Moisture: Investigating And Solving Problems
Mould will grow indoors if moisture is present. Moisture problems in homes may result from:
- daily activities such as showering or bathing, washing clothes or cooking, if exhaust fans are not working properly or are not used
- infiltration of water from the outside when there are cracks or leaks in the foundation, floor, walls or roof
- moisture condensation on cold surfaces
- flooding due to weather conditions
- inadequate ventilation.
Moisture indoors accumulates when it cannot be vented outside and becomes a problem when building materials become damp or wet.
Moisture problems are preventable.
Unless the cause of the moisture problem has been identified and solved, mould will reappear. Once the moisture problem and its causes have been identified, they must be fixed. To prevent future problems, measures should be put in place to control sources of moisture in your home, for example:
- Ensure rain, irrigation water and snowmelt drain away from the house by sloping the grade away from the building.
- Keep eavestroughs and downspouts clean of debris and ensure that the outflow runs away from the house and not into neighbouring foundations.
- Repair plumbing leaks promptly.
- Use exhaust fans, ventilation and air conditioning systems to vent moisture outdoors.
- Use moisture tolerant materials in areas likely to get wet .
Run a dehumidifier in damp areas such as basements or if you observe that moisture is condensing on cold surfaces such as window panes.
When Should A Mold Inspection And Mold Testing Be Considered
- When visible mold is not present, but the smell of mold is. Here a mold inspection and mold test can reveal whether there is indeed elevated mold, and where it is located.
- There have been plumbing leaks or water issues and there is a suspicion that elevated mold may exist in the air and/or behind walls.
- Post Mold Removal Clearance Testing to ensure that the previous mold issue has been resolved and mold counts have returned to levels found in normal environments of the same type.
- Health Concerns: In some cases, a doctor or the patient has a health issue that they cannot pinpoint the cause but seems to be related to mold symptoms . Here, a mold inspection and test may help to confirm whether the doctors or patients suspicions that a mold problem exists.
- For real estate transactions for the protection of Buyers and Sellers.
- Landlord/Tenant disputes as to whether there is a mold problem.
- Someone thinks they see or smell mold but are not sure.
- Someone is interested in a general Indoor Air Quality test of their environment.
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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Waiting Period For Results
After testing for mold using a swab or a petri dish test, users may be able to get results in just a few days. The kit can give identification instructions for determining whether mold is growing in the home, but this isnt the most accurate way to test for mold unless you or someone you know has professional lab experience and explicit knowledge about how to detect and identify mold and mold spores.
Air pump and tape strip mold test kits typically need to be sent to a lab, and even if the DIY user has personal knowledge and expertise, a professional lab likely has better equipment, so its best to send swab and petri dish samples away for the most accurate results. However, it can take between 3 days and 4 weeks to be contacted with the outcome of the test, depending on mail delivery options, location of the lab, and processing times.
Immunolytics Value Test Kit: Best Mold Test Kit For Ease Of Use
A basic mold test kit, like the ImmunoLytics Mold Test Kit, can help determine whether your house has a mold problem. With it, you can test indoor air. The best feature of the ImmunoLytics kit is that full laboratory analysis is included at no extra cost youll also get a report that you can present to mold removal and remediation specialists, which can save you money.By opening up the included petri dish and leaving it exposed for an hour to the air you want to test, youll have successfully collected a sample. The petri dish is ready to use, and you wont have to add a growth medium. You can start testing the sample immediately with the assembled kit.
If you want to get a more detailed report, you can submit your sample to the lab for testing, but keep in mind that ImmunoLytics is not certified by the American Industrial Hygiene Association.
- Read our ImmunoLytics Mold Test Kit review
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Mold Can Happen To Anyone So It Shouldnt Be A Source Of Shame For A Homeowner Conversely If A Person Shows Symptoms Of Mycotoxin Exposure They Shouldnt Immediately Rule Out The Possibility Of A Mold Infestation In Their Home On The Grounds That I Keep My Place Clean
Ive heard a lot about black mold being dangerous. What is black mold, exactly? Can your test kits tell me if Ive been exposed to black mold? Black mold is the common name given to Stachybotrys chartarum, a certain variety of microfungus known to produce trichothecene mycotoxins.
While its not commonly found in nature, this type of mold has a real knack for setting up shop inside the walls of man-made structures. Black mold infestations are usually a result of water damage or long-term moisture buildup inside of an enclosed area, so bathrooms, basements, and attics are particularly vulnerable to black mold growth. And trichothecenes have been associated with acute and chronic respiratory issues in humans, including nasal inflammation, excess mucus secretion, and olfactory system damage. They may also negatively affect the synthesis of DNA, RNA, and protein, thus wreaking havoc on the entire body.
