Let me start by saying that I am not a mold specialist, and I am not testing for mold. In fact, home inspectors are not even allowed by the NC Home Inspection Audit Commission to invoke the substance form if they are not experts in this field. We can and do use words like moldy substances, even if they are obviously mold. However, I studied microbiology in high school and college, and my first specialist was a medical technician. I am familiar with mold and other microorganisms and have worked intensively with them. Now, as a licensed home inspector, I work closely with real estate professionals in the housing deal. There are many misconceptions about mold, as it concerns homes, and this article is an attempt to eliminate confusion.
My hope is to give you a better understanding of mold research; health effects, what he does for the house, and what should be done if it is discovered. I hope you have questions about how humidity, mold, and mold can complicate home sales. I hope to give you enough information from the experts so that you can understand how unfair the lawsuits that were in the news. For me, the real threat in homes is the long-term effects of moisture and mold, which are structural problems due to rot.
From my research, as well as my personal opinion, mold testing is not required. When a mold or mold similar to substances gets into the house by a home inspector, it should not be a deal breaker, even if the inspector / tester thinks it should be. Let me share with you the conclusions of experts on this issue, so that you can better understand what you encounter when faced with mold or mold, or call it all - a fungus.
Here is a basic information about the mold:
Shapes are decompositions of dead organic material such as leaves, wood, and plants. Without mold, we could plunge deep into dead plant matter. And we would not have cheese and some mold-free drugs. But mold needs water to grow; without water mold can not grow. To reproduce, mold creates spores that spread through the air, water and insects. These spores act like seeds and can form new mold growth if the conditions are correct. Think of disputes like dandelion seeds at a microscopic level. A little air movement, and they are everywhere waiting for land where they can grow. It is important to understand that mold spores are present everywhere, both in the outdoor air and in the room. They simply do not grow without conditions.
Because mold needs an increase in humidity, here are a few things to look for around your home.
• Sprinkler system too close to home
• Drainpipes and earth sloping towards the house
• water garden too close to home
Then there are less obvious sources of moisture in the house, which you may not immediately see, which would be raised during the inspection.
Things like:
• Movement of moisture through external walls from such things as:
• Bad compaction and paint
• Bad glare
• Bad tile
• Bad thresholds
• Interiors excluded from air circulation, for example, cabinets
• Poor attic ventilation that traps moisture in the attic
• Condensation of humid summer air on the surfaces of the cooler when there is no vapor barrier
• Moisture moisture through the slab, if the builder has not provided a vapor barrier
• High humidity from showering, cooking, etc.
• Water leakage
• Any break in a synthetic stucco envelope
Think about it. Mold development takes from 24 to 48 hours. How often do today's homeowners check their bypass space and attic to make sure there are no leaks? Some areas where mold develops, like a broken pipe in a wall or ceiling, are more obvious and are collected early enough to repair before they are badly damaged. Others, such as a faulty bathroom for the bathroom, which allows moisture in the structure for a long period of time, can be so hidden that no one notices until the framing has rotted so that the bath enters the scanning space. Well maybe not. The likelihood of catching a mold before it causes structural damage is less likely than finding rot. We need to worry more about rotting and structural problems than mold. Mold can be cleaned, but rot must be replaced and can cause significant damage. Short-term moisture - mold, long-term moisture - rot.
Construction methods and building codes have changed with the increased interest in energy savings. Houses built before 1930, as a rule, did not have effective insulation either on the ceilings or on the walls. In essence, they were usually ventilated and moistened quickly discharged. Roofs were usually sharply smashed and built with tiles that had gaps between them, which ventilated attics and cooled the roof. These houses were, of course, heat sinks. Heat flowed into the attics, and natural ventilation kept the attic from moving. Homes today do not dry out so quickly, because we better isolate and build. In addition, homes today are built with more moisture-sensitive materials. Paper, like the one on drywall, is the most advanced form of mold. Mold likes processed wood more than it likes lumber. Low humidity in treated wood, such as OSB and chipboard, may affect its stability.
Mold can even be built into new homes. At this age, when time is money, contractors may not wait until the structure of the house dries out after the rain before sealing in the walls, catching moisture in the walls. This may not happen often, but it may happen; therefore, even new homes should be checked. If you enter a completely new house and smell musty, then this is probably a problem.
Now let's see what the experts say about mold.
Most people do not have a reaction when they come into contact with mold. The biggest health problem of mold is allergy and asthma in susceptible people. However, exposure to environmental factors other than mold in wet areas, in particular, house dust mites, viruses, tobacco smoke and cockroaches, along with pesticides, volatile organic compounds and vapors from furniture or building materials can have the same health effects. There are no tests to determine if symptoms are caused by a form or something else.
