How To Choose The Right Mold Testing Firm

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Copyright © 2007-2008 Daryl Watters


You may be ill because of mold in your home or place of employment, your property value may fall because of mold that bleach and paint just cannot control. If you have a compromised immune system mold may even grow in you lungs or other parts of your body in the form of a systemic fungal infection. However, no requirements exist for mold inspectors nor mold remediators in most states. When choosing a mold testing firm be sure that the professional is familiar with the following.

1) Building construction and building forensics.

Your mold problem is not in a Petri dish or lab but in a home or commercial building. Mold testing should be done by someone who has knowledge of buildings and how to inspect building and not just the mold itself. Your mold inspector should be familiar with vapor barriers, roofing, plumbing, wall structure and wall waterproofing, building pressurization and more to properly diagnose sometimes unusual building failures that have resulted in mold and moisture problems.

2) Psychometrics.

Psychometric pertains to humidity, temperature, dew point and air and how they all influence each other. A deep understanding of the interrelations of these factors might not be important in New York, new jersey, or Florida but in Florida with it's unique hot humid climate it is very important.

3) Biological sciences.

Mold is a living organism many other common indoor allergens are products of biological activities in your house or office, your inspector should understand at least some basic biological and ecological science principles pertaining to microbiology or mycology (the study of mold).

4) HVAC knowledge.

Your mold testing expert must be very familiar with heating ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC systems) because many mold problems are related to HVAC system malfunctions, leaks, or contamination. Contaminated return and supply plenums, and contaminated blower fans and coils are a common hiding place for mold. Properly working HVAC systems can help prevent mold, humidity, and even general indoor air quality problems from ever occurring.

5) Sampling techniques.

Your mold inspector should be properly trained and experienced in investigating and sampling mold, and if needed other bio-allergens, and they should know how to interpret the lab results.

6) Legally defensible reporting documenting findings and recommendations.

Will your mold testing firm leave you with simple lab results?, or a detailed legally defensible mold inspection report that your allergy doctor, insurance adjuster, and attorney will find helpful complete with digital photos and executive summary page showing a summary of the inspectors findings and conclusions? Your inspector should give you a comprehensive mold inspection report form documenting visual findings, environmental monitoring results, interpretation of lab results, inspector's conclusions, recommendations on how to control the mold problem and more.

7) Proper certifications.

Currently there are no requirements that a person must fulfill to call themselves a Florida mold inspector. There is no training required in the state of Florida. In fact, the term "certified mold inspector" is almost meaningless. There are good certification courses but there are also worthless certification training courses for mold inspectors in Florida. In fact as of 2006 few states have licenses for mold inspectors.

Be sure to verify that your mold inspector is one of the following:

Industrial Hygienist or Certified Industrial Hygienist

Board Certified Indoor Environmentalist

Board Certified Indoor Environmental Consultant

You can verify some of the above certifications at theIAQA.org or ImIaq.org web site consultant database.


About the Author:
Daryl Watters has a bachelors degree in education for teaching biology and general science and is a certified mold inspector, certified home inspector, and certified indoor environmentalist providing building inspections in South Florida since 1993. For more information visit http://www.floridamoldinspectors.us http://www.florida-mold-inspection.com

The Most Popular Mold Testing Methods

Article Presented by:
Copyright © 2007-2008 Daryl Watters


Below are the five most widely used methods of taking mold spore samples from the air during mold inspections. They are used by scientists, industrial hygienists, and mold inspectors.

These mold testing methods have been proven over and over by time, legal trial, and third party scientific lab verification for reliability taking into account many complex factors related to aerodynamics and physics. Surface sample methods just do not provide as much quantitative info as the following 5 air sample methods.

1) An Air-O-Cell non viable spore trap with pump calibrated and run at 15 LPM typically run from 1 to 15 min.

2) A Micro5 non viable spore trap with pump calibrated and run at 5 LPM for 1 to 5 min.

3) A CyClex non viable impactor with pump calibrated and run at 20 LPM for 1 to 10 min.

4) A CyClex-d non viable spore trap with pump calibrated and run at 20 LPM for 1 to 10 min.

