Mold Problem Here?

Mold Problems Here?

I'm seeing a big uptick in requests for mold testing. Interestingly, these are being driven by doctors asking their patients to get tested. Since I am certified in Mold Inspection, I have been getting a number of these referrals.

In each such case where doctors have referred their patients for mold inspection, I have found, through air sampling, surprising levels of mold. Unusually, it is in the exterior samples that I am seeing high numbers which is, obviously, affecting the indoor air quality. Oftentimes, there is NO visible mold present but there have been plenty of mold spores in the air.

And, before anyone thinks “Well, not around here!”, I have done mold testing in Lewiston, Clarkston, Moscow, and Pullman - plus a bunch out of town. Mold is becoming a problem here. Now, that may be the result of a really wet spring - or, it may not. I suspect, but don’t and can’t know, that the past several years of national health issues have impacted the population such that mold that did not affect people previously is now a much more serious concern.

When I am inspecting for mold (NOT included in a home inspection), I am looking for sources of moisture in the entire structure. So, if a client says they have mold in the bathroom, I'm still going to be in all the other rooms, up on the roof, in the attic, and in the crawlspace. I'm also going to be testing surfaces for moistures, testing the air for humidity, and looking under and behind things to find the moisture source.

Sometimes, there just isn't a problem. But, more recently, there has been, from leaking plumbing to a failed dryer vent to water in the crawlspace.

Without testing, we just can't know.

If mold is a concern in your home, I recommend testing. It is a worthwhile investment in your air quality.

The Dryer Vent is Obstructed Why?

A classic example of something done almost right . . .

What are those stripes on my wall?

I had a chance recently to perform a "mold' inspection. The occupant of the home complained of mold growth and was particularly concerned about the stripes that were growing on his walls.

I performed a visual exam the walls but the issue was obvious as soon as I entered. .The striping effect I saw is typical marking that occurs in older homes that limited wall insulation and (generally) a four-inch wall cavity.

The striping is not a biological growth but the result of house energy dynamics and occupant behavior. In the wintertime, the studs are substantially cooler than the cavity spaces. The movement of warm air is to the cooler stud, consistent with the Second Law of Thermodynamics. When the air reaches the painted drywall surface, it deposits oils, dust, and smoke on the surface. The reason that the nails show more on the wall surface is that they are metal and better transmitters of energy, and thus colder.

 A lot older houses that had smokers exhibit these types of stripes. Other causes are the cooking greases and smoke from the kitchen, oil-based air fresheners, wood fireplaces, and candles.

Candles are a biggie.

So my advice is not to panic. Clean the walls, and then assess which of the likely causes put the particulate matter into the air in the first place. Once you determine that, you have a means of control.