Can anyone out there tell me how much I should charge for air spore trap sampling per sample? I am charging $95 for each one I run. Is one outside standard ok or should I take 2 ?
Thank you,John Cubit
JC Home/Mold Inspections
Manchester,Tn.
The going rate in my area is $125-150 per sample.
The number of outside samples is determined by your testing protocol or SOP, or what your Industrial Hygienist says.
If your Industrial Hygienist will not set your procedure for you, I would just find another lab. You will need somebody on your side just in case you do everything right and still get sued. Always keep your As* covered.
I still fail to understand why Mold samples are being taken from homes, unless of course it’s for an “All clear” professional confirmation.
When I see Mold, I tell all my clients to have it professionally removed. What Mold (that is tested) is allowed to stay on an initial Mold inspection?
You should have at least 1- outside air sample, however if it is below freezing or the ground is snow covered or it rained in the last 24 hrs the outside sample will not give you all the information that you need.
You should consider taking an on line course to better serve you clients.
Mold sampling is a necessary part of remediation, people need to know what kind of mold was in the property before remediation, that way when the remediation is complete and a post cleaning or clearance testing is complete, the quality of work will show how well it was done.
I have been on a few jobs that a handy man did the remediation and spread it through the entire house. I have also been a some that the 1-st mold sampling was used to compare the air in one room to determine where the mold was actually coming from.
But if your sampling to determine what kind of Mold it is…who cares what kind it is? It’s Mold.
All Mold must be removed period, and the individual removing it must be properly suited/protected…Right?
So what benefit is the initial test going to prove? It’s Mold.
Initial testing tells you how to the handle the mold, how thorough of a cleaning needs to be performed, and how much of the house needs to be cleaned, also if the HVAC system needs cleaning.
All moldy materials need to be removed (on the more serious cases) and all HVAC ducts are to be included in this clean-up.
Why would anyone go any other way?
Some mold can be toxic, it needs to be identified, when someone gets sick and the law suits start coming, to have a cavalier attitude about mold is not servicing you client and you open yourself up for a lawsuit. I some what agree with you if it’s mold it’s mold, but an IH will chew you up in court if you follow that train of thought.
That seems cheep. Some of the guys I have seen take a while. Maybe they charge more for looking busy, lol.
Legally, mold is not considered toxic until it is proven by testing.
Testing is a racket, just another way to play on the fear some people have toward mold. If there is mold present, find out whats causing the mold(poor ventilation, leak, mossy roof etc…). Fix the issue causing the mold and remediate. Doesn’t matter the type. Some people have allergic reaction, most people don’t. NO matter, the “mold” must be cleaned up/remediated no matter the type.
From the CDC;
“Generally, it is not necessary to identify the species of mold growing in a residence, and CDC does not recommend routine sampling for molds. Current evidence indicates that allergies are the type of diseases most often associated with molds. Since the susceptibility of individuals can vary greatly either because of the amount or type of mold, sampling and culturing are not reliable in determining your health risk. If you are susceptible to mold and mold is seen or smelled, there is a potential health risk; therefore, no matter what type of mold is present, you should arrange for its removal. Furthermore, reliable sampling for mold can be expensive, and standards for judging what is and what is not an acceptable or tolerable quantity of mold have not been established”
Again from the CDC;
“Standards for judging what is an acceptable, tolerable, or normal quantity of mold have not been established”
How do you know if the mold is cleaned up properly without testing? It is not always what you can see with the naked eye to be concerned about, it what you cannot see.
I have made several threads on this message board that I proved the government are hyprocites when it comes to mold. I would suggest you read them, Rob.
I have a young sun that has allergic reactions to high counts of aspergillus. I or no one else has established that high count tolerance yet but I can tell. I test my home doing air sampling. Why? Because its the mold I can’t see that I am concerned with. I have yet had to remediate anything but because of my son I monitor it and therefore believe it is a good service for a client if they should want the sampling.
We all realize that a clean-up of Mold must be tested for safety reasons, and that’s an ideal money maker…but we are referring to initial testing.
From Robs thread…
From the CDC;
“Generally, it is not necessary to identify the species of mold growing in a residence, and CDC does not recommend routine sampling for molds. Current evidence indicates that allergies are the type of diseases most often associated with molds. Since the susceptibility of individuals can vary greatly either because of the amount or type of mold, sampling and culturing are not reliable in determining your health risk. If you are susceptible to mold and mold is seen or smelled, there is a potential health risk; therefore, no matter what type of mold is present, you should arrange for its removal. Furthermore, reliable sampling for mold can be expensive, and standards for judging what is and what is not an acceptable or tolerable quantity of mold have not been established”
Refer back to post #6.
