I Have A Total Spore Count Of 2520 And I’m Told I Need To Remediate Now Then I Have Os Baseline Total Spores Is 3486
I recommend holding off on remediation until you have more information. The total spore count is of limited value. You need to know the spore counts of individual types of mold spores. This is because some spores are commonly found in very high levels in the outside air.
For example, the 80th percentile for December in Washington is 5,000. This means 20% of the time, Basidiospores are found at levels over 5,000 in the normal outside air. If your indoor sample consisted mostly of this type of mold, it would not indicate a mold problem. It simply means the mold spores floated in through the door. This is why indoor mold spore counts should always be compared to outside averages.
In general, extensive remediation is not recommended unless the indoor counts are multiple times higher than the outside figures .
Professional Testing For Mold
We recommend having a professional come in and conduct testing for mold if you arent sure youve located all the mold in your home or if youre having health problems that might be related to mold. Most professionals that do mold testing are actually engineers and they are trained to conduct mold tests with precision to ensure accurate results. They also know where to test for mold in order to make sure all the mold in the home is located. Their tests can tell you what type or types of mold is growing in your home, information which may help your physician in formulating the best treatment plan if youre suffering from mold-related health problems. A certified mold tester can also tell you the expected and safe levels of mold in the home and let you know if the levels in your home are unusual or unsafe. For a list of certified mold testers in your area, follow the link.
Additional Reading:
Home Mold Test Kit Reviews – Although the home mold testing kits are generally inaccurate and the results vary greatly due to improper testing techniques and handling, we get questions about them every week. To answer those questions we have published our reviews of the most popular home testing kits for mold.
Mold Test Kit Intructions
STEP 1: PREPARING THE PETRI DISH
1. Remove the petri dish from the plastic bag and place it on a level surface.
2. Remove the top lid of the petri dish and pour the bottle of mold growth medium into the bottom of the dish.
3. Replace the lid and swirl gently until the bottom is completely covered.
4. Allow to gel for one hour before removing the lid.
* NOTICE CONCERNING THE APPEARANCE OF THE PRO-LAB® PETRI DISH. The petri dish bottom contains a special pretreated layer that under certain conditions may appear cloudy. This DOES NOT indicate contamination and WILL NOT interfere with the performance or effectiveness of the Mold test kit.
STEP 2: CHOOSE YOUR SAMPLING METHOD
METHOD 1: SETTLING AIR SAMPLING
Place the prepared petri dish on a level surface in the location you want to test. Remove the top lid of the petri dish and leave it open to the air for one hour. After the one hour test is complete, replace the lid and allow to incubate for 48 hours. Re-check the dish for any slow growing mold at 72 hours and 96 hours. If any mold growth is present after this incubation period, proceed to the lab results directions.
METHOD 2: HVAC AIR SAMPLING
METHOD 3: VISUAL SAMPLING
METHOD 4: BULK SAMPLE:
Place a small piece of material to be tested inside the plastic bag. It is not necessary to use the petri dish with the bulk sample. Proceed to the lab results directions.
STEP 3: LAB RESULTS DIRECTIONS
n Standard Results within 7 days, $40 lab fee
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Professional Denver Mold Testing
Much like the biggest benefit to DIY mold testing is the cost, the biggest drawback to professional mold testing is the cost. In fact, the reason professional mold testing is not typically the first action to take is because it is costly. Thats why professionals recommend a mold inspection and trying to clean the problem before testing. However, as stated above, sometimes a mold test is necessary in order to gauge the severity of the problem or to motivate your landlord to take action. And as in most cases, you get what you pay for.
What you pay for, in the case of professional mold testing, is expertise and someone elses labor, so that you essentially dont have to do anything. A professional tester will know exactly how to take the test and what factors to consider. While everyones susceptibility to mold is different, theyll be able to give you the best general idea of the severity of your mold problem as well as the steps to take from there. Theyre well acquainted with the different types of mold, including all those that are potentially toxic.
DIY mold testing can seem tempting, especially in our DIY heavy culture, but ultimately if you can afford it, a professional Denver mold testing will give you more accurate results and peace of mind at the end of the day.You want to be sure about the safety of your home, not pretty sure.
Our Air Conditioning Motor Failed This Summer In Fl And Our 34′ X 14′ Mobile Home With Attached 28’x10′ Air Conditioned Lanai Were Subjected To High Humidity And Heat For Several Weeks Before The A/c Unit Was Fixed The Mold Is Visible So No Testing Was Done After Remediation Is Complete And We Do A Post
Good question. While pre-testing is certainly ideal, you can still verify the completion of the project without it. Instead of comparing the post remediation data to pre-remediation numbers, youll need to compare the spore counts to average data in your region. In some ways, this is even more accurate. For example, if the average count for Cladosporium is 1,100 and your home contains 500 spores, your home is clean. Many inspectors do not provide this kind of data, so youll likely need to contact several companies.
