National Association for Moisture Management

Microbial Sampling

2010-05-25T23:05:00.000-07:00

There are a lot of different types of microbial sampling that can be performed, I just want to give a basic run down on them. This is not intended to be an all inclusive sampling guide by any means. First, there are two basic sampling types: viable and non-viable. Without going into details, I will only say this: non-viable sampling is going to be used the majority of the time unless your doctor needs to know exactly what kind of mold is in your home.

After remediation, only non-viable sampling should be used. If your remediator demands viable sampling, some of them do, go with someone else. The reason for this is dead mold spores, which can still be harmful, will not show up in viable sampling. If they are not removing living and dead spores, they are not remediating the property, simple as that.

With that said, common non-viable sampling methods are:

Home Test Kits: These are, for the most part, a complete joke. Taking a Petri dish with mold food, putting it on your kitchen counter and watching mold grow will tell you nothing. You can save a lot of money and just put some bread out. It will probably grow mold too. This doesn’t mean you have a mold problem, it means that mold is everywhere. Some new home test kits are air samples, just like the ones a pro uses. Only problem is the pro will take the results, know how to interpret them and come to a conclusion based on a visual inspection as well as the samples taken. If you see mold growing, get rid of it. If you need a pro, get a pro. Don’t waste your time with home test kits, unless you’re bored and want to watch mold grow. They are kind of cool if you like that stuff.

Surface Sampling: This is typically a tape or swab sample. When I first started as a mold inspector, I was trained to request for surface samples anytime I saw visible mold. This was just how it was done. We soon began to realize that they were simply a waste of money for our clients as they told us very little. I would swab some mold and when I got the results, I could tell the client “yep, its mold.” Do we need to know what kind of mold it is? Not really, get rid of it. When might it be beneficial? After remediation, there may be staining present on building materials and a lot of time, this looks just like mold. A surface sample is the easiest and cheapest way to determine if the job was done correctly, although air samples are still a preferred method.

Air Sampling: This is NAMM’s preferred method of sampling and can give a huge amount of data packed into a small little cassette. These are taken by using a vacuum pump that draws in a specific, calibrated amount of air through a cassette. Inside the cassette is a treated slide that collects the mold and other particulates. The lab will then analyze the slide. One air sample should be taken for every 1000 sq.ft. of living space and one on each floor at a minimum. At least one outside sample should be taken and in some cases, your inspector might recommend two. The HVAC system should be operating while sampling, especially after remediation. If a remediator cannot get clearance with the HVAC system on, they did not do their job.

ERMI: Finally I want to talk about ERMI (Environmental Relative Moldiness Index) sampling. The science behind these tests is amazing, but I won’t go into that. It is a great idea, one dust sample taken from carpeting that will give you a number. That number is your relative moldiness index. Sounds great right? Why do we even need an inspection, we can just take a simple dust sample. You might feel the sarcasm in my tone, and you would be right. This system that is being crammed down our throats by the EPA and HUD most certainly has potential. However, due to many, many issues with the ERMI, the test and data sets need more development. To quote Dr. Harriet Burge, one of the world’s leading aerobiologist and pioneer of the IAQ industry, “It is not useful at this time for incident investigations.” The fact that the EPA is forcing this test on people is outrageous to say the least. You can read her full explanation as to why these tests are inadequate here.

As always, if you have a question about your inspector or remediator, including their sampling methods, please contact us. We are there to help you.

Tools of the Inspection Trade

2010-05-25T16:43:00.000-07:00

Technological advances in the tools used by inspectors have gone a long way to help this industry. Tools like moisture meters, thermal imaging, hygrometers and sampling pumps are vital to any good inspector. However, there is a growing trend of reliance on these devices. They are tools, nothing more, and in the wrong hands, they can do much more harm than good. You can have the greatest woodworking shop in the world and still fail miserably if you don’t have the knowledge of how to use the tools you have.
This is most evident with thermal imaging devices. Recent advances have made these amazing tools more accessible to the average inspector and, in the hands of a skilled and trained individual, they can provide extremely valuable data about the property. When it becomes a problem is when the inspector relies solely on the camera, a problem that happens all too often. The same goes with moisture meters.

Microbial sampling is another important part of any home inspection, and technology has gone a long way to help here as well. New sampling pumps and media can easily and accurately take samples that can be sent off to accredited labs for analysis. This process has gone a long way to help drive down the costs of sampling because you no longer need a scientist to come to the site. Again, there is a growing trend to rely solely on the results of the samples. Without a thorough visual inspection and understanding of the property, the sample results are almost worthless. Also, the ability to properly interpret the results is vital to understanding the condition of the property. NAMM strongly recommends microbial air sampling during all home inspections. I would never buy a home without them. I will talk more on that in the future.

