Guest guest Posted July 31, 2008 Report Share Posted July 31, 2008 If I were looking at another abode, I would absolutely ERMI test before signing a contract. I moved into a little cottage on our property only after we confirmed a low ERMI score (1.72). You do it yourself (most of us can vacuum) and mail it in. If you need it faster, pay for a 2 day turnaround. Jackie > > > > The DNA dust test is called ERMI for Environmental Relative > Moldiness Index > > > > I have found 3 labs that offer the test: > > mycometrics.com Dr Lin collaborates with Dr Shoemaker cost $290 > > cleanairlabs.com cost $195 > > emsl.com cost $175 plus kit for 5 day turn around time and shipping, > ask for this price > > otherwise they will give you a kit for $299 > > > > Whoever you chose, call them for the kit. > > > > This test really let us see how bad our house was. I now have a > myriad of friends who have > > done the test and it helps to clarify things about your home, > including if you just bought a > > mold castle (one friend has). > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 31, 2008 Report Share Posted July 31, 2008 Jackie, Can you tell me how you do the ERMI test? --- In , " Jackie " <jackiedevries@...> wrote: > > If I were looking at another abode, I would absolutely ERMI test before signing a contract. > I moved into a little cottage on our property only after we confirmed a low ERMI score > (1.72). You do it yourself (most of us can vacuum) and mail it in. If you need it faster, pay > for a 2 day turnaround. > > Jackie > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 31, 2008 Report Share Posted July 31, 2008 ERMI is a valuable test and a better screening method than most, certainly better than settling plates from hardware stores. Keep in mind it is one piece of information to be evaluated within the context of a good visual and an inspection using other tools mentioned in previous e-mails in this thread. I would be greatly encouraged by a low ERMI score but it does not guarantee the house is " safe " of other exposure sources, from molds not included in the ERMI test, water damage-type bacteria, etc. In other words, the ERMI score itself is not definitive. ERMI is prone to positive results that are false (a glitch in the formula that hasn't been corrected yet), so just because you have a high score doesn't necessarily mean the house is bad. The ultimate test regardless of any testing, however, is your experience. Does it make you sick or are reaction free? What is needed to improve how you feel in the house? Carl Grimes Healthy Habitats LLC ----- > If I were looking at another abode, I would absolutely ERMI test before signing a contract. > I moved into a little cottage on our property only after we confirmed a low ERMI score > (1.72). You do it yourself (most of us can vacuum) and mail it in. If you need it faster, pay > for a 2 day turnaround. > > Jackie > > > > > > > > The DNA dust test is called ERMI for Environmental Relative > > Moldiness Index > > > > > > I have found 3 labs that offer the test: > > > mycometrics.com Dr Lin collaborates with Dr Shoemaker cost $290 > > > cleanairlabs.com cost $195 > > > emsl.com cost $175 plus kit for 5 day turn around time and shipping, > > ask for this price > > > otherwise they will give you a kit for $299 > > > > > > Whoever you chose, call them for the kit. > > > > > > This test really let us see how bad our house was. I now have a > > myriad of friends who have > > > done the test and it helps to clarify things about your home, > > including if you just bought a > > > mold castle (one friend has). > > > > > > > > > > ------------------------------------ > > FAIR USE NOTICE: > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 31, 2008 Report Share Posted July 31, 2008 I wouldn't buy anything without giving it the snif test in July or August. From my experience and everything I've read here it going to be something individualized by your experiences. My house never tested badly but never smelled quite right in the summertime. Moved into a newish extended stay hotel with LOTS of chemicials and did very well. Moved into a small old apartment that tested okay, with hardwood floor and did horribly..much, much worse than the house I was avoiding. It had strong odors in basement and hallways. I believe I didn't detect odor in apartment because of air movement and actitity in apartment. When I visited place, people who were moving out were there, were cooking and I believe the food they were cooking masked the musty odor, and in the basement and lobby sour smell. The apartment was getting air circulated by air conditioner and they were cooking. When that all stopped, when they moved out and just before I moved in, apartment started to smell musty too. The place looked poorly maintained but I went strickly by test I took. Ignored what I saw because I figured it was old, and ignored musty odor in basement and lobby because didn't smell it in apartment and frankly was very very TIRED of looking for some place. I really think the visual test and sniff test the best along with a few lab tests. As May says close the doors for a day or two and then open them. Do any of the rooms have an odor different from other rooms or not smell right? Whole house closed up for one day without air on, what's it smell like. That's what it will smell like any day electricity goes off and you are stuck without air conditioning. I think these tests are very hard for a sick house to pass. --- In , " jill1313 " <jenbooks13@...