Re: Mold Testing..............

[Guest guest]

Well, this sounds silly but I would say someone who can smell it. If I walk

into a building with mold I can smell it right away!

Good luck, Alice

melliewick68 <tmwick@...> wrote:

What is the best way to test for mold in your home??

I have heard that the petree dish is really not very reliable?

Any input would be appreciated.

TIA

------------------------------------

FAIR USE NOTICE:

[Guest guest]

You are right about settling plates not being reliable.

Unfortunately, none of the others are either, even if conducted by

professionals. Not because of them, but because there is no

definitive test for mold. Is it in the air or just inside walls? Testing

only finds spores and not the other half dozen or so components

that people react to. If you don't find some mold then something

was wrong the test. It also DEPENDS on what you are trying to

find out.

The most common question is whether or not mold is causing

your complaints and whether you should move or stay. Testing

can provide some information but testing by itself cannot provide

the answer. That's because there are no safety levels for mold.

Also, all mold results still have to be interpreted. And this leads to

the most important part of the issue:

You need a comprehensive inspection of the building to see if

you are being exposed to mold or chemicals or dander or

whatever. But exposure isn't enough. You need to know what you

react to. If exposed but not reactive then there is no complaint. If

reactive but not exposed there is no complaint.

To properly interpret mold testing results you need to know the

environmental conditions of the building. Such things as

moisture, leaks, condensation, building materials, systems,

psychrometry and portions of several other disciplines.

For example, I reviewed lab reports today where 6 months after

the mold was remediated the mold levels were higher. They

thought that was why there were sick. Gathering other

information revealed the mold was remediated properly and when

the second samples were taken, the windows were open right

near a composed pile and other decaying matter.

I wish there were a simple way, but there isn't. However, that

doesn't mean answers can't determined. Mold testing by itself

doesn't do it.

Carl Grimes

Healthy Habitats LLC

-----

> What is the best way to test for mold in your home??

> I have heard that the petree dish is really not very reliable?

> Any input would be appreciated.

> TIA

[Guest guest]

Carl, I wasn't able to get hold of you when I called

(messages/voicemail full). If you know you have a mold area why not

tape test it? For instance my bathroom, I saw years ago when the tiles

came off and the handyman grouted them back on, that the sheetrock was

blackened. I thought it might be mold and he said no. Ever since,

periodically black gooky mold slowly grows onto the grouting, and I

think its growing from behind. I want to tape test it because if it's

stachy its more serious than if its some common mildew.

>

> You are right about settling plates not being reliable.

> Unfortunately, none of the others are either, even if conducted by

> professionals. Not because of them, but because there is no

> definitive test for mold. Is it in the air or just inside walls?

Testing

> only finds spores and not the other half dozen or so components

> that people react to. If you don't find some mold then something

> was wrong the test. It also DEPENDS on what you are trying to

> find out.

>

> The most common question is whether or not mold is causing

> your complaints and whether you should move or stay. Testing

> can provide some information but testing by itself cannot provide

> the answer. That's because there are no safety levels for mold.

> Also, all mold results still have to be interpreted. And this leads to

> the most important part of the issue:

>

> You need a comprehensive inspection of the building to see if

> you are being exposed to mold or chemicals or dander or

> whatever. But exposure isn't enough. You need to know what you

> react to. If exposed but not reactive then there is no complaint. If

> reactive but not exposed there is no complaint.

>

> To properly interpret mold testing results you need to know the

> environmental conditions of the building. Such things as

> moisture, leaks, condensation, building materials, systems,

> psychrometry and portions of several other disciplines.

>

> For example, I reviewed lab reports today where 6 months after

> the mold was remediated the mold levels were higher. They

> thought that was why there were sick. Gathering other

> information revealed the mold was remediated properly and when

> the second samples were taken, the windows were open right

> near a composed pile and other decaying matter.

>

> I wish there were a simple way, but there isn't. However, that

> doesn't mean answers can't determined. Mold testing by itself

> doesn't do it.

>

> Carl Grimes

> Healthy Habitats LLC

>

> -----

> > What is the best way to test for mold in your home??

> > I have heard that the petree dish is really not very reliable?

> > Any input would be appreciated.

> > TIA

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Carl,

Thanks very much for this clarification. Along these lines, I have a question

for you. We had an industrial hygenist come in and test for mold. They used air

samples that they got by (sadly, I will have to describe it in lay terms)

putting a mold plate in a machine that pulled air in it. It had a little metal

tube at the top that sucked in the air. He did one in a central part of the home

that he ran for a good long time, well over an hour, maybe longer. Then he did

the same in each room for about five - ten minutes. He said he was testing for

(please excuse me if I het the terminology wrong here) funguses, mold spores and

I think perhaps mycotoxins? Is that something that an air sample would pick up?

He did voc testing as well, moisture tests on the walls of the house, but not

one for bacteria. I recall that you mentioned the very important point that dead

spores won't be picked up by air samples but can still be a health problem. What

if I may are the

" other half dozen or so components that people react to " ? This would be related

to a roof leak that caused interior water damage in two rooms, crawl space and

hvac system. I realize that this can only be a general response as you would

really have to know and have seen more. But I am just wanting to wrap my head

around what else might we look into for testing and whatever remediation steps

would need to be taken. I'm hopeing to be able to address things more

knowledgably with the people we are presently working with so as to make sure

that things are done as thoroughly as possible. Our area is limited for the kind

of help that I've come to being to understand from this list, is available

elswhere. I've been learning so much in the last few weeks since joining this

list.

If you have already, addressed this, please save yourself the time and if you

would kindly direct me to a post, I'll look it up. Thanks for the help you've

given us all and for your valuable time and expertise. Many thanks.

Sam

> You are right about settling plates not being reliable.