In the end, these tools are a great way to help an inspector find out as much as possible about the structure. They must be secondary tools, with the primary tool being the inspector themselves. Their eye, knowledge and experience are what will make or break a home inspection. Their understanding of these tools and how to properly integrate them into a visual inspection process is the key to a good home inspection. If possible, be present with your home inspector every step of the way. Let them do their job, but don’t hesitate to ask questions and go where they go. A good, knowledgeable inspector will likely enjoy sharing their knowledge with you. I assure you that they are used to it and if it makes them uncomfortable, they are probably in the wrong line of work.

The High Costs of Mold

2010-05-21T16:30:00.000-07:00

I would love to give you a number on the total cost of mold, but I can’t. I can say it is in the billions each year, but data is not available on the total cost. In 2002, insurance companies paid out more than $3 billion. This number is presumably much lower today, not because anything has been done to remedy the situation, but because insurance companies stopped providing coverage for mold. A recent EPA and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory study called “Public Health and Economic Impact of Dampness and Mold” attributes an estimated $3.5 billion in annual health care costs for asthma directly associated with damp indoor environments.

While the true cost of mold in this country is unknown, we can say that it is much more than just a high financial cost. The costs go much deeper than that, as it is greatly affecting people’s health, homes and lives. The sad fact is that mold is a socioeconomic issue and the main reason people are living with mold is because they simply can’t afford to do anything about it. Their landlords don’t care and are not being held liable for the indoor air quality of the properties they are renting. One extremely frustrating trend we have witnessed is the mistreatment of people who rent apartments; many of these people suffer from asthma and other respiratory issues. When these tenants ask us “what can we do about it?” our response is generally to tell them they should move. These people can’t afford to fight these large property management companies. They shouldn’t have to, our government should be standing up for them, but they are not. These people are having their rights violated every day in this country and we are outraged by it, and you should be too. Public health is a right to everyone, not a privilege for those who can afford it.

The middle class homeowners also get hit especially hard. Their home is the largest investment they will ever make, they work hard to get it and in an instant, all that can be taken from them because of mold, and I mean everything. We have seen it many times over and we have seen no one step up and help these individuals. It’s someone else’s problem, right?

Medical costs alone associated with mold and dampness is rising each year. We cannot sit back and watch something that is largely preventable destroy people’s health and homes any longer. Action must be taken, but what are the solutions? First and foremost is a proactive, preventive moisture evaluation on any home sold in this country. Second is education. We must educate consumers, contractors, inspectors, real estate agents and the government. Third, how about some accountability? Let’s hold builders accountable for the homes they are building, let’s make landlords accountable for the homes they are renting and let’s hold inspector liable for the homes they say are fit for sale when they are not. And finally, get mad and let people know you’re mad. Call or write your congressman and demand they do something about this issue. Let them know that we are not going to allow inaction anymore while people are suffering.

Contact us if you would like to help in our efforts to prevent mold and to protect the people who can't protect themselves.

Why Mold Remediation Fails

2010-05-20T18:40:00.000-07:00

One of the main reasons that the people who formed NAMM spent hundreds of thousands of dollars of their own money and countless hours is because of the horror stories we have heard about remediation over the years. In one case, for example, two women were told that many of their belongings could not be saved. These belongings were put in trash bags and removed from the home. Later on, they were looking on EBay and found something they thought was theirs. After more searching, they found many of their items being sold on EBay. Believe it or not, this is not a unique case and I will go into detail more on these types of scams at a later date.

There are many reasons why it fails; I want to focus on four main areas. Containment, the use of toxins, scams and conflict of interest:

Containment: The first time I saw mold containment was as an inspector called in to do post remediation verification. It was like walking into a CDC quarantine or something out of NASA. They had negative air machines running, even though I told them to turn them off at least 24 hours before I got there. The area was the kitchen and dining room and the mother and two children were literally 10 feet away watching TV in the living room. I told them that I was not comfortable sampling in the containment area if I wasn’t able to sample the living room as well. They said to sample the containment area; we are not responsible for the other areas. I also said I was going to turn the HVAC system on during sampling to get a reading on a normal life situation; they told me no, I wasn’t. The funny thing is samples taken in the containment area didn’t even pass. When I told them they failed, they said thanks for your services, we will get someone else. I never heard from them again, nor did I ever get paid for the sampling.

