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Shipping Address: Moldlab, Ltd 3245 Main St. Suite # 235 Frisco TX 75034 972-247-9373
For hand delivered samples, call for instructions
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This page provides an overview and resources about mold and indoor air quality for the individual or homeowner. It also details a quick and easy means to check for mold contamination yourself requiring only a piece of tape, a few moments of your time, and forty dollars. In most cases a simple tape-lift is the best way to test for stachybotrys. Mold, Mold Everywhere Awareness and media attention to the ill health effects posed by mold contamination has increased tremendously recently. Local news stories have begun reporting the closing of schools and buildings because of "toxic mold" contamination. The CBS news program 48 hours recently devoted their entire program to Invisible Killers. One of the segments in the show reported on a story that has went on to gain much attention on its own because it involved a $100 million dollar lawsuit and criminal charges against the insurance company. A homeowner claimed among other things that toxic mold caused him to have brain damage and caused his small child to cough up blood and to have permanently damaged the child's lungs. Mold Can Make You Sick The effect mold can have on your health has become a more prominent health concern lately. Allergies and irritation of mucous membranes can be the product of mold contamination in your environment, and mold is suspected of being a major agent in Sick Building Syndrome. Certain molds also produce toxins which can have wide ranging ill health effects. A widely reported study linked stachybotrys ( a type of mold sometimes found on damp sheetrock) to bleeding lungs and several deaths of infants in Cleveland. Public buildings and schools many times will evacuate and close whenever stachybotrys is detected. Mold in Your Home? Mold can grow just about anywhere and just about on anything (stachybotrys, the so called "toxic mold" is found mainly on damp cellulose containing materials like wallboard paper.) It mainly only needs moisture to thrive, and it can be very hardy and difficult to remove. It can grow back in a previously cleaned area if moisture returns. The main way to control mold contamination is to control moisture and to check for leaks and water damage. Sampling and testing is a means of determining if and\or what type of mold you have growing in your home. Some links for more info are listed below and in Resources. A Brief Guide to Mold, Moisture, and Your Home - Environmental Protection Agency Facts About Mold - NYC Dept. of Health, Bureau of Environmental Investigations Mold in My Home: What Do I Do? - California Dept. of Health Services Is Indoor Mold Contamination a Threat to Health? - Washington State Dept. of Health Beware: Toxic Mold - Time magazine Home Mold Inspection A professional inspection involves evaluating the indoor environment for areas of possible concern as well as sampling the air and various surfaces. A professional consultant could then provide advice and recommendations concerning your indoor air quality. The price for this service can range from several hundred to several thousand dollars. Please be aware that many standard pre-purchase home inspections do not include any type of mold evaluation; if this is a concern you might want to contract an inspector who can perform this, or you might want to supplement the standard inspection with one performed by mold specialists. Advantages: A professional inspector looks at the "big picture", he can sample the inside air directly and compare it to the outside air, and he can give specific advice and discuss your specific situation with you. He might also be better able and experienced to find mold contamination in places you might not think to look. Air testing can sometimes alert you to mold contamination that you have failed to find during routine visual inspection. Disadvantages: Cost. Have to schedule a visit. Many professionals shun work from individuals and homeowners. The more affordable quotes might only include a professional inspection but not any type of expert consultation and advice, particularly where health concerns are an issue. Choosing the right inspector can sometimes be problematic because the expertise and knowledge of "certified" inspectors can vary greatly. Self-Testing A cheaper, more convenient alternative in some cases is to do the sampling yourself, particularly when there is visible mold that you are concerned about. All you need is a piece of clear scotch tape and it only costs $40 per sample (don't waste money on expensive "home test kits" that only include gravity\culture plates, particularly if you are testing for the so called "toxic mold," stachybotrys; most culture plates are not designed for stachybotrys and don't work well. Also, results can take weeks rather than days.) Tape-lifting is the preferred method when you can actually see the mold growing on a surface or just suspect that it might be (e.g. a stain on the wall or an air duct grill). This can also give an indication of the type of mold spores that have fallen out of the air by sampling fresh dust deposits (but to test the air directly requires special sampling equipment.) This type of testing can be used to simply "check out" the occasional stain, as well as in conjunction with a more thorough inspection of your house for water leaks and moisture build-up (behind the refrigerator, under the sink, under the carpet, in the basement, etc...). Note though, that many times it is not actually necessary to determine what kind of mold is present - especially for small areas. Advantages: Cheap, easy, and convenient. Test results in approximately 3-4 days. (Rush results available for $70) Disadvantages: Not a complete evaluation of indoor air quality. A tape sample only tells you what is present in the area sampled and tested - only about a square half inch is analyzed under the microscope. It is extremely difficult to correlate any type of surface sample with what is actually present in the air. Note though, any type of legal