In fact, home inspectors are not even allowed by the NC Home Inspection License Board to call a substance mold unless they are experts in the field. I can not do the use of words. I am studied. I am studied microbiology in high school and college and my first major was medical lab technician. I am familiar with mold and other micro-organizations There is a lot of misconception about mold as it is a lot of misconception about misconception about misconception about it .
I hope to clear up questions I hope to clear up questions you can have about how moisture, mildew and mold can complicate home sales. I hope to give you enough understanding how unfair the lawsuits are not the news. To me, the real threat in homes is the long term effects of moisture and mold which is structural issues due to rot.
From mold, or mold like substances are not necessary. When mold, or mold like substances are found in a home inspector, it should not be a deal breaker even if the inspector / tester thinks it should be be Let me share with you the conclusions of the experts on the subject so you will have a good understanding of what you are facing when you encounter mold or mold like substances or we just call it all - fungus.
Here are the basics about mold:
Without mold, we would find ourselves wading deep in dead plant matter. And we would not have cheese and some medicines without mold. But water needs water to grow; without water Those of spores as dandelion seeds on a microscopic They are do not not grow. They are do not grow growing. They are can not grow growing. without the conditions are right.
Since need needs moisture to grow, here are a few things to look for around your house.
• The sprinkler system too close to the house
• Downspouts and the ground sloping toward the house
• A watered garden too close to the house
Then there are less obvious sources of moisture in a house you may not see right You should not have picked up during an inspection.
Things like:
• Moisture movement through exterior walls from things such as:
• Poor caulking and paint
• Poor flashings
• Poor shingles
• Poor thresholds
• Interior rooms excluded from air circulation like closets
• Poor attic ventilation trapping moisture in the attic
• Humid summer air condensing on cooler crawl space surfaces when there is no vapor barrier present
• Moisture wicking up through the slab if the builder did not provide a vapor barrier
• High humidity from showering, cooking, etc.
• Plumbing leaks
• Any break in the synthetic stucco envelope
Some people where mold develops, like a broken pipe in Other more obvious and are picked up earlier enough. Others like faulty bathroom caulk which allows moisture into the structure over a long period of time, can be so hidden that no Well, maybe not.. Well, maybe not.. Well, maybe not.. We need to be related concerned about rot and structural articles than Short term moisture - mold, long term moisture - rot. mold. Mold can be cleaned up but but rot must be replaced.
In essence they are generally ventilated and moistured discharged out quickly. Roofs Heat escaped into the attics and natural ventilation kept the attic air moving. Homes today do not not have stepped pitched and constructed with these which ventilated attics and cooled the roof deck. M olly likes processed wood more than a moisture-sensitive materials. Paper, like that which is found on drywall is nature & # 39; s most perfect mold food. than it likes lumber. Just a little moisture in processed wood like OSB and particle board can affect its stability.
This may not be happy in the walls. This may not be happen in the walls. If you walk into a brand new house and it smells musty, there & # 39; s probably a problem.
Now let & # 39; s see what the experts say about mold.
The most problematic problem is exposure to molds. I am totally responsible for environmental factors. Other than mold in damp indoor spaces, notably house dust mites, viruses, tobacco smoke, and There are no tests to determine whether the symptoms are caused by the mold or something else.
There are more than than 100,000 types of mold. Currently we do do some molds, like Stachybotrys, produce toxic substances called mycotoxins. We do not have any tests that can have any mycotoxins are the cause of someone & There may never be any regulations on exposure to mold, as even with as some exposure guidelines. the lowest levels bother people with severe hypersensitivity. Believe it or not, allergic responses can come from exposure to dead as well as to living mold spores. Therefore, killing mold with bleach and other other disinfectants may not prevent allergic responses.
Stachybotrys does not easily grow indoors and requires large amounts of moisture to grow . The known health effects from exposure to stachybotrys are similar to other inconclusive associated with more severe health effects in some people. The results are difficult to interpret and often inconclusive.
From a 2004 report by the Institute of Medicine:
The entire process of fungal-spore aerosolization, transport, deposition, re-suspension, and tracking, all of which determination inhalation exposure, is poorly understood There is no significant clinical evidence that humans have adverse effects. There is no specific dose-response relationship between the specific ambient fungal concentration and any human health effects. Therefore, there is no known dose response and that, in the clinical medical field, there is no known dose response relationship between a specific ambient fungal concentration and any toxic human health effect. no valid data available to support assessment of risk-relevant exposu re can not be produced.
The following are statements from the Scientific Community:
• The Texas Medical Association 's Council on Scientific Affairs released a report in September 2002 stating that there is no significant evidence connecting "black mold" to human disease.