Mold remediation practices come largely from asbestos remediation. With asbestos, particles do not get airborne until the material is disturbed, so containment is absolutely needed. With mold, the spores become airborne immediately after colonization. Therefore, containment is a failed practice. The mold has already cross-contaminated the structure before remediation even begins. We do not believe in containment, except for in certain situations such as remediating an attic and the entrance is in the hallway. In this case, steps should be taken to ensure that there is no cross-contamination into the living space and sampling should be performed in the living space to verify this fact. Anyone can get clearance in a bubble with the HVAC system turned off and sealed up. But what happens when you remove that bubble and turn on the HVAC system? We believe in whole home remediation, and it is not as expensive as it sounds. In fact, the process is generally easier, cheaper and faster than building containment. I will touch more on that, and what good remediators are doing, later.

The use of toxins: When you have a toxin, do you want to use a toxin to get rid of it? Perhaps if that is the only option, such as in chemotherapy treatments; but if there is a better, safer way to do it, you would probably choose that way. Well, there is a better way through using natural, organic products, such as enzymes, that eliminate mold. Ask your remediator what product he uses. Ask them if it has been tested to be safe for humans, pets and plants. Ask if it has been independently tested for VOC’s and effectiveness. As a remediator, my goal is not to kill mold, but to remove it completely from the structure. Dead spores have been proven to cause health issues just as live spores have. Be aware of this fact and make sure their process has things in place to remove these dead spores if they use something that kills it. The term “EPA Approved” is everywhere and is very misleading. The EPA does not approve products and this statement does not mean anything about the product’s effectiveness. The term should actually be “EPA Registered,” meaning that due to its nature, it is required by law to be registered. Pesticides, fungicides and biocides must all be registered with the EPA.

Scams: This is a tough one to point out all the scams, but the opportunities for scams are endless in this industry. The best way to avoid this is to be educated about the remediation process and to be aware of your remediator and their practices. Ask for referrals from prior clients, get multiple bids and take a good look at their contract. Make sure they stand behind their services and back it up with a warranty. A good warranty should be for life, until another moisture intrusion, and it should be transferable. If the process worked, there should be no mold growth unless you have another moisture problem.

If you have one bid that is much cheaper than the others, be very cautious. I have lost jobs to people who come in and do, let’s say, an attic for $500 when my bid was $1800. In some cases all they did was put bleach in a garden sprayer and sprayed the mold in the attic. Needless to say, I had to come in after them to actually remediate the attic. Another common practice is to come in with a low bid and issue change orders, raising the cost as they go. These are avoidable problems. Make sure the price they issue is guaranteed. Be cautious of proposals that get very specific and have things like “remove drywall in NW corner of master bedroom 2 feet up and 5 feet out from corner.” A good contract should be more general like “remove all contaminated materials that cannot be salvaged.”The reason is you can never know what you will find once you get into a wall. The first contract can lead to change orders when they go 2 feet up and realize they need to go 3 feet, which means more money from you.

Finally, make sure samples are taken after remediation, with the HVAC system on to verify the work was completed. We recommend taking 1 indoor air sample for every 1000 sq.ft. of living space, and at least one outside air sample. We also highly recommend the use of EMLabs P&K MoldScore system, or something similar (we currently do not know of a similar system). The MoldScore is a number from 100 – 300 that indicates the likelihood that the mold identified in the samples came from an indoor source. This is very important due to the lack of standards in the levels of mold spores and the fact that there will almost always be mold spores present, even after remediation. Post remediation, you should have a score of 150 or lower. Please contact us if you have any questions regarding your remediation, we are here to help you.

Conflict of interest: This is another big one that we are concerned about. There are great companies out there that are a one stop shop, but the chances and opportunity for scams and rip offs are abundant. The best way to make sure your remediator is not in it to rip you off is to ensure there are no conflicts of interests. We recommend that the company doing put-back work is not doing the remediation and that the person doing the sampling is not the remediator, or at minimum, the samples are being analyzed by an independent lab like EMLabs P&K. (Please note that NAMM is not in any way, shape or form financially associated with EMLabs and will not benefit from the use of this lab.

