Re: Air Quality Testing Question

[Guest guest]

yes barb they did on the test thy did where I worked.

Janet

[Guest guest]

Yes Barbara this is true. If the inspector knows what he/she is doing.

[] Air Quality Testing Question

> When they do air quality testing in a building for

> mold, I've been told they take a sample of the air

> from outside the building as well as samples from

> inside the building, then compare the results. Does

> anyone know if that is true?

>

> Barb

>

> __________________________________________________

>

[Guest guest]

yes barb, this is true. and I would advice tape samples still be

done also, as air test might not pick up heavier mold spores like

stachboctrys. also mold test outside but to close to the building can

pick up higher amounts of outside mold, make sure they do the outside

airtests farther away than rightoutside the door. at least 10 or 20

feet away. the outside test are used to compare the difference of

inside and is supposed to be a reflextion of normal everyday mold in

the air. they did mine on my front porch at one home and sence the

porch roof is full of mold, the outside air test came back almost as

high as inside. learned this the hard way. also be warned that the

inside mold air test will vary depending on if its rainy at the time

of test and mold is wet and may not put out as many spores, or

weather its dry and being stirred up, weather ac or heat is running,

also stiring it up, or if its in the ac, heat system, it should be on

at time of air test. the best time to air test is when your having

your worst effects. this would come closer to actually showing true

amounts you are being exposed to. these air test offen are not

conclusive of real exposure

amounts.

>

> When they do air quality testing in a building for

> mold, I've been told they take a sample of the air

> from outside the building as well as samples from

> inside the building, then compare the results. Does

> anyone know if that is true?

>

> Barb

>

> __________________________________________________

>

[Guest guest]

Hi Barb,

:Who " is correct in staying away from the house. An inspector will not test

right after a rain, or a day that rain is expected on. Also, if you have a

yard with alot of trees on it. They will try to get away from those, or

shrubs, or tall grasses if possible. If you are reactive in your home tape

samples are a good way to go as " who " mentioned. However, some people are

paying this out of their own pocket and it can be very expensive. If money

is tight and you need to have this done, I suggest the indoor/outdoor which

has to be done. Tape lifts if there is visible mold. And one that many do

not think of, but I have encountered it on several occasions. Atleast, get

a tape lift of the air ducts. Our school came back clean of mold. But, I

knew my daughter was re-acting. I was involved in overseeing the testing to

a point. But, couldn't make it for the initial testing. After, asking if

they had done tape lifts of the ducting like I had told them, they said no,

if it were there it would show up in the air samples. I insisted they do

the tape lifts. There it is was, along with a bunch of other junk. Just

keep it mind. It is hard when working on a budget and still trying to find

the problem. Make sure also, on the day they are coming that windows and

doors are closed up.

I am sure some of our professionals will post also. But, they may be away,

so thought I'd just add that.

[] Re: Air Quality Testing Question

> yes barb, this is true. and I would advice tape samples still be

> done also, as air test might not pick up heavier mold spores like

> stachboctrys. also mold test outside but to close to the building can

> pick up higher amounts of outside mold, make sure they do the outside

> airtests farther away than rightoutside the door. at least 10 or 20

> feet away. the outside test are used to compare the difference of

> inside and is supposed to be a reflextion of normal everyday mold in

> the air. they did mine on my front porch at one home and sence the

> porch roof is full of mold, the outside air test came back almost as

> high as inside. learned this the hard way. also be warned that the

> inside mold air test will vary depending on if its rainy at the time

> of test and mold is wet and may not put out as many spores, or

> weather its dry and being stirred up, weather ac or heat is running,

> also stiring it up, or if its in the ac, heat system, it should be on

> at time of air test. the best time to air test is when your having

> your worst effects. this would come closer to actually showing true

> amounts you are being exposed to. these air test offen are not

> conclusive of real exposure

> amounts.

>

>

>>

>> When they do air quality testing in a building for

>> mold, I've been told they take a sample of the air

>> from outside the building as well as samples from

>> inside the building, then compare the results. Does

>> anyone know if that is true?

>>

>> Barb

>>

>> __________________________________________________

>>

[Guest guest]

maybe I should also explain that I paid for the first tape testing.

my insurance company than had the air test done. they waited

(knowingly) until I was out of the homes, ac and heat turned off, no

carpets being vacummed to stir up the mold count, exc. the first home

knowing from tape test had stachboctrys, this mold is known to not

put out spores when its wet and growing, and is much more dangerious

when dry and it becomes air borne than, air test were done on this

home in april when it was raining. needless to say air test were not

accurete of amounts i was getting exposed to. one dry windy days it

so so bad in this house I could not breath and the burning effects

were bad to my nose, throat, eyes. some other molds put out spores

while wet. these air test are just not able to get the whole picture

and be aware of whos doing them and for what purpose. and this air

test detect mold types, not the mycotoxins they

produce.

> >>

> >> When they do air quality testing in a building for

> >> mold, I've been told they take a sample of the air

> >> from outside the building as well as samples from

> >> inside the building, then compare the results. Does

> >> anyone know if that is true?

> >>

> >> Barb

> >>

> >> __________________________________________________

> >>

[Guest guest]

Barb,

I don't have time for a comprehensive answer right now, maybe

tomorrow, but ITMT check the archives for previous info on testing.