> wrote: > > Hi....in house hunting, do you think this is a useful test before one Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 31, 2008 Report Share Posted July 31, 2008 Incidentally, it may seem obvious that noone would buy a house that smelled BUT what I have found is that you get 'olfactory fatique' very quickly with ORGANIC odors. Maybe because they are so natural and we are so accustomed to organic odors, as opposed to chemical smells. It is something you will smell for about a minute or two and then your nose is accustomed to it and you won't smell it any longer, until you go outside for a long enough time to become accustomed to another area smell, or fresh air, and then you go back inside. I think this is reason why people can live around mold and not know it. You get accustomed to the odor quickly and don't notioe any longer, so home smells okay, once you are there a few minutes. Even if you noticed smell at first, if it doesn't last, why WORRY??? Why worry about something that isn't there any longer?? Doesn't last long enough to make you worry!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 1, 2008 Report Share Posted August 1, 2008 The ERMI kit comes with one or two plastic collectors that go on the nozzle of your vacuum cleaner. You vacuum a 3x6 square foot area (carpeted or hard flooring) in two locations - typically a bedroom and a living room/family room. I don't remember if total vacuum time is 5 minutes or 5 minutes per location - basically this is like having one of those narrow plastic wands on your vacuum and you go back and forth many times to pickup the dust in your 3x6 foot area. You cap the plastic collector(s) after vacuuming, fill out a form and mail it in to the lab. Depending on the lab and what you've paid, within a few days to a week, you've got your results in an email. > > > > If I were looking at another abode, I would absolutely ERMI test > before signing a contract. > > I moved into a little cottage on our property only after we confirmed > a low ERMI score > > (1.72). You do it yourself (most of us can vacuum) and mail it in. If > you need it faster, pay > > for a 2 day turnaround. > > > > Jackie > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 1, 2008 Report Share Posted August 1, 2008 Does anyone do ERMI testing for people other than indoor air q people? --- In , " Jackie " <jackiedevries@...> wrote: > > The ERMI kit comes with one or two plastic collectors that go on the nozzle of your > vacuum cleaner. You vacuum a 3x6 square foot area Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 1, 2008 Report Share Posted August 1, 2008 theres also a hudge difference in smell related to the situation and weither theres a high moisture problem or standing water vs. a ,pre drier or off and on leaks such as roof leaks. even a difference in smell relared to if the mold is above you, as in the roof or floor above vs. under the house with crawl space,dirt,ect. if you have had considerable sinus and olfactory damage you might not be able to depend on your smeller but maybe more so or brain and lung reactions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 1, 2008 Report Share Posted August 1, 2008 ps, if all you can smell is paint and theres a dehumidifer in the basement,weither it's on or off,run! > > Incidentally, it may seem obvious that noone would buy a house that > smelled BUT what I have found is that you get 'olfactory fatique' very > quickly with ORGANIC odors. Maybe because they are so natural and we > are so accustomed to organic odors, as opposed to chemical smells. It > is something you will smell for about a minute or two and then your > nose is accustomed to it and you won't smell it any longer, until you > go outside for a long enough time to become accustomed to another area > smell, or fresh air, and then you go back inside. I think this is > reason why people can live around mold and not know it. You get > accustomed to the odor quickly and don't notioe any longer, so home > smells okay, once you are there a few minutes. Even if you noticed > smell at first, if it doesn't last, why WORRY??? Why worry about > something that isn't there any longer?? Doesn't last long enough to > make you worry!! > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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