Ottawa Mold Inspections, Mold Testing, & Mould Assessments

CERTIFIED OTTAWA MOLD TESTING SERVICES

We specialize in identifying the most subtle and complex mold issues across residential, commercial, and industrial properties. Our technicians are University-educated and certified professionals. We don’t just "look" for mold, we provide comprehensive assessments, remediation oversight, and post-cleanup clearance testing to ensure your air is truly safe.

We set the standard for documentation. Our detailed reports can provide:

Clear identification of mold growth on surfaces, invisible airborne spore levels, as well as likely causes. ✅
Actionable scopes of work for safe removal of growth and secondary airborne and settled spores contamination. ✅
Strategies to deal with leftover and cross-contamination from improper past cleanups. ✅

Improper mold removal can release toxic spores that can spread throughout your home, doing more harm than good. We provide a precise scope of work to handle your specific situation correctly, protecting your health and your property. This is why we have developed the OIES higher standard for mold inspections.

The OIES Higher Standard is an industry-leading protocol designed to provide the most rigorous and unbiased mold assessment available. Unlike standard “mold inspections" that often serve as sales pitches for remediation, the OIES Higher Standard focuses on scientific validation and accuracy, as well as legal-grade documentation.

Here are the three pillars that define the OIES Higher Standard:

⭐ 1. The "No Conflict" Integrity Policy
We do not offer "free" remote inspections as a bait-and-switch to sell expensive remediation services. We actually do not offer mold remidiation services! Our goal is providing objective actionable data, not "finding” mold just to sell you expensive mold removal services. With OIES you pay a fair-price for professional expertise and objective actionable facts.

⭐ 2. University-Educated & Certified Expertise
While many inspectors take a weekend course and call themselves experts, our Gold Standard requires our team to have college or univeristy based backgrounds and a deep understanding of the proper use of industry leading tools, accurate testing techniques, and microbiology.

⭐ 3. Forensic-Level Inspections
Don't settle for simple inspections or blind air sampling. Our OIES gold-standard assessment goes beyond superficial visual checks and stand-alone sampling. Unlike our competitors that rely on undefined particle counts or single sample lab results that just say you have a problem, we give you the information and answers you need to make informed decisions.

We can confidently say this, as our gold-standard mold assessment is based on three critical components:

A. Building Science (The Cause)
Mold is a symptom of water issues. To stop the growth, the source must be found, so we use the following industry leading techniques to determine why mold is growing:
- Thermal Imaging: Reveals hidden leaks behind walls by detecting temperature differences.
- Moisture Mapping: Verifies thermal findings & defines the amount of wet materials to remove.
- Visual Inspection: Defines extent of visible growth.

B. Biological Data (The Hazard)
We use comparative air and surface sampling to scientifically confirm mold growth and measure secondary airborne spores that can cross-contaminate other areas and your stuff. By testing suspect areas against outdoor or non-suspect controls, rather than relying on an ambiguous single sample, we provide clear and actionable insights that validate our findings from step one.

C. The Scope of Work (The Prescription)
Crucially, our reports also provide a remediation roadmap that is based on industry leading mold remediation guidelines. This ensures your project is done right, protecting you and your family from ineffective "spray and pray" tactics. An OIES report is distinguished by its detail, often used in legal disputes, real estate transactions, or insurance claims. Our reports are not a one page document or an email that just says mold is "present" and you have a problem, they include likely causes, laboratory-backed data on spore counts and species, plain language interpretation of laboratory data, along side a Clear Scopes of Work "Remediation Plan”. You can then give this plan to any certified mold contractor to ensure they quote you fairly and follow the correct protocols and safety standards that they should.

The OIES Higher Standard is about accountability. It ensures that you aren't sold remediation services you don't need, that the remediation you do need is done right the first time, and that your health and that of your close ones is protected in the process.

IAQ MOLD TESTING

Our air testing services detect invisible mold spores related to hidden mold growth issues that are often responsible for unexplained allergies and health issues.

We recommend this type of testing if you:

Suffer from allergy symptoms at home that disappear elsewhere.
Suspect a damp or humid rental is affecting your health.
Want to verify if mold is impacting your indoor air quality.
Have a history of water damage or persistent mold growth.
Notice basement humidity or window condensation.
Need peace of mind.

Get the answers you need. Call today! (613) 366-5226

WATER DAMAGE mold ASSESSMENTS

Water damage assessments go beyond simple drying plans; they use diagnostic data to prevent biological hazards. They are your only leverage against poor workmanship. Without it, you are relying on contractors who may prioritize insurance savings over your health.

Visual inspections are insufficient. Accurate thermal and moisture mapping, as well as humidity and lab data are the only way to ensure that hidden mold or invisible airborne spores are NOT present due to slow leak or flood response times, or left behind to cause future health issues due to improper drying or missed removal of wet materials. Skipping these steps can leave moisture "blind spots." This can lead to Toxic Mold developing, chronic respiratory issues (asthma, bronchitis), and immune suppression. You cannot fix what you cannot see.

It is also important that you never allow the restoration company to test their own work. Always hire an independent third party to avoid a conflict of interest.

POST-MOLD REMEDIATION Verification

If you have decided to tackle your own mold removal project, or if you would like to know if the mold removal contractor that you hired successfully completed your project, then having a post-remediation verification (PRV) inspeciton and testing is highly recommended.

Post-mold removal clearance testing will let you know if your project was done right, or if the contractor still has additional work to complete before they claim they are finished and expect payment. It will also provide you with paperwork that could be crucial if you are dealing with tenants, employees, or a potential sale of a property.

Mold clearance air testing can also help verify that the removal process didn’t accidentally spread toxic spores to other parts of the building, specially in cases of containment failure or improper use of mold remediation protocols.