There are over 100,000 types of molds. Some forms, such as Stachybotrys, produce toxic substances called mycotoxins. These forms usually have higher water requirements than ordinary household forms, and tend to thrive only in conditions of chronic and severe water damage. We currently do not know much about the health effects of most mycotoxins on humans. Much of what we know about mycotoxins comes from the effects of farm animals on mold grain or hay. We do not have any tests that could determine if mycotoxins are the cause of any disease. We cannot easily or reliably measure the level of mycotoxins in air samples to determine exposure levels. Currently there are only recommendations and there are no rules regarding the internal form. There can never be any rules for exposure to mold, because even the lowest levels bother people with severe hypersensitivity. Believe it or not, allergic reactions can be caused by exposure to the dead, as well as live mold spores. Therefore, killing mold with bleach and other disinfectants cannot prevent allergic reactions.
What about black mold? Stachybotrys is a mycotoxin-producing form and is usually associated with black mold. This is one of several that are very unhealthy, but attract all the attention. Stachybotrys does not grow easily indoors and requires a lot of moisture to grow. The known health effects of exposure to Stachybotrys are similar to other common forms, but have been unconvincingly associated with more serious health effects in some people. Testing is expensive; results are difficult to interpret and often inconclusive.
From the report of the Institute of Medicine for 2004:
There is no effective, efficient and reliable mold measurement process and that such assessment methods need to be developed. The entire process of aerosolization, transport, sedimentation, re-suspension and tracking of fungal spores, all of which determine the effects of inhalation, is poorly understood, and methods for assessing the effects of fungi on humans are not well developed. In clinical medical practice, there is no known dose-response relationship between a particular concentration of embryonic fungi and any consequences for human health. There is no significant clinical evidence that people have adverse effects of immunotoxic, neurological, respiratory or dermal reactions after contact with a mold other than an allergic reaction, and that there is no known dose dependence in the clinical field of medicine associated with a specific concentration of embryonic fungi and any toxic effect on human health. Thus, there is no reliable data to support the sample, since the risk-related impact assessment cannot be performed.
The following are statements from the Scientific community:
• The Science Medical Council of the Texas Medical Association published a report in September 2002 stating that there is no substantial evidence linking the black mold to human diseases.
• American Academy of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery reported that there is no conclusive evidence of a causal link between Stachybotrys black mold and human diseases.
• The American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine claims that, with the exception of those with severely weakened immune systems, indoor mold is not a source of fungal infections. Current scientific evidence does not support the claim that inhaled mycotoxins have an adverse effect on human health in homes, schools, or in offices.
• The American Chamber of Commerce reported in July 2003 that, in the Scientific Impact on Mold Health, a group of scientists discovered that mold can cause a reaction in allergy-prone people. Infections caused by mold are rare, with the exception of those who are “immunized”. The study concludes that "there is no reliable scientific evidence that mold causes toxicity at doses found at home."
• Dr. Gaylen Marshall, Jr., director of the Department of Allergy and Clinical Immunology at the School of Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, states that some people develop allergies and symptoms of asthma or hay fever when exposed to some mold spores. “There are also several diseases associated with mold that can be serious, but they are rare. So what about the “experts” who state that it is necessary to diagnose all types of diseases associated with mold, such as loss of memory or impairment of training, “There is no evidence to support these claims.”
• The Institute of Medicine of the National Academies, in its report published in May 2004, could not find evidence of a causal relationship with mold and a wide range of other health conditions.
• The National Center for Environmental Hygiene claims that there is currently no test that proves the link between Stachybotrys Chartarum and specific health symptoms.
• The Environmental Protection Agency declares that no standards or limit values have been set for mold or mold concentrations in the air. There are currently no EPA regulations or standards for airborne pollutants.
• The American Industrial Hygiene Association states that some molds produce toxic substances called mycotoxins. Airborne mycotoxins were not caused by health problems for residents in residential or commercial buildings.
• Dr. Chapman, Terr, Jacobs, Charlworth, and Bardana report the completion of their recent study in the September issue of The Chronicle of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology in September 2003: “When symptoms associated with mold occur, they are probably the result of temporary irritation or infection "A health-related illness associated with mycotoxicosis has never been confirmed in the medical literature." Rapid repair of water-damaged materials and infrastructure repairs should be the primary response to building pollution in mushrooms. ”
There are several ways to test mold. For bulk sampling, samples (for example, drywall sections, pieces of carpet, or air filters) are collected for analysis to determine if mold is active. When sampling the surface of a tampon or adhesive tape, pick up samples for analysis. When sampling air, a suction type pump is used for air sampling. According to the HUD Healthy Homes Issue, "sampling air is more technically complex and has a higher probability of error than sampling the source."
