What is Toxic Mold?
Mold is a form of fungus frequently found in moist, warm environments. It is a living organism requiring food in order to be sustained. Mold feeds on organic material such as wood and paper found in homes and buildings.

Hundreds of species of mold are found in the United States that are not harmful to people. However, certain Toxic Molds such as aspergillus, penicillium, and Toxic Mold atra (also known as stachybotrus chartarum) can cause a variety of illnesses. Stachybotys is not the green mold found on bread or cheese nor does it have a musty odor.

Toxic Mold or black mold can be deadly, especially to children with mold allergies. Toxic Mold has become almost epidemic in some parts of the United States where foam board was used as wall insulation with no air space to let walls breathe. After black mold begins to grow, microscopic mold spores quickly become airborne and travel throughout air conditioning and heating systems. You can inhale over a half million spores per minute without knowing it.

Symptoms associated with Toxic Mold may include:

• asthma
• sinus headache and nasal congestion
• memory and hearing loss
• dizziness
• skin rashes and hives
• excessive fatigue
• flu-like symptoms
• ongoing sore throat and chronic cough
• bleeding in the lungs
• pulmonary hemorrhage
• permanent cognitive defects
• increased risk of tuberculosis
• osteopenia

While it may not be possible to identify specific individuals who may be vulnerable to molds - seniors, small children and infants, and those with compromised immune systems and allergies are the most susceptible to mold related symptoms.

Mold is a warning sign that there is a leak, it needs your attention, and must be fixed.

Mold Testing and Remediation Services
We offer mold removal, mold testing, IAQ (Indoor Air Quality) testing, mold inspection services, and removal and remediation of toxic mold. Exposure to mold is detrimental to one's health. Exposure to toxic mold (black mold) can result in the following symptoms: allergies, asthma, memory loss, eye, nose and throat irritation, nosebleeds, respiratory illness, skin rash, exhaustion, chest pains and muscle spasms.

If mold contamination is a concern, the first objective should be to have a professional mold inspection and remediation company identify and resolve a potential mold contamination problem in your home or property. Symbiont Service Corp provides mold testing and remediation services for residential and business clients. We work with all insurance companies, home inspectors and private adjustors. We accept all major credit cards. Financing is available with approved credit.

Mold Testing and Remediation Service Areas
Symbiont Service Corp. has served the following Southwest Florida Counties for over 29 years: Pinellas County, Hillsborough County, Manatee County, Sarasota County, Desoto County, Charlotte County, Lee County, Collier County, Polk County, Hardee County and Pasco County.

Credentials
If you are looking for mold remediation, mold testing and mold removal service, you want to make sure that the company you select is fully trained, licensed and certified.

• Symbiont Service Corp. is able to provide demolition and build back services if needed.
• We are licensed electrical and HVAC contractors. This expertise is essential because mold is airborne and is typically found in duct work.
• Symbiont Service Corp. employs certified and trained mold specialists.
• We are bondable and maintain all proper licensing, insurance and workman's comp.
• We specialize in disaster clean up, water intrusion, water extraction, water damage, HVAC duct cleaning, mold inspection, mold testing and removal.

Initial Contact
When the client calls into Symbiont Service, one of our representatives gathers information from the client regarding inspection for the property; this is to determine if the client does have a mold problem. The representative will ask a few particular questions, such as:

• Contact Name
• Property Address
• Has there been any water damage recently?
• Is the mold visible? (description of mold)
• Is anyone sick in the home?
• Are there any elderly/children or pet in the home?

The certified mold inspector gains insight to the property as to the situation of the property and of what areas to focus. The representative will assign the client a specified time, date and certified mold inspector. If there is a scheduling conflict Symbiont Service will accommodate to the client's schedule as much as possible.

Mold Inspection Service
When the inspector arrives at the property location, he identifies himself to the client as a Symbiont Service inspector and proceeds to inspect the outer areas of the property. Symbiont Service will conduct a free visual mold inspection of the property prior to any testing or remediation.

The visual inspection for the area outside of the property consists of:

• Inspecting the foundation of the property for cracks
• Inspecting any cracks on the property itself
• Inspecting the grading of the property
• Inspecting the drainage spouts and making sure they draining away from the house

The visual inspection for the area inside of the property consists of:

• Inspecting all areas inside the property (only areas the client allocates)
• Inspecting the HVAC system (if applicable)
• Inspecting all areas with a Protemeter

After a thorough inspection, the inspector will give his analysis of the situation. If there is no visible evidence of mold contamination and no water damage, the inspector will ask if you would like to have further analysis of the situation, otherwise there is not enough sufficient evidence of mold contamination. If there are visible signs of mold contamination or if there are signs of water intrusion, the inspector will suggest that you have the mold tested.

Mold Testing Service
The inspector will take samples of the mold, airborne or stationed, and send them to our professional laboratory. This part of the Symbiont Service inspection is not free; there is a fee that is applied to this service. The testing will entail the following:

• Tape/Bulk/Swab (taking samples of the visible mold)
• Air Sample (taking non-visible air spores)

The laboratory results will take approximately 24 to 72 hours. When the results are given to Symbiont Service, we immediately send a copy of the results to the client with a letter explaining what molds were found and what effects they may cause to your health. Per the results of the laboratory results, the inspector will advise for or against remediation.

Mold Remediation Service (the professional abatement and removal of mold)
Symbiont Service will submit a written proposal to the client for possible remediation for the property. The proposal includes:

• Background information given by the inspector
• Estimation of Technician
• For Your Information
• Laboratory results (if applicable)
• Health Effects of Mold
• Scope of Work
• Limitations, Liabilities, and Exclusions
• Contractual Agreement/Monetary Terms
• Contact Information and Accreditations

After the client has received the proposal, it is to the client's discretion to call Symbiont Service to schedule remediation for the property. The client and Symbiont Service's representative will collaborate with the time and date of remediation. A crew of certified mold remediators will arrive at the property at the scheduled time and date. All water infiltration and intrusion issues must be addressed prior to Symbiont Service's remediation of the property to prevent mold contamination to the same area.

The remediation process includes the following:

• Set up Polyethylene Containment Barrier
• Set up Negative Air Machine
• Remove any damaged materials and discard in 6-mil polyethylene sheeting
• HEPA (High Efficiency Particle Air) sand and vacuum any contaminated horizontal and/or vertical surfaces
• Apply anti-fungal biocide with sprayer
• Encapsulate with anti-microbial paint
• Apply cold-mist air fogger (if applicable)
• Treat the HVAC system (if applicable)
• Re-build or build-back any items that were removed during remediation (if applicable)

Once the remediation has concluded, the project manager will inform the client of remediation completion. The project manager will then inform the client of remediation completion and schedule a post remediation testing to ensure all mold has been removed from the area, per the request of the client.

A Certificate of Remediation will be issued to the client when the remediation is completed or after the results are given from post remediation testing, if the client had testing. The Certificate of Remediation is a warranty of our remediation treatment for either six (6) months or one (1) year. This will guarantee that if the area we remediate has any mold contamination within the certificate's designated time period, we will come back to the property and remediate the area again for no charge!

Follow-up with customer
The follow-up will occur when we have completed all remediation and testing. The project manager will call the client and ask if the remediation was satisfactory and if there are any further questions they would like to address.

For more information, please contact:

   Jim Reilly
   Symbiont Service Corp.
   (941) 474-9306
   (800) 881-4328