Indoor Air Quality/Mould Testing
 

Does anyone have experience with IAQ/Mould testing specialists in Vancouver such as ABM? I'm having a tough time finding reviews/feedbacks on these companies and the quotes I'm getting are all over the place.

The reason I ask is because we have narrowed down an odd odour to be coming from one particular wall in the first level of our townhome. It varies in intensity and isn't always there. I'm pretty sure it's not from a dead animal or rodents. I don't see any evidence of water leak/damage and I'm really hoping mould isn't the cause. Does anyone have any suggestions on fairly non-invasive checks I can make? Any input is appreciated!

there are off the shelf testers for mold you can buy, not sure how effective they are.
i've seen someone use an electronic device that's like a meter to check for mold in rooms too.

Do you have a rough idea of when the smell is present?

they sell those off the shelf mold testers at home depot.

also, that electronic device is probably not a mold detector as i believe the only way they can detect mold and determine what type it is, is to take a sample and grow a culture for analysis.

the device was most likely a moisture monitor which is able to detect levels of moisture in everything from concrete to drywall.

op can you take a few pics of the area where you're detecting the smell from?

also, mold is usually a persistent/constant smell. if it comes and goes its probably something else.

thanks for the correction.

maybe it's plumbing related? maybe an uncapped pipe?

Mold's not necessarily persistent. The strength of the odour varies with the molds activity. The long, dry summer would mitigate molds activity, while these wet weeks would stimulate it.

This might help?

HowStuffWorks "Mold Problem"

Thanks for the input so far guys!

It comes and goes. There really isn't a solid pattern.

The smell is coming from the switches and sockets from one particular wall only. I will try to get a picture of the area but there really isn't much to see.

We suspected that at one point but the builder and plumber confirmed that there is no plumbing in that area.

We figured as much, but in my case, the odour didn't seem to be affected by weather changes during the summer and actually seems to have gotten less noticeable in the past few weeks.

Thanks for the link but I'm only looking for non-invasive options at this point.

from what i remember in school, there are instruments where you can wear or leave at a spot and it would collect air particles. however, you would require to culture and an analysis to see what they can find.

Is it a ground/below grade floor or above ground? Any windows or obvious exterior deformities (ie: gaps in the siding, etc) that may be allowing water to get in? Are there any noticeable signs of moisture possibly seeping through anywhere?

There are a couple other options you could try: Rent an IR camera and take a look at the wall. If there's any spots holding moisture that may be causing mould growth, it'll show up. You can also either rent or buy a cheap inspection camera. Unhook one of the sockets and stick the line behind the wall.

You can also try one of these:
PROLAB | Do It Yourself Mold Test Kit (S) | Home Depot Canada

If you do, however, make sure the petri dish is completely cleaned before using it. Look online for how to disinfect it properly.


Another thing is are you sure it's mould you're smelling? I know they smell differently but since it's coming from an area surrounding a socket, is it possible that you've got a wire that's maybe starting to burn?

Thanks for the suggestions!

It is above ground, and there are no exterior issues that we can see. The exterior side of the all doesn't get exposed to rain either. I'm ruling exterior leaks out because at times the odour got pretty strong during long dry spells in the summer. If there is moisture it is likely some kind of plumbing leak.

I'm looking for an infrared camera, but just scanning the area with an infrared temperature probe didn't indicate any cold spots. Our borescope at work has been sent in for repair, but I was also told that the use of a borescope on an insulated wall is't very effective.

I'm not sure if it's mould at all. It's still a mysterious odour at this point but I want to rule out mould as a cause. We've also suspected that it may just be a bad-smelling batch of building materials...