Sarasota County · Central Florida
Mold Inspection, Mold Testing & Specialty Testing in Sarasota, Florida.
Founder-performed by Daniel Melendez, a microbiologist and former environmental lab analyst. Lab-supported, independent of remediation, with Sarasota inspections scheduled by appointment from Orlando.
What is mold inspection in Sarasota?
A mold inspection in Sarasota is the structured assessment of a home or commercial property to identify mold growth, moisture sources, and indoor air quality conditions. The process combines a visual walk-through of every accessible space, moisture-meter readings on each suspect surface, thermal imaging that flags surface-temperature patterns worth confirming with a moisture meter, an evaluation of the air conditioning system, and attic access where it is safe. Three accredited-laboratory samples are included and collected where the findings call for them rather than to a fixed formula. Everything is documented in a written report with photographs, instrument data, and laboratory results. Every inspection is performed personally by Daniel Melendez, a microbiologist and Florida-licensed mold assessor. PureSpec performs environmental assessment and testing only. It never performs remediation. PureSpec covers Sarasota, including Siesta Key, Lido, Burns Court. Service in this area is available by appointment with a written custom quote. Contact PureSpec for current availability.
Where we work in Sarasota
From single-family homes to commercial buildings.
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RESIDENTIAL Residential Mold Inspection
Single-family homes, townhouses, and condos across Sarasota, full-property and limited-scope assessments by a state-licensed mold assessor.
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COMMERCIAL Commercial Mold Assessment
Office, retail, healthcare, school, and hospitality buildings across the Sarasota metro, reporting structured for property managers, insurers, and OSHA-aware contexts.
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APARTMENT Apartment / Tenant Mold Inspection
Independent third-party documentation built for renters dealing with landlords and property managers across Sarasota-area multifamily housing.
Which service you need
What each PureSpec service answers in Sarasota.
Find the question closest to yours. Every service is performed personally by Daniel Melendez, a microbiologist and former environmental lab analyst, and every sample ships to an AIHA-LAP-accredited third-party laboratory under chain-of-custody.
“I think there’s mold somewhere in my house but I don’t know where.”
“I already know where the problem is, I just need it documented.”
“I can see something dark or fuzzy on a wall, can you tell me what it is?”
“How do I get the air in my house tested for mold?”
“Is it black mold? Can you test for Stachybotrys specifically?”
“I bought a DIY mold test kit at the hardware store. Can I trust the result?”
“My doctor mentioned ERMI or HERTSMI-2 testing, what is that?”
“I tested positive for mycotoxins in my body, where did they come from?”
“The air test was normal but I still feel sick at home.”
“We just moved in or renovated and something doesn’t feel right.”
“The remediation company says it’s clean. How do I know?”
“Could my air conditioner be making us sick?”
Sarasota-area CIRS and chronic-illness patients often work with integrative practices in Sarasota and Lakewood Ranch, which routinely use these results as part of an environmental workup. The pattern shows up particularly on Lido Key, Siesta Key, and the Lakewood Ranch master-planned belt where coastal salt humidity and master-planned attic air handlers each drive recurring findings.
How an Sarasota inspection actually works
Twelve steps. Same scientific process, every Sarasota property.
The depth of each step adapts to your situation. Tracer smoke testing and borescope inspection happen when conditions warrant. Sampling is decided based on what your specific environment is asking, not a fixed checklist.
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Consultation
We talk through what you’re seeing, the building, and the question you need answered. Free, no pressure, no upsell.
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Humidity and dew point
Temperature, relative humidity and dew point are recorded room by room, with an outdoor reference, because a surface colder than the dew point collects water without any leak.
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Indoor air quality screening
Real-time particle counts across size channels, with on-site carbon dioxide, VOC and formaldehyde screening, room by room. Screening, not laboratory analysis.