Black mold can be scary to think about, but the good news is that all of our test kits are capable of spotting trichothecenes in a given urine or dust sample. Black mold may be good at hiding, but our Real Time Laboratories is even better at seeking!
Surface Testing For Mold
Surface sampling involves taking mold samples from asurface. There are different ways in which this is achieved.
- Swab samples An object similar to a cotton swab is rubbed against the surface and then sent to a testing lab. The swab may also be rubbed against a petri dish and a culture allowed to grow.
- Tape samples A piece of clear tape is pressed against the moldy surface and then removed. The idea behind this testing method is to remove mold from the surface so that it can be tested.
- Bulk samples Bulk samples involve removing a piece of the potentially affected area to be sent to a lab for testing. This could be a piece of furniture or a piece of drywall as an example.
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Finding Mold In The Home
Because mold loves dank hidden parts of the home, it can be tough to spot. The fungus can grow in places with little sunlight exposure and poor ventilation. These are also the areas of the home that people rarely visit or see.
Some of the favorite places where mold hides are:
- Beneath carpets and carpet underpad
- Underneath floor and ceiling tiles
- Within HVAC ducts and plumbing
- Inside window sills and closets
- Underneath layers of wallpaper and drywall
- Inside and around appliances refrigerator drip pans, front load washers, boilers, and heaters
- In the attic, basement, crawlspace, or inside the roofing structure
However, even when mold growth stays within these areas alone, it will still impact indoor air quality. That is because mold spores, toxins, and gases will spread throughout the home.
Poor Reason For Testing #7 To Make A Party Respond To The Problem
There is no legal requirement to correct a mold problem in most residential or occupational settings. Collecting mold test results does not change this fact. While common sense supports the importance of correcting indoor mold problems quickly and effectively, there is rarely any rule or law that requires a property owner to do so.
Private homeowners are responsible for deciding how they will respond to real or suspected mold problems. This includes owner-occupied condominiums and townhouses, although issues of preventive maintenance and liability may be more confusing when an association is involved. Their insurance company may or may not cover any related costs depending on the details of their policy and other factors. In occupational settings, mold and any related health concerns are solely the responsibility of the employer and/or the property manager. In leased space, terms of the lease agreement may or may not address responsibility for mold and air quality complaints.
In rental housing, tenants should promptly alert the property owner or manager to evidence of mold or moisture problems if they cannot fix the problem on their own. Tenants concerned about mold in rental properties may also ask their city or county housing officials for help. If and how local authorities address mold complaints in rental situations depends on the status of local codes or ordinances and what authority the local program has to deal with this issue.
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What Are The Health Effects Of Mold Exposure
Many molds can cause adverse health effects. Molds produce allergens, irritants and, sometimes, toxins that may cause adverse reactions in humans. A reaction to mold depends on how much a person is exposed to, the general health and age of a person and the persons sensitivities or allergies. The same amount of mold may cause health effects in one person, but not in another.
Exposure to mold can cause a variety of symptoms. Sensitive people who have touched or inhaled mold or mold spores may have allergic reactions such as a runny nose, sneezing, nasal congestion, watery eyes, skin rash and itching. Molds can trigger asthma attacks in people who are allergic to molds, causing wheezing, chest tightness and shortness of breath. A disease like pneumonia also may develop after exposure to mold, but this is uncommon.
The Best Mold Test Kits
Home»Mold Test Kits
Heres an uncomfortable truth: you could very easily have mold in your home right now and not even realize it. Mold spores are tiny enough to drift in through open windows or hitch a ride on clothing completely undetected. The good news is that, out of the more than 100,000 different species of mold on Earth, the vast majority of them are mostly harmless to humans, especially when theyre present in very small amounts. The bad news, though, is that certain types of mold produce substances called mycotoxins. As their name implies, mycotoxins are far from harmless!
Humans can suffer from a variety of health problems when they unknowingly inhale or ingest mycotoxins. And one of the most common ways that people come in contact with these nasty microbes is through undiscovered mold infestations in their home. Mold test kits, which are designed to detect traces of mycotoxins in urine or environmental dust samples, can be the key to discovering that your home or body is contaminated with mold. A good test is accurate AND quick not just one or the other. Fortunately, mold test kits by RealTime Laboratories are both!
