"My
Doctor Can't Help Me Anymore Until I Deal with The Mold.”
By Cesar Collado
Getting a diagnosis of mold sensitivity and decreasing(?)your
toxic load is a very complex issue to tackle. Besides finding a physician who recognizes and treats mold sickness, where
to start looks like a blank sheet of paper. Physicians schedules do not allow them to enter discussions regarding
anything other than the treatment they prescribe. Many physicians have told me that they do not
get bogged down with discussions about home repair. The result is often leaving the physician’s
office with no clear answers.
In fact, any household will likely require several different
professionals to be involved to remedy a mold sick home. Delegating to the wrong person or service
provider to lead the effort can be very costly. By learning a little about the mold remediation landscape, a household
can save a lot of money and time and avoid getting taken advantage of.
Finding the Source
The first and most important step is to find the
source. You can investigate your home,
room by room, looking for any leaks and mold evidence in a relatively short
time. Our senses are very effective in
finding mold. Looking for any sources of
moisture, leaks, wetness, and condensation is relatively easy with a flashlight
and touching the surface for dampness. Be safe and avoid touching the mold
directly if visible. Most of the time
the musty smell is a dead give-away. Our
noses are very sensitive and for those who have mold sensitivity, our bodies
will alert us that there is an issue. Regardless of smell, any dampness or leak should be investigated by a
professional if it is not segregated to a small area. Make sure you look under sinks, under
toilets, and behind water using appliances (refrigerator, washing machine,
dishwasher). You should also check
around windows, external door frames, and HVAC registers.
Finally, check all ceilings and the attic above and inspect
the basement or crawl space. Make sure
you just do a visual inspection of the attic and crawlspace from their entrance
as entering can lead to an over-exposure. Fixing these areas often require a
professional or some careful planning.
Testing
If you are reading this blog, you understand that
ImmunoLytics provides valuable mold identification information that can help
physicians and mold professionals in identifying efficacious and cost-effective
solutions.
It cannot be emphasized enough that knowing the genera of
mold and level of infestation provides important, conclusive information about
the mold, mycotoxins, and any microbial volatile organic compounds (MVOCs) that
are in your home. This information is particularly
useful when patients have unexplained symptoms regarding cognition, memory,
headaches, and motor function in addition to allergy symptoms.
Professional Testing
If you are looking at a single source of mold, clearly
identified the water source or water damage in the home, or have obvious
"bathroom mold”, hiring a mold inspector that costs between $350-$1000 may be
unnecessary. However, there are a few situations
where either testing yourself or hiring a professional to inspect the entire home
makes sense.
- When the smell of mold is obvious, even if not found.
- There have been water leaks or water issues that are large enough
where you cannot see the extent of the damage behind walls or below floors or
carpet.
- After making a significant investment in remediation or buying a
home that had a previous mold issue to protect your investment.
- When family members have serious health concerns where mold is
suspect.
It is important to understand that most, if not all, professional
testing techniques have limitations. A
mold inspection should include the following:
- A visual inspection of the entire home, inside
and out. This should be accompanied with detailed questions on the home history
including any plumbing, storm, or water damaged areas in the past.
- Air sampling to determine mold counts. This should be done throughout the home.
- Physical sampling to be sent to a lab for
determination of the species in your home.
There
are many testing methods and equipment choices that each have limitations. Some calculate estimates of mold counts. Some measure particle counts using molecule
size to make assumptions of mold counts. Some testing measures relative mold counts compared to outside, which
offers limited conclusive information. There should always be some form of diagnostic testing (mostly done in a
lab) to validate the biological identity of the mold. Air sampling results vary throughout the
home because of ventilation systems., thus there should always be testing
throughout the home.
Most important, do your homework to find an inspector with
all of the proper certifications, practical experience, and references. Best practices suggest you have an inspector
who is independent from any mold remediation professionals you will be
using. Combining testing with the
expensive remediation work often results in projects of significant expense and
potentially unnecessary renovation.
The Mold Remediation Industry
It takes years of study of several scientific disciplines to
understand the physics involved in architecture to control temperature and
moisture. Architects design floor plans
taking in consideration the weather, windows, sun exposure, occupancy, ventilation
systems (HVAC), ductwork placement, outside water drainage, etc. Unfortunately, builders often take floor
plans and build to optimize profitability in a competitive field. Even small deviations from original
individual plans can results in a troublesome and inefficient home.
According to ENERGY STAR, over half of all new HVAC systems
are improperly installed. This leads to
inefficiency and improper moisture control, a common source for condensation
and water damage. I asked my HVAC
technician about HVAC systems in my home development; he stated that about 80%
of installations are improperly sized.
There are many reputable, responsible, honest mold
remediation professionals. Unfortunately,
because of the publicity and profitability, there are also many individuals
that will take advantage of people and play on their fears about the health
risks of mold exposure.
As stated before, mold remediation requires significant
knowledge across several disciplines (physics, engineering, biology, industrial
science, mycology, construction, human physiology). Alternatively,
certifications for mold remediation are relatively easy to get, requiring
online courses and multi-day seminars to attain. These courses are not sufficient to provide
all of the knowledge and practical experience to properly remediate a
home. If remediation is done without
proper safety protocol and containment, additional contamination can occur. Once mold reaches the ventilation system, it
is systemically spread throughout the home.
There are some mold remediators that view the mold issue as
the latest "Gold Rush” like what occurred in the late last century with
asbestos.
Here are some guidelines to aid you in avoiding remediator
selection mistakes:
- They
offer free mold testing – unfortunately, mold testing costs money. Reputable
mold testers typically charge for their services.
- They
do not test for mold. It is true that
proper remediation will work regardless of mold species. However, proper
testing before and after is proper protocol and essential if health is a
concern.
- They
neglect to ask you about health concerns.
This indicates a lack of knowledge of mold growth propensity throughout
the home and knowledge of mold mycotoxins, a primary concern for people
sensitive to mold.
- The
company offers both mold testing and mold remediation services and insist on
doing both. It is never cost effective
to incentivize the professionals to find additional, unnecessary mold issues to
fix. If you find a remediator you trust,
testing by an independent lab or yourself by using ImmunoLytics
Mold Test Kits for cost
effective visual plate testing or getting detailed lab results will help ensure
you home is well.
- They
aren’t certified by any reputable mold remediation organizations, such as the
Mold Inspection Consulting and Remediation Organization (MICRO), the National
Organization of Remediators and Mold Inspectors, or the Professional Mold
Inspection Institute (PMII).
- They use
products to encapsulate mold with a colored sealant. Paint is often used to
hide the evidence of remaining mold by painting over it.
- Their
core business is not mold remediation (Carpet Cleaners, General Contractors,
Handymen).
- They
cannot or will not give you any references.
- They
don't put everything in writing. This
includes a detailed estimate of the entire job and solutions. In addition, some remediators may cite
proprietary technology or trade secret for not sharing details of the project.
- They
do not offer any guarantees regarding the effectiveness of their work.
- Asking
for the entire payment upfront is a common mold scam. A fair payment plan throughout
the project and upon completion and testing is appropriate for a significant
investment.
- They
do not discuss containment of areas where they work. Lack of containment and air disposal (air
scrubbing or venting outside) can lead to more expensive systemic spreading of
mold and mycotoxins.
- They
do not incorporate some type of systemic fogging with non-toxic compounds, or
systematic cleaning of every individual object and walls with hydrogen peroxide
to remove systemic contamination.
- "Mold
Inspection Standards of Practice” International
Association of Certified Indoor Air Inspectors. https://iac2.org/sop/
- "Mold Scams”
https://www.mold-advisor.com