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Mold Test Kit Reviews
We are often asked about a mold test kit that homeowners can use to test their homes for mold. Mold testing kits are available at many home improvement stores and can also be purchased online. They are fairly effective when used correctly but the test must be conducted in a very precise way in order to get accurate results. In addition, some mold testing kits only test for a few kinds of mold while there are hundreds of types of mold that can be found growing in homes in the U.S. Read the information provided with your mold test kit to see what types of mold it will identify.
Last July I Was Told That I Should Move Out Of My Home Right Away Because Of Dangerous Mold Since Then The Insurance Company Has Refused To Pay For Remediation And I Have Been Paying Rent And Wondering How I Will Be Able To Save Money To Get Back Into My Home I Have Been Wondering Lately If I Reacted Too Rashly And Wonder If They Were Just Hoping I Would Pay For Remediation I Live Inland In Sw Florida What Do You Think About All Of This
The mold testing report indicates the outside air had a higher mold spore count than the air inside your home. This is a good sign and certainly is no cause for vacating the property, unless there was substantial visible mold growth. We see this situation quite often. The industry is full of unscrupulous inspectors who stoke fears by misinterpreting results.
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We Are Having The Tub Changed To A Shower In A Bathroom The Contractor Not The Inspector Pointed Out This Area As Moldthey Sent Someone To Test It But Yet To Show Us A Report We Have Only Been Told The Test Was Positive For Mold This Is A Small Area Inside The Wall It Is Not Wet Could I Be Getting Scammed
Mold growth behind a tub or shower surround is quite common. If its dry, the mold is no longer active/growing. In the majority of these situations, professional mold remediation is not necessary. The contractor can simply remove or clean the affected materials. The new shower surround will completely seal off any lingering
Had Mold In Crawlspace Remediated 25 Years Ago Inspector Said Tiny Bit Of Mold There Now But Not Enough To Cause Our Ermi Result Over 15 No Visible Mold In House Proper We Didn’t Clean All Surfaces After Initial Remediation Could Enough Mycotoxins Remain From Then To Cause Current Ermi Score If So Do House Fogs Work Or Must We Clean Every Individual Item In The House To Get Rid Of The Mycotoxins
ERMI testing is not accurate and should not be used for residential mold investigations. Please read our article on ERMI Testing. ERMI testing cannot differentiate between spores from last week vs. 10 years ago. It also cannot differentiate between a systemic, long term issue vs. a single, one-time event. I recommend hiring a company that uses non-viable air sampling. This is the industry gold standard technique and can determine the current state of your indoor air quality.
In general, I do not recommend house fogging. It is far better to remove the contaminants than to attempt to neutralize them. Fogging can be useful when dealing with viruses or bacteria. In those situations, your goal is to kill the organism. With mold growth, we need to physically remove the spores from the home. Therefore, HEPA vacuuming and damp wiping are much more effective.
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Are Home Depot Mold Tests Accurate
. Its unique design can detect more than 32 common mold types and uses the same. However the do-it-yourself mold tests are very limited. Buy Online and Pick Up in Store.
Ad Read Customer Reviews Find Best Sellers. It also happens to be one of the. Mold Test Kit The PRO-LAB DIY Mold Test Kit Includes 3 The PRO-LAB DIY Mold Test Kit Includes 3 different sample methods that test for all mold types.
Scientific and Government studies support the use of the type of viable mold testing kits offered by Home Mold Laboratory. Shop Online and Save on the Products You Need to Complete Your Project. Mold testing kits are available at many home improvement stores and.
It also happens to be one of the easiest test kits to use since the supplies are ready to use right out. My Mold Detective Room Test Kit. Using the same proven lateral flow assay technology employed in medical labs Validated in an EPA-licensed and AIHA-accredited environmental lab as the most sensitive and.
The Home Mold Laborator Viable Mold Test Kit provides accurate results. All those weve tested have had major problems and are not reliable. But it clearly shows the growth of black mold.
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Its not necessary to hire a professional to test your home for mold. This high-end Healthful Home test kit comes with an air sampling pump and the supplies needed to complete three tests. Free 2-Day Shipping wAmazon Prime.