So why the separation? If, as a remediator, I am in control of how much tear out I am going to do and I am also the one doing the put-back, this means that I will profit higher from more tear out. If I have separation, I will tear out the minimum needed to do the job and will save you money. I don’t think I need to explain why the remediator should not be doing the sampling, but there is a caveat with this. In some areas, it is hard to find companies that do low cost sampling (air samples should run from about $75 to $125 each, depending on your area.) In these cases, the remediator could do the samples as long as they take extra steps to ensure the samples they took were legit. The best way to do this is to be there while they sample. Tell them that you want to watch and you want to mail the samples. Watch them take each sample, bag and identify it, put them all in a mailer and you take them to get mailed to the lab yourself. This way, when you get the results, you know they are legit; you watched it happen and know that the samples they took were the samples sent in. Also make sure they calibrate their sampling equipment before and after sampling. If they are opposed to this, go with a different remediator, you have every right to do this. Honest remediators would be happy to show you their sampling process.

I hope this can help people from being taken advantage of. Again, please contact NAMM if you have any questions or concerns about your mold problem. We can act as an independent company that is in your corner. We will continue to fight for the consumers against harmful practices and work towards a proactive approach to controlling mold.

Thank you for your time!

Toxic Black Mold - Be Afraid

2010-05-19T15:31:00.001-07:00

One of the things I hear all the time is comments and questions like “is it the black mold” or “it wasn’t black, so I wasn’t too concerned.” This media hysteria has helped, and hurt the mold industry. Bringing awareness about the dangers of mold is a good thing that people need to understand. However, the idea that only black mold is dangerous has gone a long ways to hurt us because it is misinformation. So I want to talk a little about mold in general and some common mistakes people make.

First of all, toxic black mold is referring to a species of mold called Stachybotrys. Yes, it has the potential to be toxic and, yes, it is a nasty mold. Finding this mold indoors is an indication of a very damp condition. However, the simple fact is this: all molds have the potential to cause adverse health effects in people and if you have any mold growing indoors, you need to identify the source of moisture and eliminate the growth, period. Some people in the industry have played into this hype and when asked “is this the toxic black mold” they will say yes, knowing full well that they have no idea if it is or not. If your remediator says this, run away. It is possible to test for toxins, but these tests are extremely expensive and usually not necessary, unless your doctor or lawyer needs them. Without these tests, typical air samples, which are an invaluable tool, will not identify if the mold is toxic. These air samples are vital, but again, if your remediator or inspector says the mold found in the air samples was toxic mold, run away.

What is toxic mold? Some species of mold produce toxins attached to spores called mycotoxins. These toxins are thought to be a form of biological warfare used by molds to invade other species or as protection from other invading species. This warfare is not intended to harm us, but we sometimes get caught in the middle. These toxins have been studied by the military for decades for their potential use in human biological warfare. People with weakened immune systems, children and the elderly are especially at risk for these toxins to cause serious harm, but prolonged exposure to these toxins can do damage to anyone. Unfortunately, there is little data on responses to quantified doses in humans at this time. Again, though, we need to limit our exposure to all molds indoors, where concentrations can be high.

Another potentially dangerous by-product of mold are VOC’s or Volatile Organic Compounds. I will keep this simple and avoid a chemistry class and say that these VOC’s are emitted as a by-product as the mold consumes its food. One good thing about VOC’s is that they evaporate easily, which helps limit their concentrations. However, the mold will continuously release these VOC’s, and in an indoor environment, they can cause anything from mild irritations to long term health effects. When you smell that musty, unmistakable mold odor, it is these VOC’s you smell. That odor is not only an indication of a mold problem, but an indication that the mold is active. In addition to mold producing these VOC’s, many remediation products that kill mold also produce VOC’s as well, but I will go into that in more detail at a later date.

I want to talk briefly about mildew. Mildew is a term that we hear a lot, typically when a landlord is involved. The landlord will tell the tenant “don’t worry, it’s just mildew.” I want to put this issue to rest once and for all with a simple statement. Mildew only grows on plants; it is a white, powdery fungus. That stuff growing in your bathroom is mold, not mildew. That stuff growing on your walls is mold, not mildew. Mildew is not mold or a form of mold in any way shape or form. I can’t say anymore on this subject.

Let’s take the numerous studies of adverse health effects caused by mold out of the equation for a second. The sole purpose of mold is to consume organic material. In nature, this process is critical to our survival. In our homes, these organic materials are the home itself. We need to keep mold out of our homes. We can do that by keeping moisture out of our homes. Remember, this is a preventable problem, for the most part.

Why Mold, Why Now, Why NAMM?

