Mold tests might not always be worth the time or money

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Mold tests might not always be worth the time or money

Danbury News Times - Danbury,CT

By Gold

THE NEWS-TIMES

http://www.newstimeslive.com/news/story.php?id=1011258

You notice mold splotched across the corner of your living room

ceiling. It looks and smells mucky. Time to get an air quality or

mold test?

Not so fast, warned both the state Departments of Public Health and

Consumer Protection Thursday.

State officials said molds still need to be removed, but tests are

often expensive and unnecessary.

Tom St. Louis, an epidemiologist with the Department of Public

Health, said an increasing number of people are calling his office

with questions on mold testing.

" We have gotten to the point of frustration from the calls of people

where we feel people are being taken advantage of, " St. Louis

said. " There are a lot of wonderful contractors out there, but there

are definitely contractors out there that are a little overstepping

their qualifications of doing indoor air testing for mold. "

St. Louis said most molds spawn from a water leak in the house. Fix

the water problem and you'll likely fix the mold problem. All molds

can cause problems, he said. Therefore, it is more important to

clean away the mold than determine the type. " Our perspective is the

consumer must remedy what's an obvious source of mold growth first

and not jump right to do the testing, " said Jerry Farrell, deputy

commissioner of the state's Department of Consumer Protection.

St. Louis said he's heard of some testing costing thousands of

dollars.

There is no state licensing specifically for mold testing or clean-

up. Instead, the consumer protection office licenses general

building and home improvement contractors.

Sometimes, St. Louis said, unqualified contractors ordering air

quality tests. When the results come in, they sometimes can't

explain them to the customer.

Exposure to mold can lead to breathing problems, asthma attacks,

headaches, and sore throats.

, owner of ASAP Mold Remediation Corp. in Redding,

said some people want air testing for " peace of mind, " especially if

they are allergic or have young children. " They want piece of mind

to get an answer and they are willing to pay a couple hundred

dollars to get a sample, " he said.

said most testing happens when there is no visible mold.

Residents might be allergic to mold but want to find out whether a

smell is coming from mold or something else like animal dander.

" If there is nothing obvious, it is not a bad idea to get an air

sample to better get a more thorough investigation, " said.

Some people might want to record a problem if they are renting or

just bought a home, he said.

Still, said some contractors play on people's fear of molds

and do unnecessary testing. For example, if he knows it's a mold

that needs to be cleaned, there is no need to charge extra for

testing. " There is a lot of that going on, " he said about

unnecessary testing.

Contact Gold

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