Do you know what a proper mold remediation really cost? If testing can just cut 10% of that cost down, it is well worth the money. And most reputable mold remediators will not even bid a job until they have a mold remediation protocol in their hands. Like I have said before search for all of the mold threads and start reading. I have covered all of this very thoroughly in the past, several times.
James,
How much business do you get from environmental testing? If there is mold present, shouldn’t it just be cleaned/remediated no matter the type? If you have mold getting into the cavity(interior) of your home, you have bigger issues. I have read not only the CDC but other experts in this filed that say the exact same thing. I agree remediation is expensive and probably just as much a racket as the initial testing. I know of contractors around here that have remediated by using Shockwave and an encapsulant to do treat the mold. No where near what a remediation company charges. Then again, the remediation companies want to remove the insulation etc… Which normally isn’t needed. There are obviously 2 sides to this issue. One side seems hell bent to make money off of people who don’t know the truth, and the other side(scientists), which knows and publish the truth.
“Standards for judging what is an acceptable, tolerable, or normal quantity of mold have not been established”
Rob
I am different from most home inspectors. I was field trained by my Industrial Hygienist, who is the top mold expert in the state of Missouri. I have acquired more education on mold than most home inspectors. Testing alone does not give enough information to remove mold. Some big labs push testing as big money makers and that is wrong. NACHI endorses these practices and that is wrong.
Yes, all mold should be removed, but just testing, as most home inspectors do is not always helpful. I have found in my area that most of the time the mold is removed incorrectly and causes more harm than good. Mold will try to defend itself emitting high counts of spores. These spores can easily spread throughout the home. What mold concentrations you had in the basement is now upstairs, oops!. Determining how much of an area that needs to be cleaned, and how thoroughly this area needs to be cleaned (Does just the horizontal surfaces need to be cleaned or does everything in the cabinets, draws and boxes need to be cleaned?) through mold testing is very important when it comes to removing mold cost efficiently.
Your notion of the insulation not needing to be removed is incorrect. There is no method of cleaning the mold spores out of insulation. Mold spores are like seeds if they get the right environment they will grow.
Two of my family members have gotten really ill because of mold in two totally different situations. I have a roster of clients that are ill because of mold also. When the mold is removed properly, these clients get better to some degree. Most do not make a full recovery. Sad but true.
Like I have said before, just read my other threads about mold. It has all been covered before.
People also must take into account the geographic area in which they live. I guess SW Florida can be considered somewhat, subtropic. If the AC is not running as intended, many of these homes end up getting large spore counts within them. When I say large I mean 77,000 interior compared to 42 exterior. Guess what, alot of the mold is not visible. It grows like mad on fibrous wall paper and on carpeting. So should that be acceptable? I do realize that there are no set standards. I do know what the CDC says…I do know that most mold remediation companies cause more problems than they solve.
You even stated, if you have mold getting into the cavity of your wall…well unless your name is Clark Kent…seeing inside the wall can be kinda difficult. You know of contractors who do specific things…of course at a much less cost…I bet they do, without the insurance, schooling and professional equipment I bet they are cheaper. Then they want to remove the insulation…what Idiots. I mean take the trim down, rip the walls out, remove and encapsulate the mold…but god forbid don’t spend the extra $20 to make it right…
So Rob from what I get is that YOU know the truth…Rob please visit, www.thelemonhouse.org This is a house in my area and to see what it has done to them is UNREAL and it is a REAL story…But then again, I now see why your not a member of NACHI and no way affilitated…when your standards improve and education is well versed, please join we would love to have you!
Uh, inspecting roofs and decks wouldn’t be “helpful” under that logic. Home inspectors don’t do repairs, we inspect. All mold problems, roof leaks and unsafe decks should be corrected.
Russell,
You just had to go there. You couldn’t just have a meaningful conversation without having to challenge my qualifications and reason for not joining this “organization”. All I know is what I read from what has been published. I have no doubt that some species of mold can, in large amounts and in the right situation, cause health issues. All I have been saying is that it doesn’t need to be tested in order to be cleaned/remediated. See mold, figure out why there is mold and recommend remediation. You must have me confused with some one else. No where did I state that the contractors have removed trim, taken down walls etc… I simply stated what I have witnessed in my area and that is simply treating an attic cavity.
“But then again, I now see why your not a member of NACHI and no way affilitated…when your standards improve and education is well versed, please join we would love to have you!”
In closing Russell, I am moderated and connot actually speak my mind. My standards and ethics are well above any that this organization and it’s online certification could offer. I think your education is the one that is lacking. An education that might help you be able to better read and translate what is actually written. Maybe one day you’ll see the light.
James,
Thanks for the reply.