Got our reports back today

[Guest guest]

So the mold consultant called back today. Says the stuff in the attic is NOT

mold, it's accumulation of dust etc. The mold levels were pretty low up there

only 2K per sq. foot versus 8K outside, so less than outside.

The A/C is fine. The only problem is by our windows because of leaks. The

count was 100K spores per sq. foot, which he says is very high. He does suggest

replacing drywall around the windows, after we have all the windows caulked and

all the hurricane shutters properly sealed (apparently when our lovely South

Florida contractors put in shutters they did not properly seal them...grrr...).

He said that is his suggestion, that there are other products that can be used

if everything was dried up, but not if still wet, which ours still has alot of

moisture.

The mold is aspergillis/penicillin. I can get a mold antibody test on Logan to

see if he has high antibodies to this mold, if not, then I don't know if I'd

bother other than making sure we water proof everything better......I don't

know, the guy said if it were him he would get it taken out though that drywall

is pretty cheap......

Any comments about how severe you guys think this is, versus other alternatives

other than ripping my walls apart? How long does it usually take to get mold

contractors to get the drywall out and fix windows?

Connie

[Guest guest]

Fix the water incursion, definitly have the dry wall taken out- you

cannot see what is growing behind the walls, I've met a number of

people very ill from mold in wall from window leaks. If you stop the

water, a colony can still grow from humidity- go dormant between

high humidity levels- get it taken out-definitly

>

> So the mold consultant called back today. Says the stuff in the

attic is NOT mold, it's accumulation of dust etc. The mold levels

were pretty low up there only 2K per sq. foot versus 8K outside, so

less than outside.

>

> The A/C is fine. The only problem is by our windows because of

leaks. The count was 100K spores per sq. foot, which he says is

very high. He does suggest replacing drywall around the windows,

after we have all the windows caulked and all the hurricane shutters

properly sealed (apparently when our lovely South Florida

contractors put in shutters they did not properly seal

them...grrr...). He said that is his suggestion, that there are

other products that can be used if everything was dried up, but not

if still wet, which ours still has alot of moisture.

>

> The mold is aspergillis/penicillin. I can get a mold antibody

test on Logan to see if he has high antibodies to this mold, if not,

then I don't know if I'd bother other than making sure we water

proof everything better......I don't know, the guy said if it were

him he would get it taken out though that drywall is pretty

cheap......

>

> Any comments about how severe you guys think this is, versus other

alternatives other than ripping my walls apart? How long does it

usually take to get mold contractors to get the drywall out and fix

windows?

>

> Connie

>

>

[Guest guest]

Connie,

2k per square foot (I have usually seen square meters used here, which

are much larger, so square foot usage, which would be a tiny fraction

of what you would find in a square meter.. indicates - perhaps a

desire here to make the readings seem smaller than they really are

through skillful use of units..) of asp/pen indoors is NOT a low

reading.. asp/pen is often toxinogenic...

And what is the mold ratio outside.. is that 8k spores per square foot

ALL asp/pen (never heard of this OUTSIDE - it wouldn't be natural..)

Amplified growth means higher ratio inside of toxicogenic spores,

compared to outside 'control' reading.. which needs to be taken away

from all human habitation as much as possible.. ie. 'in the clear' -

this is to avoid skewing the reading with other examples of 'amplified

growth' that may be in the area..

I am not an expert.. others should comment on this.. But something

sounds fishy..

Carols advice below is also good..

ESPECIALLY - you DO need to clean that old mold growth out of your

walls, thouroughly.. somehow..

Maybe if its too expensive, you can buy hazmat gear and set up

containment with pressure and do it yourself.. (BUT BE CAREFUL!!!)

getting the moisture source eliminated is #1. That is #2. Otherwise,

it WILL eventually work its way out into your home and bodies..

I hope this helps..