According to the New York City Department of Health, “air sampling for mushrooms should not be part of the normal assessment. This is due to the fact that decisions about appropriate rehabilitation strategies can usually be made on the basis of visual inspection. In addition, air sampling methods for some fungi are temporary for false-negative results and cannot be used to permanently eliminate contamination.
From another expert, Dr. Jost of Building Science Corp., “an increasing number of companies are offering air testing for mold. At first glance, it looks reasonable. However, the problem is that the results of most samples for mold make sense for two reasons: a dangerous level of mold in the air. Air sampling was designed to locate a hidden mold reservoir. the mold sample provides a snapshot of what was in the air within a few minutes of sampling. 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. ” Instead, you should simply assume that there is a problem when you see the smell of mildew or smell. necessary to eliminate moisture problems and eliminate all visible growth. Mold testing is rarely useful for answering questions about health problems. "
Again, according to Dr. Jost, “Do not test for mold. If you see it or smell it, you have it. You do not need to know which species he should handle. You must deal with the entire mold in the same way the water problem that caused it. Replace damaged materials. Clean mold, dust and mildew. Where were the samples taken and how? Are samples analyzed? The report must contain absolutely no interpretation. this, and you smell it, probably you have too much. If the house has a mold and a water problem that caused the mold, it is obvious that it is pointless to test the mold. when testing mold it will not be available for cleaning the mold and fixing the water problem has led to mold. In addition, samples can take several days or weeks to analyze — time that is wasted, which may be better spent cleaning the mold and fixing a water problem. for guidance cleaning or direct correction t he has a problem with water. "
So, when is testing tested by experts? Dr. Yost again: “Biological measurements sometimes provide useful information for finding a hidden form when a thorough check does not detect moisture or mold. Or people complain of symptoms that are consistent with the effects of mold, but no form is found during testing. the presence of mold.
Well, there is mold or mold in your home. Now what? Find the cause of moisture and fix it quickly. Start the fix. Remove damaged material (especially porous materials) that cannot be cleaned or more costly than replaced. Clean the recovered material (non-porous). Dry the area before closing in the wall or ceiling. New building materials were mentioned earlier. Снова, д-р Йост говорит: «Такие материалы, как пиломатериалы, фанера, ориентированная стружечная плита (OSB), древесностружечная плита, гипсокартон, покрытый бумагой, могут или не могут быть спасены. Твердая древесина, скорее всего, является проблемой поверхностного загрязнения, а не структурной проблемой. могут быть очищены, разряжены и спасены. «Кто должен делать очистку? «Комитет Института медицины изучил многочисленные исторические исследования и публикации о профилактике и восстановлении плесени». Самые последние из них включают процедуры восстановления, основанные на предположении, что плесень является токсичной и ее необходимо устранить способом, аналогичным восстановлению здания с асбестом. Группа врачей предлагает, чтобы до тех пор, пока у медицинской науки не было доказательств токсичности плесени, исправление должно основываться на неклинических факторах, и основное внимание должно быть уделено контролю влажности и структурному ремонту. «По данным Департамента здравоохранения Нью-Йорка,« нет особых требований к утилизации плесенистых материалов ».
Таким образом, прежде всего, когда возникает проблема с влажностью, ее необходимо фиксировать - быстро. Является ли это утечкой или высокой влажностью, время имеет значение. Источник должен быть расположен и отремонтирован. Зараженный участок необходимо либо очистить, либо заменить и тщательно обработать.
Что касается тестирования, исследования очень специфичны. Неважно, какие виды плесени присутствуют. Единственное время тестирования полезно найти скрытую форму или определить, была ли зона надлежащим образом очищена или исправлена.
Дома, о которых мы слышим в крупных судебных процессах, должны были быть очень влажными в течение очень долгого времени. Почему никто не заметил явную форму? Были ли они пустыми в течение длительного периода времени? Разве у них не было инспекции, прежде чем они переехали?
Кто виноват, когда плесень находится в доме - кто вы подаете в суд? Природа? Отец Время, когда вспыхивает пятидесятилетняя труба? Солнце, потому что гвоздь поддалась?
Если эксперты говорят, что нет связи с проблемами плесени и здоровья, отличными от аллергии, откуда взялись данные в этих судебных процессах, чтобы сказать, что есть?
Я надеюсь, что это ответит, по крайней мере, на некоторые из вопросов и неправильных представлений о таинственной проблеме плесени в домах.