5) A single stage viable impactor plate, such as an Andersen Impactor or one of it's exact duplicated clones (such as an Aerotech 6, or ems E6 with a pump calibrated and run at 28.3 LPM for 1 to 5 min.

The Cyclex from method # 3 above is not used as much as some other methods because it requires a larger up front investment on the part of the mold testing firm. $400.00 one time purchase of a reusable sampler as apposed to the free one time use plastic cassettes provided y labs. In addition to testing 200 liters of air with each sample the CyClex sampler developed by Environmental Monitoring Systems also has a cut off diameter (d50) the size of the smallest spores, this means tiny pen / asp spores just 2 or 3 microns across do not pass through the device and escape unnoticed. Also, the Cyclex typically samples 200 liters or 1/5 of a cubic meter of air, thats a good amount for an air sampler, the more air sampled the more statically reliable the results.

The first four methods above are non viable spore traps, this means that live and spores are collected in the sample device to give an idea of the total estimated number of spores per cubic meter of air. This sampling method does not miss spores. This is very important because often spores can be allergenic or potentially toxigenic, regardless of whether they are live.

The fifth method above is used for viable air testing. It is not as widely used by mold inspectors because like the CyClex it to has a higher initial investment in equipment around $500.00 for a stainless steel impactor plate with 400 tiny precession drilled holes, as apposed to a simple plastic air testing cassette provided for free by the lab. Also, viable sample results have a longer turn around time 7 to 10 days as apposed to about 3 days for viable methods. Viable sample means that only live mold colonies from live spores or live colony forming units are counted. Though this method does not allow the counting of spores, it is a very important and respected sampling methodology used by professionals for around from the 1950's to the present. It allows for the culture of live mold in the lab. Thus, entire colonies can be examined in the lab for more accurate identification of mold types, sometimes even to the species level.

Indoor v.s. Outdoor Mold Spore Levels

The most widely accepted guideline across the nation to help determine if indoor mold spore levels are indicative of a possible mold problem is the comparison of indoor and outdoor mold spore levels. Indoor mold spore levels should be similar to or lower than levels found outdoors, and the types of mold spores found in indoor mold test samples should be similar to types found in outdoor test samples. The below listed organizations and governing bodies support the above comparison method and have determined that indoor mold spore levels should be similar in number and type to outdoor mold spore levels and types: NYC DOH, ACGIH 1989, Canada M&H CO. 1991, ACGIH 1993, OSHA 1994, and Brazil 2000.


About the Author:
Daryl Watters is president of A Accredited Mold Inspection Service, Inc. He provides home, mold, and indoor air quality investigations in South Florida. He is also the creator of MIR forms designed to aid inspectors in the production of computer generated indoor air quality and mold inspection reports. For more inspection information visit http://www.floridamoldinspectors.us http://www.florida-mold-inspection.com

Mold Inspection Tips For Homeowners

Article Presented by:
Copyright © 2007-2008 Daryl Watters


I once received a call from a potential mold inspection client who feared that she may have hidden mold in her walls. She was concerned about possible hidden mold because a mold inspector told her that the ants observed in her property were a very likely sign of hidden "house mold" because ants eat mold.

Forget about house ants

Before we discuss a few basic tips on how to look for mold and moisture problems around the house lets talk about how not to find mold. Do not depend on ants to let you know if you have mold. In my home state of Florida as well as in the rest of North America ants are not a sign of mold infestation in your house. They are a sign that you have scraps of food or droplets of water in the house that the ants have discovered.

What about leaf cutter ants

Some ants eat mold, but these ants are not found in our homes. They do not even live in the United States. These specialized ants (called leaf cutter ants) live in large, underground colonies in the jungles of Central and South America. Furthermore, these ants do not enter people's houses looking for mold not even in the jungles of Central or South America. They tend to their own private gardens of cut-up leaves covered in fluffy, white mold in underground mold farms. They only consume the mold that they raised in underground mold farms they build, and they only grow and eat a very few specific species of mold. If there are any ants in Florida that eat house mold, I have never seen one - despite having done home inspections since 1993 and mold inspections since 2003. I have seen lots of homes, lots of mold, lots of ants and never once have seen ants in the vicinity of the mold. Most ants probably don't like house mold anymore than humans do because of the natural mycotoxins, beta glucans, allergens, and volatile organic compounds mold produces. In fact, it is predators (such as ants, other insects, and microbes) that prompt molds to produce many of the noxious chemicals most house molds produce.

