Black Mold Testing, Inspectors, Remediation
BLACK MOLD
CLEAN-UP GUIDES, KITS, CONSULTANTS, REMEDIATORS
Self Help
Guides and Kits:
Go to:
www.moldcheck.com
For a do-it-yourself
"Mold Clean-Up Guide and Surface Testing Kit"
Cost: $14.95 + shipping and handling
Consultants:
- Go to Google.com and
do a search to find a mold consultant -- Search for "Mold Testing", "Mold Test
Kits", "Mold Remediation" and add your state.
- Go to Yellow Pages and look under laboratories -- Testing or Environmental
Consultants.
Costs: $1000 to $2000 per day.
Home Inspectors:
- Go to the Yellow Pages to find a "certified" Home Inspector for the
specific
purpose of finding the source of the leak so you can have the condition fixed.
Costs: $150.00 to $300.00
NOTE: You may have difficulty finding a home
inspector who will agree to inspect for mold because his business liability
insurance may not cover this service. SO -- Don't ask for a mold inspection --
what you want is a moisture leak inspection. If he finds the moisture,
condensation or leak source and pathway, you’ll know where to find the mold you
need to clean up.
Health Departments: We have found that health
departments throughout the country generally do not take an active role in
indoor air quality issues and specifically do not have tools or training on
indoor mold investigations. They will often investigate rental housing and
take action on visible mold.
Black Mold Testing Laboratories:
Research and laboratory experience have shown that there are many common
families of black mold that colonize building materials. Some of these
most common black-appearing molds which grow on building materials are:
Black Mold species of Alternaria
Black Mold species of Aspergillus
Black Mold species of Cladosporium
Black Mold species of Epicococcum
Black Mold species of Memnoniella*
Black Mold species of Stachybotrys*
Black Mold species of Trichoderma
*Note that of these black molds, only Stachybotrys and
Memnoniella are reported to be toxic. Any or all of these molds can be mixed
together on a contaminated surface and will be very costly to sort out and
identify.
Even species of Penicillium, which are dark gray-green or blue-green, can look
like black mold contamination on various building materials and can be "toxic"
in high levels in the air. |
