how to detect mold before moving in?

[Guest guest]

Hello

I have unfortunately had a few mold exposures, so my immune system is quite

sensitive and recovering right now. I'm trying to find a mold-free home in a

moldy place (SF bay area), and thought I could smell/sense it right away, but

that's not always the case.

Any tips for knowing mold is present before moving in (other than the obvious

looking for water damage, musty odors, etc.)?

Thanks so much.

[Guest guest]

If you can afford,  it is well worth having a mold specialist test it.

Have the furnace & ducts cleaned after moving in. A built in humidifier can

harbor mold.

Kathy

<brookemoen@...> wrote:

Subject: [] how to detect mold before moving in?

 

Hello

I have unfortunately had a few mold exposures, so my immune system is quite

sensitive and recovering right now. I'm trying to find a mold-free home in a

moldy place (SF bay area), and thought I could smell/sense it right away, but

that's not always the case.

Any tips for knowing mold is present before moving in (other than the obvious

looking for water damage, musty odors, etc.)?

Thanks so much.

[Guest guest]

brooke,

we are also going thru the same process right now, i understand that you

can purchase a moisture meter and put it up against walls to sense

moisture (don't want that in your walls, don't know if it has to have

rained recently for this to be a useful tool). Also, patch painting

that might be covering up old water leaks.... and I believe that EMFs

increase mold growth ( & are another immune system stressor) & in SF we

have this great combo of old houses having had lots of opportunity for

water damage over the years, old houses built when drainage construction

wasn't highly refined (no french drains, etc., to really fix our house

right would have to tear it down and build proper drainage

underneath....), and cell towers/masts/wifi blanketing the community....

(see antennasearch.org) this is why we have decided to look outside of

SF, but this may involve going a long ways out...don't know, just

starting our search. Also, very frustrating because some of the places

that are w/o cell phone reception (way western marin) are in foggier

areas, hence more outdoor mold growth, drier areas up in sonoma & napa

counties have lots of vineyards and other agriculture = heavy

pesticides....in other words, there is no safe place = pick your poison....

I recently discovered that there is a bay area mcs group where you

can post questions, may be of help to you.

Best of luck, we all need it! Recently back from Dr. Rea's Dallas

clinic, housing is the biggest unserved need of mold, mcs, ei patients.

apparently the founder of planet thrive is starting a nonprofit to try

and tackle this issue, but I met patients who have been looking for safe

housing for 5 years or more w/o luck....

best, sue v.

>Hello

>I have unfortunately had a few mold exposures, so my immune system is

>quite sensitive and recovering right now. I'm trying to find a mold-free

>home in a moldy place (SF bay area), and thought I could smell/sense it

>right away, but that's not always the case.

>Any tips for knowing mold is present before moving in (other than the

>obvious looking for water damage, musty odors, etc.)?

>Thanks so much.

>

[Guest guest]

if you can't afford a mold specialist who with his/her tests can easily

run thousands of dollars, you can do an ERMI test thru mycometrics for

around $600, this will give an idea of the long-term mold picture vs.

mold plates which only capture what falls on the mold plates that

particular day... sue

>

>If you can afford,  it is well worth having a mold specialist test it.

>

>Have the furnace & ducts cleaned after moving in. A built in humidifier

>can harbor mold.

>

>Kathy

>

><brookemoen@...> wrote:

>Subject: [] how to detect mold before moving in?

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

> 

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

> Hello

>

>I have unfortunately had a few mold exposures, so my immune system is

>quite sensitive and recovering right now. I'm trying to find a mold-free

>home in a moldy place (SF bay area), and thought I could smell/sense it

>right away, but that's not always the case.

>

>Any tips for knowing mold is present before moving in (other than the

>obvious looking for water damage, musty odors, etc.)?

>

>Thanks so much.

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

To amplify Sue's excellent response I'd add the clarification to

look for where mold is, or has been, growing. If you simply test

you will find mold (more correctly, mold spores) even when there

is no mold growing anywhere near. That's because mold spores

are in the air all the time everywhere.

You want to find the " mold gardens " and the " mold jungles. "

That's where the problems are.

Also, don't focus only on mold. There is a lot more to indoor air

quality and what our bodies respond to then mold. Chemicals and

fragrances, dander, dust, dust mites and roaches plus rodents.

With dampness there is also bacteria, sometimes more of a

problem than the mold.

Look for living conditions where you feel good and that is where

mold will " feel bad. "

Carl Grimes

Healthy Habitats LLC

-----

if you can't afford a mold specialist who with his/her tests can easily

run thousands of dollars, you can do an ERMI test thru mycometrics for

around $600, this will give an idea of the long-term mold picture vs.

mold plates which only capture what falls on the mold plates that

particular day... sue

>

>If you can afford, it is well worth having a mold specialist test it.