The RealTime Labs Difference Heres what makes our mold test kits so special:
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Difference Between Mold Testing And Mold Inspection
Mold inspection and testing take place at home invaded by molds. A mold inspector carries out a visual inspection of the place and asks the home occupants few questions concerning any cases of water damages, moisture problems, leaks and mold areas that have been spotted. Mold testing takes place in a laboratory where samples are collected during the mold inspection process. These samples gathered are then analyzed under carefully controlled conditions. The types of molds are known as well as the number of mold spores circulating within the area in the air.
During the inspection phase, an inspector will begin by examining places that seem to have been invaded by mold growth. They will also conduct a visual inspection in the remaining areas of the house, especially in concentrated areas mainly associated with mold growth. A professional inspector might use specialized equipment such as the infrared camera or meters to establish moisture presence in drywalls or certain areas that are not easily accessible. After this, they will recommend the best course of action, with part of it being solving the issue of moisture. They can establish the source of the moisture, such as a leaking roof, thus calling for additional investigations.
If You Use Bleach To Clean Up Mold
- Never mix bleach with ammonia or other household cleaners. Mixing bleach with ammonia or other cleaning products will produce a poisonous gas.
- Always follow the manufacturers instructions when you use bleach or any other cleaning product.
- Open windows and doors to provide fresh air.
- Wear rubber boots, rubber gloves, and goggles during cleanup of affected areas.
- If you need to clean more than 10 square feet, check the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency guide titled Mold Remediation in Schools and Commercial Buildings, which gives advice on all building types. You can get it by going to the EPA web site at .
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Testing For Mold In Your Home
If you hire a professional mold inspector to come to your home, theyll take samples from three areasthe air, the surface, and surrounding dust. They send these samples to a third-party laboratory to find out the concentration and kinds of mold in those particular areas.
However, this procedure takes time and isnt cheap. Fortunately, testing for mold in your home is a relatively easy task that can give you faster results and save you money. If youve done everything you can to prevent mold but still have reason to think the air you breathe is compromised with mold spores, check strategic locations for visible signs of mold.
Common areas of mold growth include:
- Areas around plumbing lines, even behind the drywall
- Coils of HVAC air handlers or ductwork
- Between the furniture and exterior walls, particularly in basements or concrete block houses
What Affects The Cost Of A Mold Inspection
There are two main factors that affect the cost of a mold inspection: the size of the house being inspected and whether or not the inspector has to remove or destroy parts of the property, such as drywall or paneling, to complete the inspection.
Quite simply, a large house with a lot of square footage is going to cost more to inspect because the inspection is going to take longer. An âinvasiveâ inspection involving digging through drywall or digging under a crawlspace is also going to cost extra because of the extra time and work involved.
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Finding A Mold Problem
MDH does not recommend mold testing in many cases, especially as the first response to an indoor air quality concern. Instead, careful detailed visual inspection and recognition of moldy odors should be used to find problems needing correction. Efforts should focus on areas where there are signs of liquid moisture or water vapor or where moisture problems are suspected. The investigation goals should be to locate indoor mold growth to determine how to correct the moisture problem and remove contamination safely and effectively.
Why Comprehensive Testing Matters
Mold testing is always a precursor to any remediation administered from Green Home Solutions. This first step offers valuable data to homeowners and property managers in Denver. Mold testing:
- Maps out the full extent of indoor mold issues.
- Pinpoints any water intrusion or leaks contributing to mold.
- Establishes the level of remediation required for long-term impact.
- Creates a baseline to compare any further testing.
At Green Home Solutions, we value your peace of mind. We recommend mold inspection before and after remediation, in order to verify that mold abatement was a success.
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Home Mold Laboratory Viable Mold Test Kit: Easiest To Use
The Home Mold Laborator Viable Mold Test Kit provides accurate results. It also happens to be one of the easiest test kits to use, since the supplies are ready to use right out of the box and don’t require any preparation. However, bear in mind that because the supplies are prepared ahead of time, these mold test kits have expiration dates, which you will want to keep note of.
You can use this kit to detect dangerous growth colonies like black mold, but it cannot detect bacteria or fungus. There are three different testing methods you can use. All three testing methods require that you incubate samples for three to seven days to make sure you give time for slow-growing mold and yeast to appear.
Should you find mold growing within this time frame, you’ll want to send a sample to the lab for analysis. This company charges $50 per sample that you submit, which is more than some other companies. Additionally, it can take up to eight days to get a sample back from the lab, which is longer than most other companies.The easiest sampling method requires that you leave a petri dish in a room for an hour before sealing it up and letting it incubate. The second has you use a swab to determine whether the visible mold that you find in your home is alive or not. The last and most difficult testing method requires that you place a test kit on the air vent farthest away from your central air system.
