Tales of a Consultant - Part 1 - Mold

Cross posted from my site. Enjoy.

I've had several potential clients call my company in the past week requesting "mold testing." When I don't automatically respond with "Yes, it will be (insert dollar amount here) and we'll tell you in a couple of days if you have mold..." they seem to get frustrated.

So here are some things about mold that are important to understand. In no particular order...

1. Mold is everywhere. (I refuse to use the word "ubiquitous" because it has been so overly used in context to mold and simply means everywhere anyways.)
2. If we didn't have mold we'd be surrounded by dead stuff - literally. Its job in our eco-system is to decompose organic matter.
3. It is for this simple reason that you don't want it growing in your house. IT WILL EAT IT. Not out of spite, just because that's its job.
4. Unfortunately one of mold's favorite foods is cellulose, which is mainly what our houses are made of.
5. There is no silver bullet - sorry. Dead mold spores are still as allergenic as live spores. The goal should be removal, not killing. (Plus it's just not nice to kill things.)
6. Mold "testing" should never be done without a thorough visual assessment, an understanding of the occupant's risk, knowledge of the buildings use and history and a hypothesis on which to base one's sampling methodology.
7. If a company uses the phrase "toxic mold" they are baiting you with scare tactics.
8. All molds have the potential to be allergenic. There are certain types of mold that produce secondary metabolites called mycotoxins. There is still much research that needs to be done in this area with regard to health effects, etc. This is difficult to determine in part because everyone's individual susceptibility is different. From the research that has been done, we know that it is not healthy for anyone to live or work in a moldy situation.
9. Its not always mold. I once had a client who thought she had a mold problem because of her severe headaches while at home. I took no mold samples, but instead took a garbage bag and proceeded to fill it up with a large number of plug-in type air fresheners. Her headaches were gone within the week.
10. Indoor Air/Environmental Quality (IAQ/IEQ) is comprised of many different facets. Don't think inside of a box, your head may become weirdly shaped.
11. To test or remediate mold without understanding the origin of the root cause (moisture) is a waste of money. If the root cause is not properly addressed (no band-aids please) the mold will just grow back.
12. All leaks should be repaired and dried out within 48 hours to prevent mold growth.
13. I have yet to see something that can't be fixed, but HOW it's fixed is crucial.
14. Most states have no regulation; therefore it's the wild wild west. You may call me or you may call Bubba who bought a mold certification online for $195. I am soo not kidding. Do your homework, ask questions, and ask more questions.
15. Don't think you can become a millionaire by suing someone over mold. Please think of this as a last resort. Litigation sucks, I charge way more money, and it's not about the "principal," it's about the money. If it IS about the principal, let me know and you can follow the path I did.
16. Beware of the companies who perform consulting and remediation on the same project (unless it is a small $ amount & you know where they live.) This is viewed as a major conflict of interest and is like the fox "guarding" the hen house.
17. If you have a small amount of "mildew" or mold on a hard surface like tile, soap and water will suffice. Skip the bleach - it's bad for you to breathe.

This concludes Tales of a Consultant - Part 1.

To be continued...