins to peel.
According to the Erie Redevelopment Authority explains that “Lead affects practically all systems within the body. At high levels it can cause convulsions, coma, and even death. Lower levels of lead can adversely affect the brain, central nervous system, blood cells, and kidneys.”
Testing for lead paint in your home is a first step to eradicating the serious danger it poses. Request a quote today to get the process started.
Your paint as well as any other relevant samples that we collect from your property will be sent to an EPA-certified lab for testing. When the results are in, Air Quality Consultants will contact you and send you a copy of the report.
You will be given a simple yes or no answer to quickly put your mind at ease. Awareness is the first step. If you do, indeed, have a lead problem, we will help talk you through the options of how to take care of it and ensure your family’s health and safety.
NO MORE GUESSWORK, WE USE SCIENTIFIC FACT
Insurance industry protocol has mandated that mold remediation require an independent 3rd party testing company to include pre-remediation levels of mold and post remediation clearance.
Identifying Threats to Your Air Quality
Every day, the average human takes over 20,000 breaths. The majority of those breaths are taken indoors – in your home or place of work.
Imagine the compounded effect of hundreds of thousands of breaths taken every week, if the air you are breathing is contaminated with mold, pet dander, pollen, lead, or any number of harmful toxins. Pollutants in the air you are breathing in your home or office space pose a subtle, yet very real threat to your overall health.
For example, mold growing in unseen places as a result of flooding, sea spray, or a broken appliance could be compromising the cleanliness of your air. Whatever the cause of indoor air pollution, the health effects can be unpleasant and even dangerous. These symptoms can sneak up on anyone.
I’ve had a persistent headache for weeks. The weird thing is, every time I go to work, the headache seems to disappear. Then, I come home, and my head starts to hurt again!
At first I thought I had a case of the common cold. Now, months later, it’s still hanging on! I’ve had a runny nose, coughing, itchy eyes, and sore throat that WON’T go away.
Often times, our clients come to us with a long story of how they finally arrived at the “Aha!” moment, realizing that the prolonged symptoms they are experiencing may actually be caused by unseen mold in their walls or allergens from their pet or trees in their yard.
Here at Air Quality Consultants, we are passionately committed to resolving the public health threat of polluted indoor air in Virginia. We firmly believe that all Virginia Beach families have a right to breathe clean, unpolluted air in their homes.
We’ve been licensed and insured since 1991 and have decades of practice at identifying indoor air pollutants. This has equipped us with unmatched expertise in the industry of air quality testing.
Enlisting our air quality testing services is an investment in your family’s health.
Our unique certifications, top-notch air and water testing lab connection, and extremely high-tech machinery allow us to not only identify the threats to the quality of the air in your home or office, but also to do so in record time. The faster we can provide the test results to you, the sooner you can act to correct the source of the pollutants and rest easy knowing you and your family are breathing clean air.
As an independent third party, we are required to give an absolutely impartial analysis of the air and water in your home. Our results will be accurate and reliable.
Our professional team here at AQC will work efficiently without compromising the careful attention-to-detail that this sensitive work demands. We will provide you with a thorough report, analyzing the air in your home and identifying any threats to health and safety. Since our detailed reports can be up to 25 pages at times, we will happily answer as many questions as you have, assisting you in making practical application of the results. No DIY air quality test can achieve this level of detail. The air quality report you receive will help you map out exactly how to act to eradicate any sources of toxins posing threats to your air.
Besides mold spores, pollens, pet dander, allergens, and more that could be infecting your air, Air Quality Consultants also offers full testing for other pollutants and toxins in residential and commercial properties.
For example, the tap water that you are drinking and cooking with every day could easily be contaminated with unhealthy levels of bacteria, metals, lead, and nitrates.
The old fixer-upper you bought may still have archaic lead paint on the walls. According to Consumer Reports, “Even though lead paint was banned back in 1978, it remains a real and present danger in tens of millions of U.S. homes.” Lead paint is a proven serious risk to children and adults alike. AQC provides full testing and analysis of lead levels in your home.
Beyond our air and water quality testing services, here at Air Quality Consultants, we are happy to make professional recommendations on the best air filters on the market today.
We fully endorse the IQA Filter, which uses the latest technology in HEPA filters. They have consistently received top reviews from consumers. Their certified high performance air filtration systems can be used in the home, office, or car.
High-tech IQA Filters are ideal for homeowners and office workers dealing with allergies and asthma. These filters are designed to keep even the smallest particles from floating through your air and setting off your allergies. The also capture larger particles such as pet dander, which can aggravate your breathing if left uncontrolled.
From individual room purifiers to entire home systems, IQAir can sanitize the environment in your home and make each breath of air count.
