CURRENT REPORT TIMEFRAME: Reports are on-schedule and being delivered 14-21 days after sample collection.
Top To Bottom Services can provide indoor air quality testing in Maryland on the home you currently own or one you are looking to buy. If you are interested in IAQ testing as part of your real estate purchase, be sure to speak to your Realtor® for all the information on what may or may not be applicable to your situation and permitted and/or negotiable per your real estate transaction contract.
One of our certified inspectors or ancillary service technicians can perform an IAQ test, which will report on the air quality of the home by assessing the total levels of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) and Mold VOCs (the chemicals emitted from actively growing mold), plus a prediction of the sources of those chemicals. Most importantly, the chemical information is translated into categories of potential sources. This allows an action plan for improving air quality to be developed.
Why Would I Want To Have This Test Performed?
The main reason would be health concerns; typically our clients who request this service currently live in the home and are experiencing some form of symptoms that they simply cannot identify a cause for. Additionally, homebuyers who have conditions such as asthma would benefit from this test before purchasing a home.
Products that we use or are surrounded by everyday are the sources of indoor air pollution. Breathing in vapors, or off-gassed chemicals, from these products can cause many health effects such as frequent headaches, dizziness, fatigue, nausea, confusion, coughing, wheezing, and eye, nose and throat irritation. These symptoms can be indicators that the quality of air in the home is poor – especially if they subside once you leave the house. Other more serious health problems that can arise with poor indoor air quality in Baltimore, MD, are asthma exacerbation, digestive problems, and damage to the liver, kidneys and central nervous system. Some air contaminants are so harmful that they can even cause cancer.
Does This IAQ Test Look For Formaldehyde?
Yes, there is an option to include a Formaldehyde analysis along with the VOC and MVOC analysis. You could also specifically request only Formaldehyde testing and forgo the full Indoor Air Quality Analysis.
The largest source of formaldehyde in homes is from resins used in adhesives and binders in engineered wood products such as particleboard, plywood, medium density fiberboard (MDF), and oriented strand board (OSB) as well as more wood finished products like engineered flooring. If you recently had any type of hardwood flooring, carpeting or laminate flooring installed before you began noticing your health symptoms, you should consider adding Formaldehyde testing to your IAQ test.
When you schedule your IAQ test, the representative assisting you will go over the pricing for whichever combination of testing you choose.