2010-05-18T15:33:00.000-07:00

I want to spend a little time talking about NAMM, who we are, what we are doing and what our goals are. The National Association for Moisture Management is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. It was developed for several reasons, but our main goal is to enact regulations not only in the mold industry, but in the inspection industry as well. Our focus has always been on prevention of mold through simple inspection techniques and sampling. Through our inspection process, we can point out mold issues, even if it is hidden, but most importantly, point out areas of concern that will lead to future mold issues. By having this type of inspection prior to the sale of a home, we can ensure that the property is safe for the homebuyer and their families.
Education is vital in this process of prevention and is another main goal of NAMM. We have spent years trying to educate consumers, real estate agents, builders, inspectors, bankers, insurance companies and remediators about mold and moisture. It is, for the most part, a preventable issue. However, there will always be a need for remediation. Plumbing leaks and floods will happen. In an industry that has no regulations, the opportunities for scams are endless. We want to educate the consumers about these scams and make sure they have the knowledge to prevent them.

I’m not going to get into numbers at this point, but the simple fact of indoor mold growth is that it can have moderate to severe health implications, destroys home values and is an enormous financial burden to our housing, insurance and building inustries. So much so that insurance companies, for the most part, excluded or severely limited mold and moisture coverage. This places the financial burden directly on the home owner.

So imagine this scenario, one that happens more than you could imagine. You buy a brand new home, investing everything you have. You have a home inspection and the inspector tells you it is great. You move in and your children begin to get sick, possibly even develop asthma. You realize that it is from mold and that you have mold because the home was built poorly. What do you do? Well, right now, you have little recourse and you possibly lose everything. Let’s say you pursue legal action against the builder if you have the financial means to do so and let’s say you win. The builder will likely declare bankruptcy, start a new company and you won’t see a dime. So now you can either pay for the repairs and remediation yourself, which in some cases is tens of thousands of dollars, or walk away from the home. In either case, you lose and lose greatly. This is one example of many that we have seen over and over again.

A preventive moisture inspection would have pointed out the issues and sampling would have identified the microbial growth. You either would not have bought the home or made sure the builder made the repairs prior to the sale. After seeing cases like this in real life again and again, we decided to take action. This scenario doesn’t even take into consideration the renters, especially of low income housing, that are being forced to live in conditions that dramatically affect their health and lives. We want to provide these people with a voice and eventually a course of action by putting the liability on the land lords.

We are currently working with members of congress, senators and other government organizations to enact policies to protect home owners and renters from these issues. Make no mistake, mold effects more people than just those who live in it with higher insurance rates or lack of coverage, higher home building costs and higher health care costs just to name a few. It is a billion dollar problem and we have a simple, effective solution that will also create jobs doing it.

Mold and You

2010-05-17T14:16:00.000-07:00

I want to start by introducing myself. My name is Kevin Hazlett, I am 32 years old and for the past 8 years my life has revolved around mold. I started as a mold inspector and then a remediator. We immediately saw a huge problem in the mold industry and it was obvious. Most mold problems we came across were preventable and the industry was reactive. The solution is actually very simple. We began working on a proactive approach to controlling mold by identifying areas of concern that if not taken care of immediately could lead to future problems.

We started to push for these affordable, preventive inspections which finally led to the formation of the National Association for Moisture Management. We are facing huge opposition with the real estate industry, home builders, current mold associations and home inspectors just to name a few groups. Why are they opposed to preventing this enormous financial burden? There are many reasons, here are just a few.

Builders do not want to be held accountable for what they are building.
Real estate agents do not want to be held accountable for what they are selling.
Home owners do not want to pay for the problems with their homes and would rather pass the buck to home buyers.
Home inspectors want to make sure the home is up to code and that’s it, unfortunately, codes are inadequate and in many cases, so are home inspections.
Current mold associations who certify mold inspectors and remediators like it how it is. There is a lot of money in mold, why prevent it?

This most certainly isn’t always the case; many builders take pride in their homes. A lot of real estate agents care about their clients and many home inspectors go that extra step to ensure what they are inspecting is sound. The problem is, you shouldn’t have to wonder if your home was built right, if your agent cares about you or just the money or if your inspector is one of the good guys. The solution again is simple. Regulate the mold and moisture industry and hold these groups accountable for their actions. Stop passing the buck to the home buyer who is investing everything they have in their home, a home that their family will live in.

For this, we need your help. Over the next few months I will be blogging about things I have seen, scams that are common place, about our jobs program that we can’t get through and about health issues related to mold. If you feel strongly about what I am writing, I urge you to do something to help the victims. Write or call your congressman. Donate to our non-profit organization. If you know someone in the media, get them in touch with us so we can blow the lid off of this problem and start working on a solution that will save billions and create tens of thousands of jobs.

Much more to come.