How Important Is Testing Mold for Professional Mold Inspectors
The question comes up over and over again. Is testing mold and mold identification important in regard to a mold inspector’s opinions and recommendations? To learn more, keep reading this article. For a mold inspection service in South Florida please visit our website. For part II to this article click here.
WHEN TESTING MOLD IS NOT HELPFUL ?
When doctors are treating microbial infections in humans, they may prescribe one type of antibiotic that attacks the cell walls of bacteria, and another that works best on the cell walls of fungus. Still other types of medications are used when treating parasitic infections. However, the same methodology is never used when treating mold infestations in homes. Therefore, knowing the species of mold is not important when determining how to get rid of mold growth in the home.
GETTING RID OF MOLD IS YOUR REAL GOAL
In homes mold is not treated with chemicals containing species specific antibiotics. This is far different than what is done in the human body. So, it does not matter what type of mold we are dealing with if the goal is to get rid of the mold. Thus, testing mold is not always important.
I know you may be thinking about toxic black mold right about now. It does not matter if it is toxic or not, the same methodology is used to get rid of all molds. During mold remediation in homes and other buildings mold is sprayed with harsh wide spectrum antimicrobial chemicals. Next, entire sections of the wall are ripped off and tossed into thick plastic bags. No need for testing mold to know the name of the mold. No need to identify the species we are killing. It is all treated, ripped out, and disposed of. This is done in the exact same way regardless of the type being remediated.
When you remove weeds from your garden you do not always know the name of the weed. You just rip it out by the roots. Mold gets the same treatment. In most cases an experienced and certified mold inspector can see water damage and mold growth and ascertain from this what needs to be removed.
WHAT INFLUENCES MOLD REMOVAL IF IT IS NOT MOLD TYPE?
When mold removal specialists and mold inspectors prepare specific removal recommendations it is never based on the type of mold they are removing. Even when a decision is made as to what type of protective gear to wear. It is not based on the toxicity level of the mold being remediated. Protective gear use decisions, and removal methods are always based on the amount of mold being removed and not the type. Here are the nation’s top leading industry standard mold removal guidelines so you can see for yourself.
WHEN IS TESTING MOLD HELPFUL ?
Though testing mold is not usually needed, it is true that it has some benefits. Below is a partial list of some reason why we test for mold.
ESTABLISH THE EXTENT AND LEVEL OF CONTAMINATION
Testing for mold spores is helpful to determine the number of spores in your air. It can also be utilized to tell us how far the spores have spread, in a given buildings air. An inspector can have a very general idea as to how contaminated a building’s air is by considering the amount of flooding and water damage present. This is obviously not 100% accurate. To get a better idea of how many spores there are in the air we can test the air for mold spores.
ESTABLISH IF IT IS AN INFECTIONS TYPE
Andersen impactor plate for viable testing of mold spores.
Another example of when it is important to test is in cases related it fungal infections. If a homeowner has Aspergillosis fungal infection in the lungs then it is beneficial to take viable samples. Viable mold samples allow us to determine if levels of Aspergillus flavus in the home are elevated. If the client has a deadly Mucor infection in the sinuses then we can test for mucor in the home. In the last few decades of testing for mold, I have conducted inspections for clients with infections caused by fungus around four times. If building occupants are suffering from fungal infections, we utilize an Anderson impactor to sample so that mold can be identified to the species level.
In the vast majority of the cases client health issues seem to be induces by exposure to allergens and irritants induced by exposure to mold spores or other allergens. These types of reactions are not related to the type of mold. It is related to the amount of mold in the indoor air and is related to the sensitivity level of the clients residing in the contaminated building.
TESTING MOLD TO DETERMINE MOLD CAUSE
Another benefit of identifying mold types is it can give us clues as to what caused the mold. Certain molds grow only in very specific home environments. Some molds like Chaetomium, Fusarium, Stachybotrys, Memnoniella, and Aspergillus Niger, are found after flooding occurs. I have use the identification of these fungi to show in legal cases that the mold was caused by flooding in the home.
TESTING MOLD TO DETERMINE MOLD AGE
Another application of testing mold is to get a basic idea of if you have old growth or new growth. The presence of a large growth of Stachybotrys can be utilized to establish evidence that the mold is older growth and not very new. This mold often does not become established quickly after flooding. This mold grows relatively slowly once it is established. I have used this information on a couple of expert witness investigations to help establish that the growth was old, several months or years old, vs. days or weeks old.
THE IMPORTANT QUESTIONS TO ANSWER DURING MOLD TESTING
In the vast majority of cases the important answers do not come from testing the mold growth in your home. A mold inspector’s time and resources are far better spent on inspecting your property than testing your air and swabbing your walls. The important answers come from doing a detailed hours-long investigation of the property in question. The important answers come from using the mold inspector’s eyes, nose, tools, and problem-solving skills. Samples are not helpful for uncovering the location of fungal growth, and the building defects that caused it. More than 90% of a consultants truly helpful information comes not from the samples, but from the inspection part of the investigation.
1) What are the causes and origins of moisture, condensation, or humidity problem that resulted in fungal proliferation?
2) How extensive is the houses mold problem and how contaminated is the air?
3) How to remediate the fungal problem so it does not come back.
So why does our South East Florida mold inspector test mold during inspections? And why do we answer questions such as what types of molds are growing on my walls? And “is it the bad toxic stuff?” The answer is simple, we do the testing and identification because clients want us to identify it. We sample and identify it for you because we have a duty to answer your questions while we simultaneously explain how to get rid of it.
WHAT IS OUR GOAL AT A ACCREDITED MOLD INSPECTION SERVICE
For your benefit we always test, sample, identify, and describe your mold, while simultaneously doing the real job of trying to figure out:
- How extensive the growth is?
- Where it is?
- Why is it present?
- And what needs to be done to correct the root of the problem?
Many people want our West Palm Beach mold testing specialist to tell them if they have some insidious scary toxic black mold growth. They very often ask if they move, will it follow them in their clothes furniture. This is how homeowners and even some unqualified certified mold inspectors have looked at it for years.
In Conclusion
In conclusion, our professional mold testing consultant must always be sensitive to our paying customers needs. We identify the type of mold our customers’ have. At the same time, we must get them to understand why it is growing in their home. And how to attack the root cause, and how it can be eradicated without contaminating the rest of the home. This has been our philosophy from 2003 to the present.
About the Author:
A Accredited Mold Inspection Service has provided mold inspections since 2003. For mold inspections in all of South Florida please visit our website. For part II to this article click here.