or insurance type action will probably require at some point for an independent professional to perform the sampling. This is partly to insure that the samples truly originated at the stated source. Self testing would only be a cheaper preliminary step to see if further action is warranted. It might also provide a means to verify the thoroughness of later professional inspections, particularly in the case where the inspector is working for the insurance company or some party other than yourself. In these cases it might be beneficial to be present and make sure the inspector includes samples from areas that you have already identified as being a problem. Sampling and Testing Sampling and testing will help you to determine if and what type of mold is present You can quickly and easily determine if any stains or color spots are mold You can quickly and easily determine if any mold growth you see is stachybotrys If someone is suffering allergy symptoms, knowing the type of mold present can possibly help to isolate or discount potential causes The type of mold present might influence what scale and how quickly of a response you perform
Taking the samples yourself then submitting them to the Moldlab can be a relatively convenient and inexpensive means to achieving peace of mind. You should, however, decide first whether the identification of the type of mold is necessary for your purposes. Please note however, that all the laboratory provides is an identification and a very approximate semi-quantification of the mold present in the spot sampled. This does not include any advice or opinion on how dangerous a particular mold is, what quantities are significant, or what the next course of action should be. Mold is currently unregulated, and professional advice may vary on these issues (and you may require advice from different kinds of professionals - health, remediation, insurance, etc...). The lab result is simply a preliminary test that allows you to make a better informed decision about your next course of action. The links and resources on this website can assist you in this. For example, Stachybotrys, Memnoniella and Aspergillus \ Pencillium currently are the types of most concern to industry professionals, and the presence of these in even minor amounts might warrant further consultation with your local or state Health Department, an IAQ professional (see Environmental Consultants in the yellow pages), a medical practitioner, and\or your insurance provider. Other types of mold can and do have various other health concerns, but the health effects from many of these other molds routinely found indoors do not commonly reach the degree of seriousness often associated with those molds listed above. Many times one can deal with the situation oneself my simply cleaning the contaminated area (as described in various links provided on this website), but each situation is different depending upon various factors including the extent of the contamination, the type and location of the materials involved, the sensitivities of the individuals involved, and the particular concerns of each individual. The laboratory, however, is incapable of providing further assistance beyond the lab report and the basic information and links available on this website (and possibly referring you to a professional in your area who can come out and advise you on your particular situation.) Simply depress a piece of clear tape to the visible mold or suspected area and lift off about a nickel size portion. Areas you might want to sample include any suspicious stains or color spots, areas of visible mold growth, damp materials like wallboard, and\or maybe places that collect dust to see what has fallen out of the air. It might be beneficial to photograph the specific area sampled for later reference. Note that large surfaces can have multiple mold types spanning across it, and a single tape-lift might not be inclusive or representative of all the molds present (we only analyze about a square half inch of tape per sample.) Particularly on moldy drywall, there can be black mold containing colonies of Stachybotrys, Chaetomium, Aspergillus, and others growing side by side, yet undistinguishable by the naked eye. Place each sample you wish to be tested into separate Ziploc or airtight baggies. Do not fold the tape back on to itself; rather, stick the tape sticky-side down to the inside of the baggy. Avoid folding or wrinkling the tape in the area of interest. Note the location taken. If you take more than one sample, write a unique number (01, 02, 03, etc...) and brief description distinguishing it from the other samples (Bathroom tile, Bathroom wallpaper, etc...). Download and print the generic Chain-of-Custody \ Sample Submittal form (MS Word format) found in Resources if possible, or include a letter stating the residence information you wish to appear on the report (address, particular location in the home, etc...) for each sample. Include the address and person you wish the report to be sent to and an e-mail address or fax number if you would like it sent electronically also. The analysis costs $40.00 for each sample, and results usually take approximately 3-4 days after receipt (you can request Rush service for $70 per sample and receive results usually in 1-2 days). Turnaround times are dependent on workload and may vary. Make a check or money order for the total amount payable to the Moldlab, Ltd. and include with your shipment, or include the appropriate credit card information as indicated on the Submittal Form. (We currently are not set up to handle American Express cards.) Shipping Address: Moldlab, Ltd 3245 Main St. Suite # 235 Frisco TX 75034 972-247-9373
For hand delivered samples, call for instructions
Send
mail to info@moldlab.com with
questions or comments about this web site. |
 |
 Tape-lifts
are a much better way than the culture plates found in "Home Test
Kits' to identify Stachybotrys, the so called "toxic mold." Stachybotrys
does not grow or compete well on the culture plates used in "Home
Test Kits" Business hours Monday thru Friday 9:00 am - 5:00 pm Central time zone.
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