Does anyone know the best kind of test kits to test a home with? I need to find the mold.
Posted by surprise (Member # 34987) on :
Hey Catgirl,
We ended up doing things backwards, having a mold inspector come out first, then the ERMI testing after that-
Our 1st LLMD, who we went through investigating and detoxing mold with, recommended doing ERMI testing on the house first-
You can order a kit online, it is mailed out to you, you collect, send back, then you get a report.
Posted by Catgirl (Member # 31149) on :
Thanks Surprise.
If I collect in different areas of the house, do they have different tubes to identify which areas would have the mold?
Is one company better than another?
Posted by surprise (Member # 34987) on :
It's been about 3 years since we did it, I think the companies are all pretty comparable, check pricing.
It's asked not to vacuum for 2 weeks (not sure about wood/ tile floors)
then you attach what they send to your vacuum (swiffer type thing for hard flooring), collect sample, detach and send back, then get results.
We did 2 areas. Having an actual mold inspector come out sent my under surface anxiety through the roof (so glad that's better now.)
I thought I was a great housekeeper until this guy looked in every nook and cranny, under beds, inside dishwasher, etc.
And I am a good housekeeper, but this was right at the start of our treating infections, and I was feeling too caught up in the fear of it all.
All turned out okay (minor repair in garage under water heater.)
Posted by lpkayak (Member # 5230) on :
I used a different company called ims labs-i can get contact info if you need it. They have a web site and are reasonable
Posted by girl (Member # 18022) on :
I actually called the ERMI testing people today and they said I should do one kit for my living quarters and another kit for the attic area (which I'm concerned about). But whatever you do... If you use only one kit but do many rooms it will give you an overall of all the rooms added together if that makes sense... so if there's one area your overly concerned with you might want to do just that area. Each kit is about $280 I think they said? You pay $50 up front, they mail you the kit with instructions, then the rest is due and you get your results emailed to you. They'll go over it with you and tell you which of the 36 they test for might be common household (which, 10 of them can be) and which ones are from water damage and to what level they are at.
I would def. go with the ERMI as this is the one Shoemaker recommends.
Posted by lpkayak (Member # 5230) on :
The company i used makes you do one outside to compare outside air to inside air-im assumong you are testing air
This company does surface testing too
Posted by Catgirl (Member # 31149) on :
Thank you Surprise, Lp and Girl.
I guess the one EMRI will indicate it, but won't give me an idea of where it is. Do you think it would help if I used one ERMI (collecting from various areas) and then the home depot ones to single out exactly which areas have the mold? I can't see it so I don't know where it is.
Posted by lpkayak (Member # 5230) on :
Epa.gov/mold
Google that-i cant cut and paste on phone
There is a mold guide there
Learn the basics of mold from someone who is not trying to make money off you
Its better to be an informed consumer
I ended up finding the source of mold in my house when 5 different mold companies gave me conflicti Ing reports
Remediating mold is expensive-its important to put resorces where they wull help the most
Posted by miyamotoi (Member # 41833) on :
I've tested my home using the Pro-Lab mold kit. It seems to work well.
It can be bought for between $6-$9 depending on where you buy it.
It comes with a petri dish and an agar mix. You can either let the air from your forced air system blow into the agar dish or go around your home and let pillow or similar dust fall into it. Then let it grow in a dark place for about a week and its shocking what grows. Then for another $40 you send it in for lab analysis. They give you a report as to every spcies of mold that grew from sources in your home. I've done it twice getting similar results.
I did it because my doctor ran the Real-Time mycotoxin ELISA test and found Trichothecene group ( black mold )toxin at .66 ppm which they consider positive. I had this same test done 2 years ago with different results so I'm not sure if I can trust it. The mold found in my home by Pro-lab was harmless and not one that has the Trichothecene toxins. So its a mystery. I believe its worth testing your home for $50.
I'm repeating the test with the IAQ Pro at home test. Not done as yet.
No.. Those Lowes test kits will grow anything. All you do is leave them out for an hour and then tape them up and mail them to the lab and the little petri dish will culture whatever is in there (and it WILL culture something) so I don't think this is a good indicator. If you're (happen to be) in NC, let me know and I'll come sniff it out for you. Usually it's going to grow where the sun doesn't shine and so whatever testing you do (ERMI) is going to need to be where the mold is growing - but you can also do your "living quarters" instead, to get an idea if you're being exposed or how much is getting through the wall or what not ... or wherever it's coming from.
What is your source of water intrusion? That should give you a clue. Is it a bathroom that doesn't have a fan? A leaky pipe? Busted hot water tank? What makes you think you have a problem and I can help you figure it out.
If you try to get a hold of me and I'm not around... Lymetoo knows where to find me. Hope I can help. Been through this several times.
Posted by Catgirl (Member # 31149) on :
Thanks Lp, Miyamotoi and Girl. :)
Miyamotoi, weird, my test was 66ppm also. I wonder if that is the maximum amount of the test?
Girl, I can't find any mold. Nothing is leaking in the house. We do occasionally get water in the garage after a storm, but we haven't found where it's coming from. Roof maybe.
There was mold in our basement in one area before we moved in, but we had it cleaned up. I think there was a leaky pipe there before (we tightened the pipes up in that area though). I guess we need to buy several kits and place them all around. This feels like a can of worms.
Posted by Lymedin2010 (Member # 34322) on :
I just got back my urine Mycotoxin panel report from RealTime Laboratories & it looks like my Trichothecene levels are high.
Norm: .18ppb or less Mine: .36 ppb
A few years ago I had to work from home & I worked in the first level (partially submerged basement on a bi-level). Each time I would spend 10+ hours working my lungs would burn. When I stopped it would go away over night. The next day the same thing.
My wife & 2 kids were cleaning out the basement a few weeks ago. Each one of them developed sinus infection, coughs & not feeling well. My daughter & wife lasted a week of illness. My son many weeks & treated with ABX twice.
I don't see any mold downstairs & it looks fairly dry. The mold is in the dust though!
They mail you the plates with instructions. You follow the instructions and set the plates in the rooms or spaces you want to test.
After exposing the plates to the air in these rooms for the required time, you then mail the plates back to the company in the box they came in. The postage is on the box also, so that costs you no additional funds.
The company incubates the plates to see what grows. This takes a few days.
You go to their website and wait for your results, complete with pictures.
They tell you what a normal number of colonies is, etc.
This will tell you if your suspicions are right or not.
If I remember correctly, you must have the fan on in your furnace while doing the test. "
Posted by lpkayak (Member # 5230) on :
The test i did had a little fan with a way to catch the air
I used the kind you talk about and grew it in the dark for about a week after
![[Smile]](smile.gif)