Make sure your project was done right, call (613)366-5226 and get some real answers!

"Setting higher professional standards because we believe that everyone deserves a healthy indoor environment, and that nothing is more important than your health, your family’s health, and your peace of mind."

TOXIC BLACK MOLD

According to Health Canada, mold is the common word for any fungus that grows on food or damp building materials. It often looks like a stain and can come in a variety of colours. In some cases, however, mould may be in a location where it cannot be seen; there may be only a musty odour. If it is present in significant quantities, mould can contribute to poor indoor air quality. Damp or wet areas indoors caused by water leaks, flooding or high humidity can promote mold growth. Mold can grow on wood, paper, fabrics, drywall, insulation, and other surfaces. It can be hidden inside walls and above ceiling tiles. Mould inside a building can contribute to poor indoor air quality and lead to health problems.

Indoor environments normally contain some airborne and settled background fungal spores and may occasionally cause small, residual areas of fungal growth. When excessive moisture or water is introduced indoors, spores produced by many of the common environmental molds, such as Aspergillus, Penicillium and Cladosporium will germinate and multiply on building materials, as well as negatively impact the indoor air quality of an affected area, as well as surrounding areas.

Indoor toxic mold growth can influence air quality because both spores and mycelial fragments are dispersed into the air and can be inhaled. Their penetration into the bronchial tree depends on their size. The smaller particles penetrate deeper into the lungs.

More recently, there is increased recognition that exposure to indoor mold and dampness may contribute to the development of asthma, bronchitis and other respiratory infections, as well as eczema.

The level of risk depends on the extent of mold growth, regardless of the species, how long it has been present, and the susceptibility and overall health of the individuals exposed. Some people are considered to be at greater risk of experiencing adverse health effects from mold exposure, such as infants, children, seniors, pregnant people, those with respiratory conditions such as asthma, and immunocompromised individuals.

Therefore, Health Canada recommends controlling humidity and diligently repairing any water damage in residences and commercial buildings in order to prevent toxic mold growth, and to thoroughly clean any visible or concealed mold growing indoors. These recommendations apply regardless of the mold species found to be growing in the building.

The Ontario Ministry of Labour has also consistently enforced the removal of all mold growth from buildings regardless of mold genus or species.

People living and working in buildings with mold and damp conditions are more likely than others to have eye, nose and throat irritation, coughing and phlegm build-up, wheezing and shortness of breath; and/or, worsening of asthma symptoms.

Mold growth can be hidden. It can grow behind walls or above ceiling tiles, so it is important to check for the presence of toxic mold growth anywhere that is damp, and especially where water damage is known to have occurred. Immediate action is important when dealing with moisture issues. Toxic mold can begin to grow in an area with excessive moisture in as little as 48 hours.

It is always important to determine the extent of the mold problem to help decide on the path forward for cleanup. The following Health Canada criteria can be used as a decision chart to facilitate categorization of a toxic mold growth area by size and by the most appropriate path forward for remediation, as well as whether professional assistance is required with remediation efforts.

An area of mold growth is considered small if it covers one square metre or less. There should be no more than three patches of mold, with the total combined area staying within one square metre. Many small patches of mold in one area or throughout the home or building can be a sign of a larger moisture issue that needs to be investigated and addressed immediately. If ignored, small mold areas may become larger over time, so it is important to address them immediately. A small amount of mold may be cleaned up using proper procedures and protective equipment.

An area of mold growth is considered medium if there are more than three patches of mold (each patch smaller than one square metre), but the total combined area is less than three square metres. While assessment by a qualified professional is recommended, in most cases a medium amount of mold may be cleaned up using proper procedures and protective equipment without involving a professional to assess the problem.

Finally, an area of mold is considered large if a single patch of mold is larger than three square metres. Immediate action and an assessment by a professional is required to determine the cause of the extensive mold growth and develop/implement a remediation plan.

Health Canada recommends that a qualified professional assess large areas of mold.

TYPES OF MOLD TESTING

AIR SAMPLING

Used For:

Finding out if your indoor air quality is being negatively by airborn spores;
Finding out is there is a potential hidden mold problem in your home;
Finding out if cross-contamination of non-mold growth areas has occured;
Finding out if your stuff is being cross-contmainated by invisible spores;
Finding out if your project was done right following mold removal/remediation;

SURFACE SAMPLING

Used For:

Verifying whether suspect microbial contamination is actual mold growth or not;
Checking of the presence of settled mold spores on open surfaces and contents that may have been cross-contaminated by mold growth found near by;
Determining the potential presence toxic mold types growing in areas that suffer from chronic water damage issues, such as ongoing water intrusions or floods;

RAPID MICROBIAL SWAB TESTING

Used For:

Verifying the potential presence of any organic matter on surfaces;
Checking the cleanliness of open surfaces and contents in relation to all types of organic matter (i.e. skin cells, bacteria, and even dust containing soil particles);

Not Used For:

Verifying the presence of actual mold contamination on surfaces. This is due to the fact that any organic matter (i.e. skin cells, bacteria, dust containing soil particles, and potential mold) that may be present on surfaces will cause the swab test to indicate a positive result.

Don't fall for false positives, get actual lab-verified samples done by OIES before you decide to spend your hard earned money on expensive cleanups that may not be necessary.

Our Ottawa ON Services Include:

Ottawa Mold Air Testing, IAQ Assessments, Asbestos Testing, Asbestos Surveys, Pre-Renovation Hazardous Materials Reports, Designated Substances Surveys (DSS), Designated Substances Reports (DSR), VOC Testing, Mold Inspections, Mold Assessments, Remedial Action Plan Drafting, Scope of Work Drafting, and Lead Testing.