Indoor Air Quality Blog

How to Keep Basements Healthy

Jeffrey May — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 21:07:09 +0000

Both finished and unfinished basements are prone to developing mold-growth problems. If you do laundry, exercise, watch TV, or play in moldy, below-grade (below ground level) space, you may be inhaling mold spores and other unhealthy substances.There are some steps you can take, however, to keep the air in your basement healthier to breathe. (more…)

Odor Testing

admin — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 20:29:50 +0000

Many people call us because they are concerned about musty odors, and then we conduct a mold inspection. But there are other sources of building odors that can sometimes make people sick and that may indicate the presence of a variety of building problems. Then the odor testing required may be more complex. (more…)

Indoor Air Quality Consultants

admin — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 20:26:13 +0000

“Indoor air quality consultant” is a title that can stand for different levels of education and experience. Home inspectors, air conditioning technicians, pest control operators, and even lead, asbestos and mold remediators may do air quality testing. Some people who call themselves indoor air quality consultants have had only a few days of training in a “certification” course. Others have studied architecture, chemical engineering, chemistry, physics, or biology. Some indoor air quality consultants are certified industrial hygienists, who have been trained to deal primarily with air quality problems in manufacturing workplaces, rather than in residential or office buildings. (more…)

Black Mold Testing

admin — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 20:20:28 +0000

There are many types of mold that are black, and most are not “toxic black mold.” (more…)

Indoor Air Quality Testing

admin — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 19:51:23 +0000

Indoor air quality testing may be done to determine levels of allergens, irritants, or contaminants indoors, and also generally involves determining whether the temperature and humidity are within the “comfort zone.” The concentrations of particles in the air are often included. The concentration of carbon dioxide may also be measured. Carbon dioxide is always present outdoors, but may be present in greater concentrations indoors as people work and live in closed spaces, inhaling oxygen and exhaling carbon dioxide. But elevated levels of this gas indoors generally indicate inadequate building ventilation, and cause people to feel sleepy and describe the air as “stuffy.” A lack of fresh air indoors also results in higher concentrations of other chemicals that can be found in buildings, including formaldehyde, solvents, or even carbon monoxide. So indoor air quality testing may include measuring levels of these gases and chemicals, too. (more…)

Mold Inspectors – What They Do

admin — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 19:44:48 +0000

If you have a basement mold problem, a mold inspection should include a walk-around the property to look for sources of foundation moisture from the exterior. If you’ve had mold growth in a room on the first or second floor, a look at your gutter system should be part of the inspection, because a properly maintained gutter system should keep roof water away from the house. If you think you have mold in your attic, the mold inspector should check to see if there have been roof leaks, if there is adequate attic ventilation, or if there are openings at the attic access or at recessed light fixtures or around pipes or ducts that allow moist house air to leak up into the attic. (more…)

Mold Inspections That Have Backfired

admin — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 19:19:11 +0000

One family we worked with had moved out of their home and was living in a hotel, because a mold inspector found mold all over their basement foundation walls. The mold ended up being efflorescence: crystalline mineral deposits due to moisture migration through the concrete. (If you wonder whether a fuzzy deposit on your basement foundation wall is mold or efflorescence, put some in a glass of vinegar. If the deposit dissolves, it’s mineral.) Another family was living in a camper in their driveway, because a testing laboratory had incorrectly identified candle soot on the ceilings of their home as toxic black mold. (more…)

Mold Inspector – Who Should You Hire?

admin — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 19:12:39 +0000

The mold inspector you hire depends on your needs.

If you are worried about whether mold may be present due to a hidden leak, you want to hire a professional with experience investigating building problems. Use a mold inspector who owns a moisture meter and an infrared camera. Infrared cameras measure temperature differences, which can be caused by water evaporating from a damp surface. It’s important to use a moisture meter to confirm the presence of dampness, though, because temperature differences in a wall or ceiling cavity, for example, can also be caused by cooler air infiltrating the cavity. (more…)

Mold Testing – What the Results Should Tell You

admin — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 18:58:16 +0000

A lot of our clients have had mold testing done and received reports that they found confusing. Many of the reports stated that there were elevated concentrations of mold spores indoors. The clients already thought this would be the case, because they were suffering health symptoms or detected a musty smell. What they needed to know was where the mold was growing . (more…)

Mold Testing – Do-It-Yourself or Hire a Professional?

admin — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 21:14:14 +0000

Many building supply stores sell mold-testing kits. The kit contains a flat plastic dish that you fill with nutrients for mold to grow. You set the dish out open for a limited period of time before putting the cover back on the dish. You can then either watch the dish to see what grows, or send the dish to a lab for analysis. This type of testing can be useful under certain circumstances. If you put the dish in your basement, for example, and then find that 20 identical colonies of blue-green or black mold grew in the dish, you know you have a mold problem. (more…)