>

>Have the furnace & ducts cleaned after moving in. A built in humidifier

>can harbor mold.

>

>Kathy

>

><brookemoen@...> wrote:

>Subject: [] how to detect mold before moving in?

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

> Hello

>

>I have unfortunately had a few mold exposures, so my immune system

is

>quite sensitive and recovering right now. I'm trying to find a mold-free

>home in a moldy place (SF bay area), and thought I could smell/sense it

>right away, but that's not always the case.

>

>Any tips for knowing mold is present before moving in (other than the

>obvious looking for water damage, musty odors, etc.)?

>

>Thanks so much.

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Carl, I understood everything but the last line below:

>...

>

> Look for living conditions where you feel good and that is where

> mold will " feel bad. "

>

> Carl Grimes

> Healthy Habitats LLC

>

>

[Guest guest]

It is a little opaque, isn't it. What I mean is that the environment

determines which life forms that are present will thrive and which

won't.

Camels don't live in the ocean and whales don't live in the desert.

These are extreme and ridiculous examples but true nontheless.

So let's look at something less extreme. A water damaged house

is where mold growth will thrive but people won't. A dry and well

maintained house is where people will thrive but mold won't. So

find a house where you feel good and that is where mold won't.

On the other hand, find a house where mold thrives, and that is

where people won't.

Does that help?

Carl Grimes

Healthy Habitats LLC

-----

Carl, I understood everything but the last line below:

--- In , " Carl E. Grimes " <grimes@...>

wrote:

>...

>

> Look for living conditions where you feel good and that is where

> mold will " feel bad. "

>

> Carl Grimes

> Healthy Habitats LLC

>

>

[Guest guest]

There are many professional tests, but none of them will work as well as

sleeping in the home for 3 or 4 days, which is the only thing I would recommend,

as I have bought a house that I sat in all day to test, then had it

professionally inspected and tested, and it still killed me after 3 days of

living there. Some people say to get as clear as possible, walk into the house .

assume a pushup position on the floor, breathe deeply and monitor you heart

beat, if you get palpitations, run away. I do this with objects to good effect,

but for buying or renting, I would insist on sleeping a few days in the house.

Find a sympathetic real-estate person to work with you, and they can write a

contract dependent on your 3 or 4 day check.

>

> Hello

> I have unfortunately had a few mold exposures, so my immune system is quite

sensitive and recovering right now. I'm trying to find a mold-free home in a

moldy place (SF bay area), and thought I could smell/sense it right away, but

that's not always the case.

> Any tips for knowing mold is present before moving in (other than the obvious

looking for water damage, musty odors, etc.)?

> Thanks so much.

>

[Guest guest]

Excellent point. So mold will feel 'bad' themselves. I thought you meant mold

will feel bad to us in a good place.

>

> It is a little opaque, isn't it. What I mean is that the environment

> determines which life forms that are present will thrive and which

> won't.

>

> Camels don't live in the ocean and whales don't live in the desert.

> These are extreme and ridiculous examples but true nontheless.

>

> So let's look at something less extreme. A water damaged house

> is where mold growth will thrive but people won't. A dry and well

> maintained house is where people will thrive but mold won't. So

> find a house where you feel good and that is where mold won't.

> On the other hand, find a house where mold thrives, and that is

> where people won't.

>

> Does that help?

>

> Carl Grimes

> Healthy Habitats LLC

>

[Guest guest]

http://www.mold-dog.com/

> >Subject: [] how to detect mold before moving in?

> >

> >

> >Hello

> >

> >I have unfortunately had a few mold exposures, so my immune system is

> >quite sensitive and recovering right now. I'm trying to find a mold-free

> >home in a moldy place (SF bay area), and thought I could smell/sense it

> >right away, but that's not always the case.

> >

> >Any tips for knowing mold is present before moving in (other than the

> >obvious looking for water damage, musty odors, etc.)?

> >

> >Thanks so much.

[Guest guest]

I'm a dog lover, I just cant find reasoning to put a dog through this.

dog's get this illness too.

> > >Subject: [] how to detect mold before moving in?

> > >

> > >

> > >Hello

> > >

> > >I have unfortunately had a few mold exposures, so my immune system is

> > >quite sensitive and recovering right now. I'm trying to find a mold-free

> > >home in a moldy place (SF bay area), and thought I could smell/sense it

> > >right away, but that's not always the case.

> > >

> > >Any tips for knowing mold is present before moving in (other than the

> > >obvious looking for water damage, musty odors, etc.)?

> > >

> > >Thanks so much.

>