The largest number of phone calls we receive at our company are about mold and allergies. We get phone calls from all over the country from people who think mold is in their home and is making them sick. My experience has been that many of these phone calls were unnecessarily concerning because of something they read in a newspaper or heard from a friend. This is what I call “News Phobia Shaping” which the media likes to blow out of proportion for sensationalism. This is sad, but it works to scare people.
Microbial Growth has received so much media coverage related to deaths and property losses that people are scared. Always remember that these spores are everywhere and can grow anywhere if the conditions are right. Many people do not react to most microbial growths. I was recently in a house that had growth under the rug and no one in the house was sick. The key element is: What is the level of airborne spores in your home and are you exposed to these levels? There are others that are sensitive or allergic to microbial growth and others that are chemically damaged or immunocompromised. They will react to microbial growth even at low levels.
We do not recommend using DIY microbial test kits because if you open one of these test kits in a clean house, you will get fungal growth due to existing airborne spores that will settle in the middle of the petri dish. . This is a common sense approach to this problem. You will find them advertising on the internet to send you a fungus test kit to solve your problem. If you are concerned about the possibility of allergens in your home, search the Internet for the name of The Indoor Air Quality Association and find a professionally trained microbial inspector.
The procedure we recommend is that an intrusive visual inspection of the entire property is first carried out before considering microbial testing. During our initial inspection, we first do moisture mapping to see if there is a moisture problem within the walls and look for visible signs of moisture intrusion. If there is visible fungal growth, we ask the customer what they want to do. If they are under a doctor’s care, sometimes the doctor wants to know what species are in the house to do allergy testing. Then we will do the test according to the doctors’ request for the client.
One thing you should always remember, “No Moisture, No Mold” is our motto. If your windows are older and have never been checked by a licensed window contractor, they are most likely leaking. I recently installed a glass hurricane window in my own home and it leaked every time it rained. I didn’t notice it for 6 months until the water intrusion stain started showing up on the drywall. So, we are all susceptible to window leaks, including me. Windows are moisture resistant, not waterproof.
In conclusion, don’t let sensationalism in the media cause you undue concern. DIY mold test kits will produce clean house mold on petri dish media. To help stop your concerns, hire a professionally trained inspector from the Association for Indoor Air Quality with credentials. Visual inspection and moisture testing should be done prior to any home fungus testing. We are all susceptible to water leaks because all windows will eventually leak, even new windows.
If you have any questions, please feel free to call us or visit our website.