Check for odors

So what are some signs of mold? if you have had a leak then the first sign of mold will either be musty/moldy odors in the vicinity of the leak. Of course you do not want to be looking for or sniffing for mold, or touching mold if their is even a slight chance that you may have a compromised immune system, allergy, asthma, or any other conditions that would put you at risk of a negative reaction resulting from any form of mold exposure. In addition this article in no way will equip you to conduct your own mold inspection, it is just intended to give you a few simple tips. If you suspect a mold problem contact a certified mold inspector.

Check for odors near your AC ducts

Another trick to check for mold in your house is to turn your AC off for a while, the longer the better but just several minutes will due if you have a serious problem. Next turn your AC back on and immediately stand directly under the path of air flowing from a duct. If your AC unit or your homes ductwork is contaminated with mold you will smell the musty mold odors blowing in your face. Remember do not do this if you are asthmatic, allergic to mold, or have a compromised immune system, do not do this if their exist any chance that you may have any of the above mentioned conditions or any health conditions that could become a problem as the result of exposure to mold.

In ducts the odors build up when the AC is off and may dissipate after the AC has been on for a while. Please note minor moldy odors and minor mold contamination are not unusual in AC units and may not cause a problem for most people. Having a mold inspector sample the air from your ducts may not do you much good because mold in AC units is often vegetative, in other words in may be growing without producing many spores. Further investigation by having an experienced certified mold inspector inspect inside your AC may be of more benefit.

Look for mold on AC registers and coils

Metal AC register grills become cold as air exiting your duct passes through them. If you have high humidity condensation may form on these registers. AC coils are designed to form condensation when you simply use your AC unit in the cooling mode, this feature helps the system to remove humidity from your air. AC registers in humid buildings and coils in any building have a good chance of forming a mold problem. The bottom sides of AC coils sometimes grow large amounts of velvety Grey cladosporium mold or clear jelly like bacteria masses, and AC register form black cladosporium mold. So check your AC registers and coils for mold.

Look for spots in basements and closets

Sometimes mold does not start as the result of a leak in your home but may occur as the result of humidity problems, in such cases the mold typically starts in areas with poor circulation such as in basements, closets, and bathrooms and may spread if your homes humidity is above 60%RH to 65%RH. Mold growing on drywall in bathrooms is typically black cladosporium or it may be pen asp. In closets powdery mildew like white or even powdery light green spots of mold are common. To find these molds look for light spots on black clothes, luggage, and shoes, it does not show well on light colored clothes.

Look for spots on water damaged building materials

Small spots, smug marks, or a powdery residue in the area that became wet is good indication of mold. Most mold spots are black, brown, green, or white. These initial growths of mold are typically very small at just a few millimeters across in the start. One way to tell a smudge mark, a bad paint job, or other marks and stains from mold is to rub it with a dry cloth. Most mold will at least partially rub off or smear and leave a streak mark on the surface. This is because mold is intentionally designed to be friable (easily broken) in addition mold spores are intentionally designed to detach easily for dispersal. Discoloration from scuff marks and paint etc will often not smear easily. Of course this method does not work all the time and is not full proof, but some times it is helpful to a degree in providing some preliminary info on what you may be dealing with.

Check window caulking,

Hidden mold inside walls is common and one of the primary reasons for hidden mold inside walls is window leaks. If you have even minor hairline defects in your window caulking it may let small amounts of rain water or sprinkler system water into your walls. Moderately or Seriously defective caulking causes many mold problems in this mold inspectors experience.

Inspect baseboards

When water enters walls if flows down and soaks into your baseboards and causes them to swell, when they dry they shrink. Swelling and drinking causes baseboards to separate from the wall slightly, you will see a small crack between the top of the baseboard and the wall. Water in your walls that causes baseboards to separate from your walls means water and water in your walls that may have caused mold.