My Daughter Lives In An Apartment That Apparently Had A Mold Problem With Remediation Before She Moved In Attached Is A Report That Was Recently Done According To The Person Who Arranged The Inspection The Counts Are Bad According To The Landlord The Counts Are Much Better My Daughter Really Does Not Know What Is Going On With All Of This We Are Thinking Of Having Another Inspection Where I Can Be More Involved And Help Her Figure This Out Wondering What You Opinion Is Of The Report There Was Mold From A Leak In The Closet Which Has Been Fixed I Think There Was Mold Around The Outer Part Of The Building Thank You
Its difficult to make an accurate conclusion without knowing the annual/monthly averages for your area. The count in the master bedroom appears slightly elevated. However, it is likely within levels periodically found in the outside air. For comparison, a home with a serious mold issue can have upwards of 5,000+ mold spores per cubic meter. The spore counts in the outside control are quite low. In our area a total outside count of 300 would be very unusual. If it happens to rain on the day of testing it can wildly alter the outside control. This can create an artificially high or low comparison of your indoor results. I prefer to use monthly averages instead of the outside control at your house. Ask if your inspector can provide you with these numbers.
Mold growth on the outside of the building will typically not impact the indoor air quality.
If the results of the air testing are inconclusive, I recommend focusing on moisture and fresh air ventilation. If humidity levels remain below 65%, mold growth will not occur . You can buy an expensive humidity gauge on Amazon or your local hardware store.
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I Had A Mold Test Done In 2 Areas Of My House They Came Back Positive For Mold In These Areas After Remediation They Only Tested The Living Room Which Was Not Affected At All Not The Original 2 Rooms Why Would They Test An That Wasn’t Affected Instead Where They Remediated
Good question. In most scenarios, a clearance sample is collected within the containment/ remediation zone. This is to prove the mold spore counts have returned to normal levels. Occasionally an additional sample is collected from outside the remediation zone to check for cross contamination. I cant think of a scenario where one would only collect a sample from the adjacent rooms and not within original remediation zone.
Which Mold Test Kit Is Best
Mold growth in your home is more than just unpleasant. Foul odors, property damage and health complications such as asthma, skin irritation and respiratory issues can all occur as a direct result of living where mold and mold spores are present.
The DIY Mold Test from Mold Inspection Network provides homeowners with an affordable and simple way to check for potentially harmful mold growth. This products easy instructions and detailed laboratory analysis make it the best home mold test kit currently available.
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Mold Testing Kits Review
We looked at some popular home test kits to see what consumers thought of them.
IAQ IAQ offers relatively low cost test kit that test for 32 common types of household mold, including Stachybotrys chartarum, sometimes referred to as black mold. This test kit provides results in just five minutes. Most consumers that bought this test kit said the instructions were easy to follow and they liked the fact that they got the results in just five minutes. However, this kit only tests one specific area for mold and some consumers felt that for the price, they should have been able to test more than one area one consumer said the area he tested got a negative result but when he had a professional come to test his home for mold, visible mold was found in nearby areas. Rating: 4/10
First Alert First Alert offers low cost testing kits that test up to nine areas of the home for mold. The test will tell you if mold is found but if you want to know what type of mold, you need to send the samples to their lab for analysis. There is an extra charge for that service. A number of consumers that purchased First Alert mold test kids complained that it took a very long time to get the results back and some said they never received the results although they paid the extra lab fee. Because of the way this test is administered it is not considered accurate. Rating 3/10
Hi The Outdoor Basidiospores Ct/m3 Is 1157 Yet The Indoor Is 10258 Is That A Problem The Total Spores/m3 Indoors Is 13677 And Outdoors Is 1788
Basidiospores are distinct from other types of spores found in IAQ tests. In most cases, they come from the outside air . If they are truly growing in your home, it is likely due to mushrooms or wood rot. I recommend examining the crawl space or any other areas where rot or mushrooms could be growing. If everything is clean, it was likely due to spores floating in from the outside. In this case, no further action is necessary. Here is a link for more info about basidiospores.
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Are Home Mold Test Kits Reliable When Testing For Mold Spores In The Air
The difference between testing mold air samples and mold surface samples is that air samples can be taken and analyzed in a variety of ways. When testing mold spores in the air, I would say to leave that up to the professionals, as they would have to have the understanding of building construction, water sources, and other factors that may not be apparent to many people, such as condensation occurring in a poorly ventilated attic, poor drainage on the exterior of a building, or cracks in the foundation.
Surface samples can be taken in a variety of ways. The three most common methods are:
So, to sum it all up, Are home mold test kits reliable? Yes! Give you and your family a sense of security and know first hand whether or not there is mold present..
