posted
Through suggestion of our llmd, I called around and got strange answers.
Most companies are eager to come and charge between $675 and (more than) $1,000 to do the tests. But the Healthy Dept. seems to think it's a waste of money. Instead, they referred me to look at US EPA's website for Indoor Air section.
What the healthy dept. explained to me is that they would take indoor air to compare with outdoor one on that specific day. And there are so many variations to the outdoor air - the temperature, whether it rained the previous day, etc..
So they think the visual inspection is the most important.
Do some of you actually pay that much for something that's as random as it sounds?
This disease is a money pit, is it?
Posts: 822 | From midwest | Registered: Apr 2009
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karenl
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 17753
posted
They give you the indoor mold. You need not to do an outdoor sample at all. Only the indoor is important for you.
There is a good group: [email protected] a very competent and friendly and will help you. Please post there.They have experts. Karen
Posts: 1834 | From US | Registered: Oct 2008
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posted
The outdoor sample is to compair your inside air with the typical mold "load" of regular outside air that we breathe everyday. Example: they will say "your black mold level in your INside air is 100 parts per million, but the OUTside air only has 50 parts per million, so you have some source of black mold in your house." (I am paraphrasing here.)
That is why they look at the outside levels.
Posts: 113 | From CA | Registered: Jun 2010
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What I got is that there is no objective measure for only indoor. It's not like someone can say "okay, your index of indoor air is 100, there's a problem." They seemed to say what Sophie mentioned that they would compare the indoor index to the outdoor. So you are at mercy of the outdoor index, correct? And does the outdoor index change as the health dept personnel stated? If the outdoor index is a constant moving target, I am not understanding how anyone could "reliably" conclude if there is or there is not a problem.
To make things worse, the health dept told me a certain level of mold in a living space is given, meaning that every house will likely to have some level of mold. One has to determine what's tolerable and what's not. There isn't any "objective" figure to compare to either.
I will contact the group and see if anyone can make more sense to me...
sammy
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 13952
posted
We did some mold testing here a couple years ago. Sorry I can't remember the source of the tests.
Basically we ordered some test pads off the internet. My dad placed them around the house, under the crawl space, and in the attic and in my neighbors house.
After they sat collecting spores for the recommended time we mailed them back to the lab to be analyzed. Our house had nothing. They identified some mold in my neighbor's house. Gave the species, thankfully it did not usually cause symptoms in healthy people. They recommended removing it if the resident had a mold sensitivity or suppressed immune system.
I don't remember if my dad did anything to my neighbor's (they are elderly) house to remove the mold issue. I'm pretty sure that was around the time when he installed a sump pump and replaced some floor boards in their bedroom. So that might have been the fix.
As for the mold counts outside, the health dept is right, they fluctuate daily. You can see it on the news. They usually report the mold counts with the other allergens and smog levels. When the levels are hight it is best for people with severe allergies and asthma to stay inside air-conditioned buildings.
Posts: 5237 | From here | Registered: Nov 2007
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posted
Interesting, sammy. I did ask if they have any testing kits available and the response was that they do not recommend any of them because they do not believe any of the testing kits hold any water.
But in your experience, it sounds like the testing kits do work. At least two kits in two different locations revealed different result. I am gonna call the guy back tomorrow and discuss it further.
As I said, with all the stuff I have read so far, there isn't any evidence that the house we are living in now has mold issue. But my eyes cannot see behind the walls for sure.
Posts: 822 | From midwest | Registered: Apr 2009
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sammy
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 13952
posted
It is so frustrating when you try to ask questions to supposed experts and they all give you different opinions.
wtl, I hope that you find someone knowledgable and trustworthy to help you with this.
Posts: 5237 | From here | Registered: Nov 2007
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I am not sure where to start. Maybe I will just assume that the mold is there and have the air duct guy to start "fixing" the problem.
There are just so many problems with Lyme patients, it feels like a dying breed, or an endangered specie. Posts: 822 | From midwest | Registered: Apr 2009
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