Check tack strips,

Tack strips under your carpet will become stained and rapidly rot if you have water entering your walls. Water in your walls means possible mold in your walls. Peeling your carpet back to see the tack strip located under the perimeters of your carpets may loosen or even damage your carpet, so if your carpet is important to you don't pull it up to check your tack strips.

Don't forget your wallpaper

If heavy wall paper is installed any moisture that enters these walls will become trapped behind the wall paper, moisture trapped behind wall paper mixed with wall paper glue is a perfect recipe for a serious mold problem. During mold inspections wall paper is not typically peeled thus hidden mold may not always be discovered but it is common to find mold hidden behind wall paper. The vast majority of moldy wall paper is on perimeter walls, as apposed to on interior partition walls.

Perimeter walls are the walls of a building that abut the exterior of a building, these walls receive moisture from cracks and defective caulking on the exterior side of the walls. Inspecting behind sections of wall paper may reveal large amounts of hidden mold.

If you think you have a house mold problem and are concerned about possible resulting health problems, do not rely on the tips from this article, do not rely on hungry ants, humidity-seeking silverfish bugs, cheap mold inspectors, petri dishes, or divining rods. Hire a professional mold inspector who utilizes moisture meters, humidity meters, borescopes, and air samples to detect mold problems and who provides professional remediation recommendations.


About the Author:
Daryl Watters is president of A Accredited Mold Inspection Service, Inc. He provides home, mold, and indoor air quality investigations in South Florida. He is also the creator of MIR forms designed to aid inspectors in the production of computer generated indoor air quality and mold inspection reports.

For more inspection information visit http://www.floridamoldinspectors.us
http://www.florida-mold-inspection.com

Toxic Mold Testing Procedures

Article Presented by:
Copyright © 2007-2008 Daryl Watters


During a typical mold investigation, one of our first steps is an interview the client to determine specific details in regards to any known mold problems, any health complaints, or any known changes or defects at the subject property that may have resulted in mold or moisture problems.

Next, a comprehensive visual inspection is conducted of accessible areas of the Florida property, concentrating in areas of known mold problems, in areas where plumbing fixtures and AC units exist and where condensation problems and moisture damage may exist.

Usually inspections and testing takes us about 2 to 3 hours and around 5 to 10 air samples are taken on residential mold investigations, sometimes more and sometimes less. Most testing firms use Air-O Cells or Micro 5 spore traps, however, CyClex, Andersen and other impactor plates are also used. With these airborne spore testing devices at least one outdoor sample is taken as a control for comparison. Samples are used for measurement of spores per cubic meter of air and for identification of mold genus. Some mold testing firms take air samples from inside suspect walls.

Direct samples of actual mold or moldy materials called bulk samples, or impression type samples of mold using simple clear tape or swabs are sometimes taken as well for identification of mold types. Such sampling methods lets the inspector know the type of mold growing on the surface that was sampled, but this provide less information in regards to your air quality.

Because of high humidity in some area such as Florida, both indoor and outdoor readings of humidity are also commonly taken during mold testing.

Temperature and dew point levels should also be monitored.

A moisture meter should be used to measure moisture levels in representative building materials.

Finally, after sample results are returned from the lab, your inspector will rely upon his or her knowledge of your specific buildings conditions, general building sciences, lab result interpretive skills, and interview information they obtained from you to draw conclusions regarding your mold problem. They should also come up with solutions to the problem as well. Information should be communicated to you in the form of a comprehensive and professional written report.

Some examples of the type of information you should expect to find on your report are as follows:

1) The causes of moisture or humidity problems at your property.

2) Did toxic mold testing indicate airborne mold spore levels at your property to be higher than normal.

3) What should be done to professionally and safely correct the mold problem without causing the mold spores to be dispersed during cleanup.


About the Author:
Daryl Watters is president of A Accredited Mold Inspection Service, Inc. He provides home, mold, and indoor air quality investigations in South Florida. He is also the creator of MIR forms designed to aid inspectors in the production of computer generated indoor air quality and mold inspection reports. For more inspection information visit http://www.floridamoldinspectors.us http://www.florida-mold-inspection.com