On 1/18/06, carondeen <kdeanstudios@...> wrote:

> Fix the water incursion, definitly have the dry wall taken out- you

> cannot see what is growing behind the walls, I've met a number of

> people very ill from mold in wall from window leaks. If you stop the

> water, a colony can still grow from humidity- go dormant between

> high humidity levels- get it taken out-definitly

>

>

> >

> > So the mold consultant called back today. Says the stuff in the

> attic is NOT mold, it's accumulation of dust etc. The mold levels

> were pretty low up there only 2K per sq. foot versus 8K outside, so

> less than outside.

> >

> > The A/C is fine. The only problem is by our windows because of

> leaks. The count was 100K spores per sq. foot, which he says is

> very high. He does suggest replacing drywall around the windows,

> after we have all the windows caulked and all the hurricane shutters

> properly sealed (apparently when our lovely South Florida

> contractors put in shutters they did not properly seal

> them...grrr...). He said that is his suggestion, that there are

> other products that can be used if everything was dried up, but not

> if still wet, which ours still has alot of moisture.

> >

> > The mold is aspergillis/penicillin. I can get a mold antibody

> test on Logan to see if he has high antibodies to this mold, if not,

> then I don't know if I'd bother other than making sure we water

> proof everything better......I don't know, the guy said if it were

> him he would get it taken out though that drywall is pretty

> cheap......

> >

> > Any comments about how severe you guys think this is, versus other

> alternatives other than ripping my walls apart? How long does it

> usually take to get mold contractors to get the drywall out and fix

> windows?

> >

> > Connie

> >

> >

[Guest guest]

No way. If you know or suspect that your family is ill from the mold, DO NOT do

that work yourself. Don't even allow it to be done within a containment with

sick family members present. Cross-contamination is a big risk, and not easy to

correct once it happens (if it can be done at all).

I can't see your situation, and I am definitely no remediation expert. What I

do know, is what can happen to you when a remediation effort is poorly thought

out or badly performed and sick people are the recipients of all those good

intentions and mistakes. Takes 5 minutes to screw it up, and maybe weeks,

months, or years to outlive the results. It's just not worth the risk. Wish I'd

known then what I know now. It's truly amazing just how " small " an exposure can

do so much damage. Those who cannot detect it and are not affected by it don't

really get it, and those who can and are have absolutely no business near it.

Bit of a sticky wicket there, I know, but that's the problem. You probably

wouldn't rip out and replace your plumbing or electrical system on your own, so

don't do this either. You wouldn't decide to take on the whole plumbing system

based on how many square feet of sewage was in your house, and this is no

different. If nothing else, the results of an amateur drywall job won't do

anything good for your property value. The guys who do that kind of work get

good money for it because it's a learned skill most people don't possess and

aren't going to pick up in 20 minutes over at Home Depot. Check around, get

references, and get somebody who has a clue what they're doing with mold. Same

with the drywall job. Do it, but please do it safely!

Serena

There is no such thing as an anomaly. Recheck your original premise.

...Ayn Rand,

paraphrased

---------------------------------

Photos

Ring in the New Year with Photo Calendars. Add photos, events, holidays,

whatever.

[Guest guest]

Connie,

Good advice from Serena, Quack and carendeen. My questions are about

the sampling data.

I don't know of any lab that reports anything by square feet.

Certainly not air samples. Air doesn't exist in square anything,

indicating area, but rather in units of volume such as cubic feet,

cubic yards, cubic meters, liters, etc. The inside to outside

comparison has to be air samples not surface samples - which outside

surface would you sample? The sidewalk or the dirt in the gutter? -

so it should be reported by volume, not area.

So I don't know how to interpret the data. Besides, the value and

meaning of numbers for mold keeps decreasing as more is learned about

how sampling is conducted, how labs are innaccurate and

interpretation of results looks more and more like numerology. The

other information you provided gives a much more accurate description

of what the conditions are and is more predictive of what you need to

do.

Carl Grimes

Healthy Habitats LLC