• The American Academy of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery has reported that there is no convincing evidence of a causal association between the black mold Stachybotrys and human disease.
• Current scientific evidence does not support the proposition that human disease has been adversely affected by inhaled mycotoxins in homes, schools or office environments.
• The US Chamber of Commerce reported July 2003 that in "A Scientific View of the Health Effects of Mold," a team of scientists found that is can cause reactions for those who are prone to allergies. Infections caused by mold are rare, except for those who are are "immune compromised." the study concludes that. "There is no sound scientific evidence that mold causing & # 39; toxicity & # 39; in doses found in home environments.
• Dr. Gailen Marshall, Jr., Director, Division of Allergy and Clinical Immunology at the Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, states that some people do develop allergies and experience symptoms of asthma or hay fever when exposed to some Male spores. "There are to many people related to illnesses such as memory, but they are serious, but those are rare. So what about the & # 39; experts & # 39; who claim to diagnose all sorts of mold-related illnesses such as memory loss or learning disabilities? There is no proof to support those claims.
• The Institute of Medicine of the National Academies, in its report issued in May 2004, failed to find evidence of a causal link with (mold) and a wide variety of other health conditions.
• The National Center for Environmental Health states that at present there is no test that proves an association between Stachybotrys Chartarum and particular health symptoms.
• Currently, there are no EPA regulations or standards for airborne mold contaminants.
• The American Industrial Hygiene Association states that some molds produce toxic substances called mycotoxins. Airborne mycotoxins have not been shown to cause health problems for occupants in residential or commercial buildings.
___ ___ 0 , or infection "Building-related illness due to mycotoxicosis" Prompt remediation of water-damaged material and infrastructure repair should be the primary response to fungal contamination in buildings. "
There are several ways to test for mold. In bulk sampling, samples are similar to areas of carpet or air filters. In surface sampling, a swab or adhesive tape lifts the According to the HUD Healthy Homes Issue "air sampling is more technically challenging and has greater opportunity for error than source sampling."
According to the New York City Department of Health, "air sampling for fungi should not be part of a routine assessment. In addition, air-sampling methods for some fungi are temporary to false negative results and there can not be used to definitively rule out contamination.
The problem, "The increasing number of companies are offering." The problem, "The problem, looking like a reasonable thing to do. The problem, do. , that sampling of the most air sampling for developed a developed. developed individual aircraft was developed developed a development of a hidden reservoir of mold. The Center for Disease Control, the US Environmental Protection Agency and the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists do not recommend routine air testing for mold. "Mold testing is rarely useful for trying to answer quest" need to assume there is a problem whenever you see mold or smell mold odors. ions about health concerns. "
You do not need for it. You do not need to know what species it is to deal with it. You should deal with all mold exactly the same way Mother - of - If you see see the sample analyzed? Were the samples analyzed? The report should contain absolutely no interpretation. mold - and if you see If you have a problem with the mold and fixing it is pointed out that it is pointless to test for mold. No recognized authoritative public agency recommends the testing of the water can not be done. to guide the clean-up or to direct correction of t he water problem. "
So when is testing advised by the experts? "Dr. Yost again:" Biological measurements sometimes providing useful information in finding hidden mold when thorough inspection has not found moisture or mold. Or people complain of symptoms with mold exposure, but no mold is found upon inspection. for verification of the presence of mold.
Begin remediation. Remove damaged material (especially porous materials) That can not be cleaned or is more expensive to clean than replace Again, Dr Yost says, "Materials like lumber, plywood, oriented strand board (OSB)," Materials like lumber, "Who should be the clean-up?" The Institute of Medicine committee studied numerous historical studies and publications on the prevention and remediation of mold. That is remembering in a mann According to the new Evidence of mold toxicity, remediation should be based on non-clinical factors and the focus should be on moisture control and structural repair. "According to the New York City Department of Health, "there are no special requirements for the disposal of moldy materials."
The moresure problem, it needs to be fixed - fast. Whether it & # 39; sa leak or high humidity, time is of the essence. The source needs to be located and repaired. affected area needs to be either cleaned or replaced and treated thoroughly.
As far as testing is useful to to find hidden mold or determined if an area has been adequately cleaned or remediated.
Why did not anyone notice the obvious mold? Were they empty for a long period of time? Did not they have an inspection before they moved in?
Who is to blame when the mold is found in a house - who do you sue? Nature? Father Time when a fifty year old pipe bursts? The sun because the shingles succumbed?
If the experts say that there is no connection to mold and health issues other than allergies, where did the data come from in these lawsuits to say that there is?
I hope this answers at least some of the questions and misconceptions you have about mysterious mold issue in homes.