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Comprehensive HVAC evaluation
Each air handler is opened and checked: blower compartment, coil, drain pan, supply and return plenums, filter, and the attic duct runs it feeds. A frequent hidden source of indoor mold in Florida buildings. Salt-air condenser corrosion on the Lido / Siesta barrier and oversized HVAC in master-planned Lakewood Ranch are the recurring findings.
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Tracer smoke testing when needed
Smoke makes local air movement visible at the HVAC system and around penetrations and openings; temperature, humidity and surface-temperature readings help evaluate whether condensation is possible.
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Mold visual inspection
Daniel personally walks every accessible space in the Sarasota property. No subcontractors.
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Thermal imaging
Infrared imaging surfaces temperature differentials that often correlate with hidden moisture or insulation gaps. Especially useful on Siesta Key, Lido Key, and Longboat barrier-island assemblies where wind-driven rain entered through soffit-vent and curtain-wall gaps.
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Moisture mapping
Pin and pinless moisture meters identify elevated wall, floor, and substrate moisture invisible to the eye. Post-Ian and post-Helene cavity moisture continues to surface in Sarasota County coastal and barrier-island inventory.
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Targeted sampling
Air, surface, swab, ERMI, HERTSMI-2, mycotoxin, Pathways™, VOC, or formaldehyde, only the tests your situation warrants.
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Lab analysis
Samples sent to AIHA-LAP-accredited third-party laboratories. Results returned within 24 to 72 hours of receipt.
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Written report
Plain-English report with photos, lab data, moisture readings, observations, and clear next steps. Organized so the client and relevant third parties can follow the observations, data, methods and basis for the assessment conclusions.
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Remediation protocol when warranted
If assessment findings support professional remediation, Daniel can write, as an optional add-on quoted separately, the IICRC S520-aligned remediation protocol, scope, containment, methods, and clearance criteria, that the remediation contractor works to. PureSpec does not remediate, so the protocol stays independent of the work crew.
Coverage
Every Sarasota neighborhood, by appointment from Orlando.
Sarasota, and the rest of the Sarasota County metro. Sarasota inspections are scheduled by appointment.
Don’t see your neighborhood? Call (321) 324-7756, Daniel travels to every part of the area by appointment.
FAQ
Sarasota questions, answered.
After Milton, do you still see storm-surge findings on Siesta Key and Lido Key?
Yes. The October 2024 Milton surge into Siesta Key, the south end of Lido, and pockets of Bird Key continues to surface incompletely-dried wall systems, swelled flooring underlayment, and HVAC plenum contamination on resales and rental turn-overs. Independent post-remediation verification can be requested on these properties.
My CIRS-aware physician wants both ERMI and Pathways. Can one inspector run both?
Yes. Daniel holds the Council-certified Microbial Investigator, the NAERMC Certified Mold Hygienist, the Certified Pathways Technician credential, and a B.S. in Microbiology, so the multi-test protocol is performed by one person rather than handed off between practitioners. The CIRS workups in Sarasota are routinely the multi-test stack rather than a single-method assessment.
Can you inspect 1920s Burns Court and Towles Court bungalows?
Yes. Pre-1940 downtown Sarasota inventory has original wood-frame substructures, lath-and-plaster wall systems behind multiple renovation layers, and pier-foundation crawl spaces that more recent inspectors miss. Daniel includes substructure assessment in the entire-property inspection by default.
How much is a mold inspection in Sarasota?
Limited-scope inspections start in the mid-hundreds; entire-property inspections including air sampling start higher and scale with the residence. Siesta Key Gulf-front and barrier-island work is quoted with travel and access in mind. Call (321) 324-7756 for a Sarasota quote.
Do you cover Longboat Key, Venice, and Lakewood Ranch as well?
Yes. All three are part of the Sarasota and Manatee County service area and are routed on the same travel days. Longboat Key, Venice, and Lakewood Ranch each carry distinct findings profiles, with Venice in particular still working through Milton-era restoration.
Nearby cities & towns
Available services