For starters, who is testing and why? Air quality is much, much more

than just mold. The Indoor Air Quality Association has identified,

for example, 15 disciplines that are all a part of indoor air

quality. Indoor air quality is a broad term like " health " for people.

There is no single test to identify if you are " healthy " or not.

Testing of specific parameters in the context of medical history,

complaints, etc can be helpful but no test by itself can determine

the answer to that question.

Simply comparing inside mold to outside mold is NOT definitive. It's

an old wives tale from industrial hygiene testing of chemicals and

other substances that don't naturally occur outdoors. Mold does but

it takes time for the outside mold to get inside, especially in a

closed up house. How long? If the delay isn't accounted for then you

have no idea if the inside mold came from outside or from inside.

That's just one of many factors that make for false results and

interpretation. Different labs will read the same sample but give

different results. Two samples side-by-side can be totally different.

Air is better than suface sometimes but not others. I personally

don't like tape lifts unless the mold is visible - so why test? You

know it's there. However, there are some questions that can be

answered with tape lifts, swabs, vacuum samples, analyzed by

microscopy, culturing, PCR, etc.

Others in this group have listed numerous other reasons for

variability that are sufficient to raise doubt about ANY results.

Testing is but one tool among many needed together to figure out the

true situation. If you don't have the problem defined - and testing

alone can never do that - then your answer probably isn't the correct

one. Which means you will spend even more money.

Most of the time, testing is NOT needed. Health Canada, for example,

has been doing these types of assessments for 12 years WITH

ABSOLUTELY NO TESTING. Only in America are we hung up on numbers,

even if they are meaningless.

I don't mean to be abrupt or rude, I just don't have sufficient time

right now to explain the subtleties so you don't waste money on

testing. Contact me off-line would be best.

Carl Grimes

Healthy Habitats LLC

-----

> When they do air quality testing in a building for

> mold, I've been told they take a sample of the air

> from outside the building as well as samples from

> inside the building, then compare the results. Does

> anyone know if that is true?

>

> Barb

>

> __________________________________________________

>

[Guest guest]

>>On Behalf Of

Hi Barb,

:Who " is correct in staying away from the house. An inspector will not test

right after a rain, or a day that rain is expected on. Also, if you have a

yard with alot of trees on it. They will try to get away from those, or

shrubs, or tall grasses if possible. If you are reactive in your home tape

samples are a good way to go as " who " mentioned. However, some people are

paying this out of their own pocket and it can be very expensive. >>

thanks for your informative post. I know cooking, shopping, medicinal

herbs, MCS and some basics about toxic mold illness but lack knowledge in

the actual testing of homes and appropriate remediation so I really

appreciate you posting and teaching me.

I've often thought about testing the interior of my home to see what's in

here and may ask you some questions in a few weeks when I have more time.

Thanks again,

Rosie

[Guest guest]

, why should it be away from trees. My front yard is completely

shaded by two huge 100 year old Maples. Backyard has similarly huge

Elm and then wooded area. So would mold come out higher, or will home

or yard be more moldy because of them?

>

> Hi Barb,

> :Who " is correct in staying away from the house. An inspector will

not test

> right after a rain, or a day that rain is expected on. Also, if you

[Guest guest]

shade and moisture and blocking of wind from trees would help mold

grow outdoors, I also read that some trees like walnut, and fruit trees

help mold grow. at my second home there is a bird feeder on the porch

that offten is covered by black mold. this home had mold problems for

many, many years. on rainy, cloudy days, it shows itself on the outside

of the brick part of this home, around the foundation, and grows very

well on the wood porch. yes it can grow in porus types of bricks and

will also grow in the tuckpointing of bricks. it well grow right

through anything porus, some days, you could smell the mold from 5-10

feet away from the house, and it seems to be growing in the dirt, and

any other objects close to the home. this may be a extreme example

because this home had mold problems for atleast 30 years and according

to some neighbors, much longer than that. and before anyone post me on

this, the moldy parts were removed,and covered up and great effert put

into hideing it and its smell to get it

sold.

> >

> > Hi Barb,

> > :Who " is correct in staying away from the house. An inspector will

> not test

> > right after a rain, or a day that rain is expected on. Also, if you

>

[Guest guest]

No problem Rosie.

RE: [] Re: Air Quality Testing Question

>>>On Behalf Of

> Hi Barb,

> :Who " is correct in staying away from the house. An inspector will not

> test

>

> right after a rain, or a day that rain is expected on. Also, if you have

> a

> yard with alot of trees on it. They will try to get away from those, or

> shrubs, or tall grasses if possible. If you are reactive in your home

> tape

> samples are a good way to go as " who " mentioned. However, some people are

> paying this out of their own pocket and it can be very expensive. >>

>

> thanks for your informative post. I know cooking, shopping,

> medicinal

> herbs, MCS and some basics about toxic mold illness but lack knowledge in

> the actual testing of homes and appropriate remediation so I really

> appreciate you posting and teaching me.

>

> I've often thought about testing the interior of my home to see what's in

> here and may ask you some questions in a few weeks when I have more time.

> Thanks again,

> Rosie

>

>

>

>

>

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